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Immersion — Nanocluster Vol. 2
(Swim VWM, 2024, CD / LP / DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2024-10-30

Nanocluster Vol. 2 Cover art

Immersion and Nanocluster started as a one-off pop-up gig at the Rosehill in Brighton in 2017 and turned into an album series. Built around Colin Newman (Wire) and his partner Malka Spigel (Minimal Compact), they collaborated with various influential musical guests. Their new album, Nanocluster Vol. 2, features guest artists Thor Harris, Jack Wolter (Cubzoa and Penelope Isles), and Matt Schulz on drums. The songs were written and rehearsed before each performance, leading to a debut album Nanocluster Vol 1 released in 2021 with Stereolab singer / guitarist Laetitia Sadier, German post-rock duo Tarwater, electronic musician Ulrich Schnauss and experimental artist Robin Rimbaud of Scanner. Released as a double 10-inch with each collaboration taking up each disc, the new album, Nanocluster Vol. 2, has further developed this idea. Disc one features Thor Harris, the percussionist from Swans and many other projects, whom they met and performed with at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas in 2023. Thor adds ideas, his tuned percussion instruments, clarinet, and trumpet to the sessions. Disc two is built around Jack Wolter who brings his musical craft, beguiling voice, and guitar. Disc one consists of the six tracks “As Long As,” “Just Close Your Eyes,” “Rotations,” “The House of Thor,” “In Snow,” and “The Wizzard’s House.” These tracks are a mixture of minimal songs and instrumentals using different sonic textures.  “The House of Thor” is a bit different from all the tracks on this release in that it includes ambient studio chatter as intro and outro, lending a bit of a demo fell to this track. Disc two consists of five tracks “I’m Barely Here,” “In the Universe,” “Other Ways,” “Not About Me,” and “Neptune.” These tracks have a different vibe, drawing comparisons to Laurie Anderson, Wire, and Wire members’ solo efforts. The spoken narratives tend to be introspective and philosophical. There is a variety of emotions across these two discs, ranging from laid-back urban funk to delicate spooky textures along with simple repeated electronic sequences and arpeggios. Nanocluster Vol. 2 is a fun release.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Wire, Immersion

 

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