Ni - 2017 - Dedoda

(29:28; Zach Records / Red Wig)

Experimental Austrian RIO band Ni released this album in 2017 but it has only recently come to my attention. Although there are some vocals here and there, they are basically being used as an additional instrument and it is best to view them as such. Here we have an album that is complex, incredibly staccato, and musically all over the place. I have become far more interested in this style of music in recent years, and although I have always had an appreciation for it, these days I find myself being drawn towards the genre more and more. I am I am sure that a large part of that is the sheer refusal to conform on the behalf of the musicians, knowing that listeners will always be in a small minority but those who “get it” will be greatly enamoured of what they are achieving. That they perform in rather strange matching that make Devo look positively normal only adds to the interest.

Such is the case here with complex guitars linking in with drums as they stretch what could be considered acceptable in a normal sense yet somehow always continue to maintain a musical energy and consistency which makes sense to those who understand. There will be many who view this just as noise being created my musicians who are obviously skilled enough to know better and why aren’t they playing something nice and sensible in 4/4? But for those who want their music to stretch the braincells and allow themselves to be taken into strange and unusual places then this is a delight. The guitars can be harsh and jangling, weaving in strange and different ways, and there are times when the a cappella vocals do exactly the same. It is a relatively short album at just 30 minutes long, yet the listener feels they have been taken on a lengthy journey and are all the better for it.

Kev Rowland, January 2021

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/niversum
https://www.facebook.com/ZachRecords
https://www.redwig.org/