"Safe Haven" ft. L.W.H. and clownshoes - Nima
I'm not sure how I came to follow Nima on twitter, but I had the good luck two days ago to see Nima tweet out a new album. See Feel Real, it's called, an album of songs both oddly melodious and decidedly arhythmic.
An old post I dug up over on The Le Sigh revealed some more information about Nima, but not much - most of what I've gleaned has come from revisiting recent works Spirit Sign and Sweetboy, both of which are seem a bit more ambient than the noise of See Feel Real. (Note - I've listened to this album far more than those two.)
Where those works edge closer to dreamy, See Feel Real edges closer to the "spooky" with which Diana Cirullo described a potential witch house comparison. This is a intriguing album to pin down, sometimes solidifying into a more recognizable structure, at others materializing only as discordant, otherworldly chimes and squiggles (a nod to "New Dance). It occasionally alternates, but always has elements of the two. At it's best, it makes for wonderful creations that are unpredictable and, rather than delivering what you want, take you down an otherworldly side alley that's far more interesting.
It's an unnerving release, with a queer allure to its specifically rendered sounds. Yet even when it may seem at its most disconcerting, it can surprise; the cathedral march of "Luv's Infinite Cinema" hides the album's prettiest notes deep within its confines.
I've posted "Come Around" against my better judgement - I like to resist posting the obvious track, the feature-laden one that bears more names to draw more eyes.. I considered the fascinating "Luv's," the hypnotic thrall of "Safe Haven," and the concise, more new listener-friendly "New City Grip." That last one was especially enticing - it's where the most light shines through. Sometimes, though, the obvious choice might be the best for bringing ears to a project.
If you'd like a cassette, they're available from Harsh Riddims Bloodsucking Cassette Co. It may help with the not simple process of wrapping one's head around these tunes.
- Tyler Hanan
