After releasing a series of house ‘n’ disco EP’s though labels such as Rekids, Curle Recordings and Underground Quality, Nina Kraviz, the queen of ambient house, has earned herself quite a positive reputation within the underground dance community. Recently releasing her first self-titled long-play album “Nina Kraviz,” lovers of deep electronic, and good music in general, should look no further, because this may be the greatest album of the year thus far.
The album beings with “Walking in the Night.” An ambient tune that is most definitely the prelude for everything that’s about to come. Nina’s voice abstractly shines over the curiously interesting synthesized tones that can’t help but make you think of the darkness in a night. With lines like “don’t you think that’s right” and “walking in the night,” this track’s main purpose is to the put the listener into a musical trance.
The next and extra large track number two, titled “Aus” is without a doubt not missing a single beat and kicks this LP into hyperdrive, with a banging four-by-four 909 kick drum, that then suddenly drops with a really fat, and compressed bass line, with ambient lyrics whispering “man-what’s going.” Fans of Chicago House take notice; this album reeks of old school Detroit and Chicago techno vibes. Track three “Ghetto Kraviz” is an absolute banging number that should be heard at every single club in Madison, and the Midwest for that matter. The syncopation between the deadpan line “someones gotta hit the bowl,” and the hypnotic 808 drum groove sounds spot on, unique and quite personal. The grooves are locked on pure autopilot, and the phrasing is abstract, hidden and deep.
Nina, like other recently discovered avant-garde electronic musicians such as James Blake and SBTRKT, create songs that are heavily structured to feature a voice at the fore, and to let the synthesizers and drum machines form around them. Track 4, titled “Taxi Talk” is a great example of this. The playfully synthesized keystrokes focus on the repeating lines of “I don’t trust you anymore,” while the same four-to-the-floor drums kick on, but tweaked just enough to sound completely different. Track 12 titled “Petr” is another relentless party banging tune that echoes with the line “all I want to do baby” something that all the boys and girls would be able to connect with and dance to. But of course for the lovers of a good wobble tune, with an even deeper sub bass track infused within, Track 7, titled “Choices” is clocking in at a little over five minutes and features some of Nina’s most impressive vocal work and sub-bass programming to date.
Some of the highest points of the LP are where Nina decides to hide behind the instruments and produce some very wonderful and introspective ambient pieces. Tracks like “4 Ben,” “The Needle,” and “Fire” will enter your subconscious, and current emotional state, and perhaps turn it into something more positive. These tunes show off Nina’s more genuine and organic sounds that she processes with her interesting programming abilities. Other notable highlights are the collaborations with fellow musicians Hard Ton and King Aus on tracks 1 and 2.
Ultimately, this album asks for nothing but the truth. I would recommend listing to this album in a dark lighted living room, or a even a club. Either way, with the right sound system you can immerse yourself into something truly deep, beautiful, and great sounding. The essences of the record is raw, fat, and has a very warm-analog feel to it. In Nina’s lyrics, and the final repeated line of the LP – “nothing lasts forever” sums it up well. Nina won’t be here forever, and neither will we.
You can now purchase this album on Vinyl (double gatefold sleeve), CD, and digital formats at all good record shops.