The 13-minute track draws you in with a hypnotic groove, resonant percussion and a laid back bass line that slowly grows in intensity as you enter deeper into its world. Once you are cocooned into the warm synths and meditative rhythms an otherworldly cry calles you upward to the vocals soaring hauntingly over the deep and dark groove. As the track, recorded in a single improvised take by the New York live trio, moves along it develops steadily, opening up like a flower, unfolding acid bass lines and cascading guitar chords before landing back where it took off with the distinctive dark, melodic groove that stays with us long after the track has ended.
The New York electronic live trio N/UM brings the immediacy and excitement of improvised music and live composition into the venues of warehouse-raves, clubs and festivals. To attend a N/UM show means embarking on a sonic adventure with the musicians into undiscovered soundscapes. Utilizing the most iconic of analog synths and drum machines, vocals, modular synths and guitar, every performance of the trio is an exploration. Drawing on a huge range of influences from Techno and House to Avant-garde Jazz, melodic songs with soaring vocals and Minimal Techno, N/UM induce a dream-like state of consciousness that preludes captivating grooves and dance-floor shaking beats. The group unites three longtime friends who have always shared a deep passion for electronic music. They are multi Grammy Award winning mixing engineer and producer Jeremy Loucas, guitarist Elias Meister of world-renowned rap group Residente (Calle 13), and Danish multi instrumentalist and producer Emil Bovbjerg.
The three have performed and collaborated in a variety of musical settings for more than a decade, fostering the understanding and trust that enables them to dive into the music in their distinct way. The phrase ‘You had to be there’ has never been more true than for a N/UM live show. No plan or structure is agreed upon; the energy between the musicians, the audience and the space is the sole guiding light into each of their unique shows and recordings. While tracks and songs will constantly materialize in each performance, they are singular events never to be repeated, specific to that moment in time.
N/UM performed live for Mixmag Lab in New York and have recorded live sets for John Acquaviva’s Ibiza Global Radio, Deep House London (DHA), and The Lot Radio. In 2019 they toured in India performing at the Nowhere Is Here Festival in Meghalaya, and shows in Bengalore and Goa. The tour was followed by their debut in the Berlin club scene and their performance at the Fusion Festival in Laerz. In 2021 they performed at Resolute (New York) and made their way into the Nevada desert to perform on the legendary Robot Heart Bus. The year was capped off with a performance at the Art With Me Festival (Miami, FL). Highlights in 2022 were their invitation to be part of Cityfox Live at Brooklyn’s Avant Gardner as well as the closing performance at the Mutek Montréal Festival at the SAT Dome with 360 live projections by visual artist collective Isotone.
They released their debut vinyl Zebra (LP, Duro) in 2016 followed by the EPs Yes (vinyl – Ninetofire, 2017), Aporia (Lost Diaries, 2018) and Ravens (vinyl – Positive Elevation, 2019).
Despite the daring premise and unconventional creative approach the mission statement of N/UM is simple: The opposite of war is a dancefloor.