Nekochan

Minimal Bump

With a wide array of influences, a very distinctive style and a strong taste for melody and crafted musical skills, French artist Chloe Arnaud aka Nekochan is surely one of the most exciting and refreshing producers at the moment. Her stylish blends and arresting collisions of electronica, bass and glitched-up beats, led by her aqueously expressive voice, mark her out immediately as an artist destined for widespread acclaim. A classically trained cellist, she evolved into Nekochan in 2006 after a few years applying her unusual voice and skills as part of an electronic duo. Inspired by baroque and classical composition as well as a flamenco-player stepfather, and a passion for oriental melodic patterns, her gift for catchy figures and intricate rhythms is no surprise given the sheer range and depth of her sonic colourbox, while her highly individual blend of sound and mood switches adeptly from electronica and techno to the more underground tones of dubstep and glitch hop ... all with her unique vocal signature. Nekochan's 2009 debut download-only release met with success in pushing dubstep into new zones, and now comes the first foray into vinyl, with the three-track killer 'Minimal Bump' EP, that will further reconfigure notions of what bass music can be. The title track has already been featured on Mary Anne Hobbs, who played an early version in May last year after hearing it on myspace. 'Minimal Bump' is a powerful techno/break/dubstep instrumental with a huge kick and seismic bass work, custom built for dancefloor mayhem, with its layered synths, advanced rythmic shifts, cavernous drops, and an explosive production style that recalls the intricacies of prime Meat Beat Manifesto at the same time as giving Reso a run for his money. On the flip, 'Bombine' is another view entirely; a emotive disjointed stepper with melancoly pop tones, which unfolds in a smokey torch-song style to reveal further layers to Nekochan's innate musical instincts. It's fluidly evolving contrasts between dominant bass levels, powerful rhythms, and subtly-pitched Japanese strings mix and grow around that voice, putting the listener as much in mind of Burial's sadness as Bjork's vivid expression. Finally, 'Vahine' is a refreshing journey into a lighter and atmospheric dubstep style, reminiscent in mood of Scuba or Martyn, with a dynamic bouncy drum pattern delivering the perfect groove for the heavy bassline to ride on while the sweet string melody leads from the front. Essential purchase for anyone seeking out new directions in heady dancefloor electronics.