In its 29-year history, Nervous Records has ‘built its reputation on a willingness to take chances on new producers, fresh sounds and innovative concepts.’ At a time when communication and collaboration between producers, artists and labels has become almost exclusively digital, the label decided to bring the creative process back to its roots, when creating a track meant all night writing sessions, 12 hour studio lock-outs and coffee runs that often detoured into all nightclubbing.
In 2018 the label had the idea of flying thee separate producers from different parts of the world into the creative and musical hub of Brooklyn. That experience was apparently so positive, and the resulting music so good, that a year later Nervous went in for Round 2. In September 2019, the label bought Germany’s Ben Delay, Lisbon's Moullinex and UK duo Trutopia together into one NYC studio to record a body of work set to be released on 24 April, as part of the label’s new ‘Brooklyn Sessions’ EP series.
Opening up with the Trutopia and Moullinex collaboration ‘Galesa’, the production struts in and out of the central percussion, the single flexing and contracting relentlessly, carrying that sense of drive and energy that is intrinsic to New York’s streets.
On Trutopia’s solo track ’You Can Not Hold Back’, the composition bristles with energy, the British pair channeling vocalist’s Koffee’s topline across saxophone and funk-fuelled bass; on ‘Ergo’, Moullinex keeps things tight and taut, using carefully crafted snares, hi-hats, sweeping synths and a percussion to create a dark, driving cityscape.
Finally, Ben Delay’s ‘Brooklyn (Back In Time)’, closes out the EP.
Since its 1991 inception Nervous Records has been at the very epicentre of New York’s house scene. Masters At Work, Armand Van Helden, David Morales, Tony Humphries, Josh Wink, Mood II Swing, Kerri Chandler, Todd Terry, Roger Sanchez and more have all passed through their doors.
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