Eglo co-founder releases his debut 4 track EP ‘Present Under Construction’
Best known as a DJ, broadcaster and co-founder of Eglo Records alongside Floating Points, Alex Nut has spent well over a decade championing soulful underground sounds through his ever on point NTS radio show and club nights. You’ll find his fingerprints all over that corner of the scene, which continues to morph and evolve whilst embracing all the facets of Soul, Jazz, Funk, Dub and Electronica into one vast melting pot. Which has certainly been reflected in the running of the label and its continually excellent output over the years.
‘Present Under Construction’ is something of a watershed moment for Nut, in so far as he has chosen to finally make his production debut. Rooted in a deep musical language and future-facing energy, he has certainly captured a moment of creative transformation and exploration here on his maiden voyage. Built up over a few years from rough sketches made on an old MPC2000XL, using pieces of analogue kits such as a Dave Smith Prophet Rev 2, Fender Rhodes and a Moog Sub 37. The tracks were recorded, revisited, reshaped and eventually brought to life in the studio with longtime friend and collaborator Sam Crowe (Cleo Sol, Lianne La Havas) as you hear them now.
On the fittingly titled opening track ‘Andthenitstarted’, James Mellinson’s dextrous and effects-laden sax leads and rubs shoulders with spacey electronics, layered up with warming Rhodes keys, all set to dubbed-out machine beats and analogue bass. Nut injects the kind of warm sonic embrace we could all use more of at this bleak time of year. Accompanied by the superbly immersive and dreamy downtempo soul of ‘One 4 Santi’ which also features Sam Crowe, soul-tinged vocals drift in and out and entice you to kick back and sink deeper into a moment of quiet contemplation.
Over on the flipside, Motor City maestro Patrice Scott takes up the reins of and ups the tempo with his remix of ‘Anthenitstarted’, referencing the type of notes laid out by the likes of The Detroit Experiment project as he serves up a sublime and seductive revision. Bringing more sway, percussive precision and emphasis on the bass over Nut’s original. Scott delivers a fitting reshape that will no doubt find favour with fans and friends alike. Last but not least, fellow label artis Last Nubian re-rubs the same track but this time, injects delicious percussion to a deep and dubby house groove, that propels proceedings even further into the stratosphere with real panache.
