Deep Nalström – Naive Melodies – Natural Selections

Bristol based designer Deep Nalström (Guillaume De Ubeda) takes a bold step in releasing his debut LP – Naive Melodies

As debut releases go, it’s always a nice surprise to stumble upon the work of a new artist who until now has been making waves (of a different kind) – mostly for his distinctive graphic design and illustration work for a range of record labels and club promoters across the UK and beyond…

Based in Bristol but hailing from France, Deep Nalström (Guillaume De Ubeda) has taken a bold first step in releasing his music on the world but we’re certainly better off for it. Electing to explore the textures and tones of ambient, dub, new age in and amongst the humid zones of tropical Tahiti – “Naive Melodies” pitches up on Natural Selections with an almost perfectly formed debut. Comprising of 7 tracks, Deep Nalström fully embraces the mantra of less is more – focusing his energies in carving out a palette hewn of evocative atmospheres and bubbling dubs, expertly blended with intergalactic electronics and a base of tribal rhythm.

From the opening sprawl of “Sanctuary” on the A-side, the enchanting machine like mirage unfurls into a hallucinogenic haze as a Moog lead mimics the animal noises in the undergrowth. Diving deeper into the thicket, Nalström fills the room with the ambient haziness of “Liquid Diamonds” – smooth sine waves and tribal toms mimicking jungle signals, far beyond. “Dream People” takes us into a clearer space where warm synthesis ushers the end of daylight through as meditative vocals repeat their vision of altered states. “Between Spaces” rounds off with an ode to the night time air as the blue canopy is lit by shooting stars.

Heading over to the B-side, “Caravanne II” is slightly more mysterious in feel as it echoes a hint of eastern promise through Nyabinghi ceremony. Wildlife roars and temple gongs drone as the bass-heavy, delay-filled shuffle of “Inner Collapse” takes you further into the heart of the matter. Last but not least, Nalström touches the sun-kissed warmth of “Albatros” as tubular vibrations give rise to the flights of birds. Discussing the search for freedom, through spirituality and  altering the mind, you’ll certainly find here that “freedom without balance is destruction”.

In the words of Natural Selections scribe, it’s “Post-Human Eden, mechanized … paradise reborn”.