Nandu 'Forever In Our Favor' EP review | A magical worldly affair
Back in July, Copenhagen’s Rasmus Vincentz Jensen - someone we’re more familiar with calling his artistic frontier Nandu - pressed play to the world with his then-new live stream and captivated us all in the process. A vibrant set, filmed entirely on a boat sailing through the picturesque Øresund in Denmark, little did we know it was packed full of gems which were yet to grace our ears within the following months. It included some from Nandu’s recent TAU release, but more importantly in this context, his ‘Forever In Our Favor’ EP which has just come out on label heavyweight Innervisions.
2020 has been a year completely flipped on its head, and musically for Innervisions, it’s been no different. Gone is the time when the release catalogue would focus on familiar family names, bringing out tracks which have filled the dancefloors on repeat and left us guessing the IDs far and wide. In its place, the label has shifted focus on the newer names and given them time to shine with fuller-packed EPs: the perfect breathing space to let the artist create their own story and form a monumental impact. ‘Forever In Our Favor’ sees Nandu take five tracks under his wing, crafting an EP which focuses on the atmosphere which surrounds us, playing out in such a dreamy and soft manner as it sounds. A story which takes us to the stars, through the grey skies and even as far as into our daydreams. This one is made for us to close our eyes and listen to the world.
Following in the footsteps of its name, ‘Forever In Our Favor’ takes us into the first layer of the EP with a heightened positive vibration. Reeling us in with diffused drum pads as the track’s first moves, we’re given a satisfying combination of wooden tribal claps and zippered swathes which sparsely stab themselves around each other to build up the tension, layer-by-layer. Fluently gathering pace, an ethereal harmonic whistles by, fusing far and wide to reach every corner and touch upon each element with complete acuteness. Grabbed by the slightly broken beat, which manifests for a short period, a rather alluring monotone groove sails past to complement all elements. Spiraling down to ease us into the breakdown, we’re lavished with twinkles which match the optimistic sensation as conjured. Burning fast and burning bright, our original harmonic poses itself once again and beams ever-dazzling than before. Close your eyes, and ‘Forever In Our Favor’ almost lifts us up and evaporates our soul into another universe, in-between the stars as they shine throughout the night.
And just like that, we’re thrown off the tracks and into another atmosphere - a bumpy one at that. Nandu’s not once to keep us seated in the same position, and ‘Distorted Balance’ puts him in control of the driving seat to take us to a different destination. It’s a concoction of the unusual, but downright delicious. Right from the first second, the shell is crafted from a destructive composition of rumbling thumps and tempestuous tweets which almost play putty into our darkest desires. Letting the booming kicks and brisk snares wickedly distort the balance to the point of almost falling out of our chairs, a deep hum begins to soothe the structure; a crescendo which slowly, but surely, builds itself up in a repeated motif. Frazzled chords, much like sun-kissed raindrops come into play, and everything grinds down to a halt. Building up once again in a rather trance-like euphoria, the stretched-out breakdown rises from the bare bones of the churned-out skeleton we’ve been exposed to. It’s undoubtedly powerful beauty at its finest and showcases Nandu for the sophisticated producer he is: here he rebuilds the track up from scratch, softly sprinkling each element upon each other without us even realising. Allowing the rich chords, slithering shakes and swirling elements to play themselves out, once again the dust settles and drifts itself away. This is a track which is made for those special moments, surrounded by loud speakers in a dark, sight-deprived room.
We’re third layer deep into the EP, and once more, we’re taken down a different route with ‘February Silver Lining’. An introduction which immediately invites us into a positive dimension once more, it’s almost as if we’re floating through the air and bouncing gently from cloud to cloud. Letting an almost timid jingle rise forwards gently, metal rattles follow through, whilst a flock of light-hearted drum taps add solid formation to the structure. Beaming along like soft, early Spring wind blowing through your fingers, now the ‘silver lining’ shines brightly, illuminating vividly with its pitched-up tone which carrasses and soothes our ears. Never too much, and yet, never too little, it twinkles itself away in its own little world. As we slightly pass the halfway mark at 3.15 minutes, a billow of icy smoke temporarily halts the pitched-up lining in its tracks, until the drums re-invite themselves back and crank up the seriousness a commendable notch. Skydiving into a misty descent of the melodic shrillness and tactile dabs of the drums, soon all elements linger on and fizzle out.
A flawless transition at its finest, ‘Daydreams’ assigns itself to the finishing flourishes of the EP. A muffled bassline which establishes its footprint does nothing drastic as such, but instead lays the first building blocks in a vibrant manner so we never feel a dull moment; and yet again we’re introduced to tinkers of tribal drums to keep our pulses racing. Kicking along, now comes in the vocal from the mesmerising, yet slightly haunting Vâlva - all cracks are stuffed with sombre shallow shades; soft harmonics which play contrast with the intrigue of the voice and toying our minds and souls into two different courts. Fraying whirls left, right and centre against a kick snare to slightly drag and mellow itself out. Riding like a smooth wave crashing against the shore, all previously-known vibrancy comes to an almost halt, slowing down to a tempered pace for a hollowed-out framework. Singing distinctly ‘where do we belong’, a clutter of speedy whips and kicks resurrect the song’s soul and makes it more cohesive, a reportraire to remind us that we work as one - an important message to cherish more so in these times we find ourselves living in. It proceeds in a sweet deposition of a lush and dreamily lullaby for an escape until the end: it’s a daydream worth having more than just once.
Sealing the lid on the five-story chapter which has grown familiar over the past 30 minutes, ‘The Travelers Antidote’ pays homage to the explorer which swims deep within all of our souls. Soft and gentle, like calling to the sweet memories we cherish so much, Nandu creates a Balearic-inspired soundscape, laced with abrasive whirls and tectonic plates, playing out as the central core from the beginning. Shuddering onwards smoothly, in comes the kick, until layers of glowing screeches, vibrating hithers and shallow puddles work together, hand-in-hand. Granting a brief moment of respect, a soft horn emotionally plays itself away, calling out like a sunrise grabbing the last strings of Summer daylight: an uncanny parallel to our own lives, as we shift from the Summer into the Winter. Daubed in sheer delight, the smooth chords and backbeat resurface once more to let the full extent of the emotions come into play. It’s true what they say: in sweetness there’s sadness, and as with all good things, they must come to an end.
As the world continues to revolve around uncertainty, ‘Forever In Our Favor’ is the savour much needed right now. It’s true, there are many complex layers in this release which play upon all our emotions - from the light hearted, to the mysteriously moody and sweet reminiscent memories we cherish - but overall, this is an EP which offers us a positive escape and takes us through a universe (and beyond) which is not so fragile and defines the beauty and magic we sometimes forget to remember it holds so lovingly.
REVIEW BY JOANNE PHILPOTT
Forever In Our Favor was released on Innervisions on 6th November 2020
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