On this week’s Unsung Heroes, we explore the exotically rich world of rhythm and groove into an exciting and invigorating Tribal cut. When we think of Tribal music, we turn to many current heroes of Tech House, (such as Filterheadz, Chus & Ceballos and Chocolate Puma), who inject a hearty dose of colorful jungle vibes into their productions. But while those particular artists are essential in that genre, one must also realize that many musicians in EDM are not one dimensional robots who solely create one genre. Many musicians who contain a sense of musical integrity often express their musings in a variety of different styles, and it is the mark of a true craftsman to create music that is completely outside their comfort zone. Rather than focus on pure Tech House producers, we instead turn our attention to Switzerland, where many high end artists reside within the classic sounds of Progressive House. Switzerland is a particularly interesting country because of a coalition of artists who reside under the Helvetic Nerds project that pool their talents together to not only make great music, but to also act as a mentoring school to refine their talents and to excel their career to the next level. Members include legendary artists such as EDX, Dinka, Daniel Portman and Leventina, along with up incoming talents such as Chris Reese, Passenger 10 and Stanley Ross.
While residing in Big Room anthems and iconic Prog House basslines under the Helvetic Nerds moniker, another artist by the name of Nora En Pure focuses her energies on the flip side of the spectrum, opting to delve herself in the murky recesses of Deep House and Nu Disco with a sophisticated and radically retro interpretation towards her pieces. She has already established himself as a cutting edge producer with incredibly unusual/highly synthetic melodies, but a quick look through her back catalog reveals a completely hidden side to this multifaceted composer. In June of 2012, Pure released an ambitious and exciting double EP entitled, Calling Ibiza, which thrust her away from her staple styles into a whole new medium of ingenuity and imagination. As a result of this brave jump into the unknown, it gave a refreshing sense of originality within this Tribal EP, due to the creative influences that surrounded the construction of this track, (and also the brazen experimentation that also took place). The B-side of this release was entitled Repique, which is originally regarded as a two sided Brazilian drum that uses finger rings in order to play. A huge source of inspiration was the exciting and grandiose vibes of drum lines that exists in many marching bands and drum cores around the world. Much like the encompassing world of percussion, Nora En Pure offers us a glimpse into a brand new dimension of high quality music.
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As the name suggests, Repique is a heavily rhythmic track that samples and utilizes an incredible amount of percussive instruments for a deeply complex track that teases the ears with a multitude of timbral surprises. At any given moment, there are no less than 7 instruments that are working like clockwork to power this infectiously groovy machine. Chugging along with a particularly chunky bassline, it centers the stage towards unusual instruments like bongos, claves, tam tams, pandieros, cow bells, tombas, snares and more to set the stage for an exhilarating and joyous occasion. To better set the ambiance, even more unusual sounds emerge to completely immerse listeners in the music, as the sounds of deep ship horns, children squealing in delight, airplanes landing, cheering crowds, talking, laughing, sirens and whistles all attempt to expand the piece into a new level of detail and precision that is rarely, (if at all), seen in most electronic music tracks. But what is most miraculous of all is how Pure accurately showcases an entire passionate culture within Repique. The setting is based on the grand Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, (which one of Brazil’s most famous festivals), and it captures the lively celebrations that makes each event a legendary experience. She manages to construct a track that can be used as a teaching tool to submerge listeners into a completely different world and encourages them to lose themselves as they shuffle their feet to the groove of the Samba beat.
Nora En Pure‘s single of Repique is out now on Enormous Tunes via Beatport, so make sure you grab your copy today. Also, make sure you grab the awesome flip side of the EP, entitled Calling Ibiza!
Keep the music alive. -Q
Beatport: http://www.beatport.com/track/repique-original-mix/3570350
Unsung Heroes is a weekly segment where we take a look back at an amazing production and bring it back into the light for older and newer fans alike. These tracks were often overlooked, overshadowed by a huge release or are just not that well known to the public here in America. Here, you can find all the hidden gems in many genres and find a new favorite track (or another tool/weapon for aspiring DJ’s).
