Live Review: Premiere: Nakagin ‘Dwell’ EP

You can instantly tell from the elegance and beauty emanating from the name alone that NAKAGIN has made something so intently special. Dropping his latest EP titled ‘Dwell’ through Silo Arts Records, the Sydney-sider is set to go leaps and bounds ahead, particularly as the EP is just so intricately beautiful in subtle and overt ways.

We here at Purple Sneakers are proud to be premiering this astounding body of work. The 5-track piece includes his single ‘Pines’, and it definitely follows suit.

Encompassing the entrancing characteristics of his already so established sound, the opening track ‘Pines' does so well in making a pointed statement. It cements NAKAGIN’s harmonious approach to making such a multi-textural sound, and does well in establishing this so early in the EP.

At this point however, I would like to mention how diverse each track is. I think when dabbling in a genre that relies so heavily on the ambience and atmosphere to convey the mood, it’s very easy to lose a sense of separation and individuality within the sound. I think however, that is what makes this EP so appealing.

The similarities in the tracks work well to blend their main motifs together and highlight the sound NAKAGIN is essentially going for, but it is their separation that ultimately makes this 5 different bodies of work, and not just one huge mix.

‘Caves’ takes on a more subtle approach, utilising a soft kick drum and a pining beat in the foreground and a lush line of synths playing in the background. However, ‘Conduit’ is entirely the opposite. With the focus of the track being the constant ascending and descending scales running up and down its entirety, it has a rhythmic focus and a strong melodic focus.

‘Drop’ and ‘Room’ both flirt a little bit less with the ambience side of NAKAGIN’s music, and rather focus more on the electronic production side, coming across as a little bit more ‘dancey’ I suppose you could say.

‘Drop’ has this rainy day, lights turned on, cup of tea sort of gloom about it, but once the glockenspiel comes in midway through the intro, it adds a dimension of innocence and one of great innovation. Props to NAKAGIN for being able to change the tension in the song with just the addition of one instrument, I think that’s something to really be commended.

NAKAGIN has created not only a body of music here, but it’s also a body of art. He’s created something that portrays an experience of many, and even the experiences to come of many. It’s a soundtrack to feeling, a haven of different moods to change the way you go about your day.

‘Dwell’ is a structural masterpiece disguised as many innovative bouts of production, and I for one think this is an unforgettable piece.

Words by Caitlin Medcalf

LISTEN TO NEW MUSIC HERE

SEE ALSO:

NAKAGIN ‘PINES’

LISTEN: NAKAGIN ‘WOODS + REST’