Nic TVG - "Then I Disappear" Album :: SUBTLE005CD by subtleaudiorecordings

published on 2013-09-23T10:21:15Z

Nic TVG - "Then I Disappear" Album :: SUBTLE005CD Nic TVG avoids the Drum & Bass clichés and unearths a barrage of unheard breaks for the rhythmic template on this, his debut album. He demonstrates a delicate touch in his manipulations of this material on the intro track “A Mouse Among Monsters” and also a maniacal tendency in the insanely chopped nature of “Friday Nights With Heather” at the death of proceedings. In between, there are many facets of Nic's repertoire to explore. There is an unmistakable free-jazz theme running throughout this album and so, it is no surprise to see Nic pay tribute to the great Charles Gayle and his on-stage alter ego “Streets” on “The Clown”. The track encapsulates the sad nature of Gayle's existence as a homeless person in New York in the 70's and 80's but also his devious musical nature, evident in the way the rhythm steps in and out of its regular meter and switches between a number of different percussive palettes at a moments notice. The free-jazz influence is to the fore again on “Playing Drums As Pads” where the most unlikely and unwieldy drum-kit patterns are pushed together and somehow made coherent and compelling. “Lose The World On An Excuse” promises to remain a little more regular initially but the pulsing kicks of the intro soon give way to a whirlwind of drums, pitching bass notes and off-key violins for maybe the zaniest tune on the album! “I'm Sorry I Puked On Your Dress” sounds like Jazz and Drum & Bass meeting Tchaikovsky's “Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy”. You could be listening to the future of ballet right here. Moving on, the title track “Then I Disappear” is all intense drums, flitting bass plucks and looping horns. The reversed keys introduced as the track progresses develop a more reflective air which leads nicely into “Out Of No More” - probably the most introspective track on the album. Perking things up is “Sitting In The Crosswalk” which forsakes the jazz overtones to flex a more recognisable Drum & Bass influence amid an uplifting autumnal ambience. The D&B strains are also much in evidence on “Let Yourself Be Unknown”. Crunchy amens cart-wheel among stark, sustained atmospherics but eventually gave way to a wistful synth riff before the beats and bass broodily return. “She Looks Like Marisa Tomei” is interesting for its title but also for the way the rhythms are occasionally ratcheted up a notch from the steady kick and hi-hat interchanges by the injection of some rowdy funk drums. The low-end bass and stretched wind instruments work particularly well together in this beautiful blend of breakbeat and blues. “My Life As A Hairless Aardvark” might just beat the stiff competition for best track title on the album. It also might just feature the most obtuse rhythm, which is saying something! And so to the maniacal chopping of “Friday Nights With Heather”... talk about going out with a bang ! ... and then, I disappear. ... Nic TVG, “Then I Disappear” :: SUBTLE005CD - Tracklisting 1. A Mouse Among Monsters 2. The Clown 3. Playing Drums As Pads 4. Lose The World On An Excuse 5. I'm Sorry I Puked On Your Dress (Album Version) 6. Then I Disappear 7. Out Of No More 8. Sitting In The Crosswalk 9. Let Yourself Be Unknown (Alternate Mix) 10. She Looks Like Marisa Tomei 11. My Life As A Hairless Aardvark 12. Friday Nights With Heather

Genre: Drum & Bass / Drumfunk

Chrome | Firefox | Safari | Edge

Sorry! Something went wrong

Is your network connection unstable or browser outdated?

I need help