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 musicians searching for undiscovered soundscapes. Utilizing the most iconic of analog synths, drum machines, vocals, modular synths, and guitars, every performance from this 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 induces 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. N/UM features the multi-Grammy Award-winning mixing engineer and producer Jeremy Loucas, guitarist Elias Meister of world-renowned rap group Residente (Calle 13), and the Danish multi-instrumentalist and producer Emil Bovbjerg.
Buy ‘Levers of History’ on Bandcamp
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 music in their own 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, but only specific to that moment in time.
N/UM performed live for Mixmag Lab in New York and has recorded live sets for John Acquaviva‘s Ibiza Global Radio, Deep House London (DHA), and The Lot Radio. In 2019, they toured India performing at the Nowhere Is Here Festival in Meghalaya, and shows in Bangalore and Goa. The tour was followed by their debut in the Berlin club scene and their performance at the Fusion Festival in LĂ€rz.
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 Brooklynâs Avant Gardner and the closing performance at the Mutek MontreÌal Festival at the SAT Dome with 360 live projections by visual artist collective Isotone.
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In 2016, N/UM released their debut vinyl Zebra (LP, Duro), which was then 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.
Now, the New York electronic trio introduces their EP Levers of History â a second full-length album, as well as their fifth release.
Unable to play as a group due to quarantine for a period of many months, the trio finally got back together to record a series of spontaneous, thematic, and captivating tracks â all of which are brimming with the electrifying momentum of a long-awaited leap back into collective improvisation. Together, N/UM’s powerful creative spark is reignited on the Levers of History.
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Photo by: @numlivemusic (via Facebook)
From the first notes, the Levers of History pulls the listener into a mysterious psychedelic soundscape, layered with intriguing vocal runes and laid-back yet driving bass melodies. These elements become accompanied by body-swaying grooves and guitar work of an unorthodox but wide field of dimensions, all seamlessly combined into a musically stimulating hypnotic journey.
From their trademark sounds of fearless, all-improvised live shows, and raving performances without any sound barriers, the trio falls into harmony more than ever before on this album in six extended chapters â once again, a project that is filled with predictable formulae and norms which are true to N/UM’s craft.
For this special release, N/UM also invites the Canadian visual art collective Isotone â a collaborator that augments the album with a visual interpretation and expands the work into the multi-media artistic territory.
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Photo by: @numlive (via Instagram)
Finally, contributing a fitting field trip of a remix, the acclaimed Perlon artist, DJ, and performer extraordinaire Dr. San Proper reinterprets the title track âLevers of Historyâ with signature infectious breakbeats and kaleidoscope sonic visions. Dr. San Proper maneuvers his material in a masterful fashion; like an acid boat ride through the canals of Amsterdam.
The album also marks the relaunch and return of the group’s in-house label Ninetofire. The label has a number of releases lined up for 2023, starting with a Various Artists Compilation and several EP releases from their growing circle of outstanding talent. The album will be available via the Ninetofire Bandcamp store as well as major streaming platforms.
The audiovisual version of the LP is an expertly crafted mix derived from the album’s tracks which are set by stunning visuals by the Isotone crew and will be available to stream on several major video platforms and select media outlets. N/UM will also bring their live show to U.S. East-coast cities in the winter months starting with Washington D.C.âs FLASH on November 23rd. The trio will also be found on the festival circuit and in major European cities in the Spring and Summer of 2023.
Connect with N/UM: Website | SoundCloud | Facebook | Twitter | Beatport |Â Instagram | SpotifyÂ
