Nitechord 'Lume' - Album Sampler [12"]

160g S/S Black 12" Album Sampler [ltd. to 100]

160g black vinyl record housed in a 3mm, black jacket with die-cut hole. Center labels feature artwork from "Lume". Record placed in black, polylined innersleeve for ultimate protection. Shrinkwrapped. Single-sided record. Hype Sticker. Strictly limited to 100 copies.

Nitechord – Lume (Past Inside the Present, 2024)

Nitechord is an anonymous, intercontinental ambient-tech duo that has so far issued only two remixes, but they emerge in full form on Lume, a début that extols the calm and mystery of night through mid-tempo pulses and shadowy whispers. Their initial cassette demo landed in Past Inside the Present's mailbox in 2022, devoid of credits or other biographical information, accompanied only by a brief quatrain:

“We hope
there is room enough
in your world
for this work.”

Those original recordings were so captivating in their raw form that they are issued here essentially untouched, other than by the mastering work of James Bernard at Ambient Mountain House.

Opener, “Reflect”, emerges through layers of shimmering, cirrus guitar loops, framed by a billowing 4/4 kick and sub-bass roil, reminiscent of seminal works by The Sight Below and Gas. Here, Nitechord immediately establish their mastery of tone and atmosphere, as well as a seemingly effortless ability to produce pure, meditative engagement.

“Near” introduces a slight twang to the reverberating guitar textures, evoking the openness of western plains under deep, cerulean skies. With their steady pulses, the duo upturns what would typically be heard as a dancefloor invocation, instead creating a vessel of focus and stillness – a reminder that rhythm exists beneath all environments, and that each beat is a mark of entropy, counting out progressions of growth and decay.

On the sprawling “Dim”, rich drones build and respire in stacked harmonies, while fragments of melodic themes flutter and fall as petals in a bracing wind, and a dusky chatter nests in the background. Most of the tracks on Lume are founded on a liminal tempo that tethers their angelic exhalations to the ground, but the refined, mournful swells of “Absent” open the album’s third act beatlessly, as though pausing along the trail to gaze at an open vista.

Closing track, “Carry”, ushers in a euphoric rush of sustained, orchestral fullness, as streams of breathy, flute-like flutters blossom across the stereo field, until the rhythm is overtaken and the vibrant cloud of whirling harmony fades into obscurity. The lingering effect of this suite is enhanced by Nitechord’s insistence on anonymity in a culture obsessed by image and personality – upon the return to silence, the experience feels that much more like a spectral dream.

The half-dozen pieces of Lume are enriched on the CD and digital versions by the duo’s two previously issued remixes, as well as one alternate take, elaborating on the album’s themes with slowly unfurling grace. “LLø (remix of zakè)” sees yawing strings and low hums appear through dense fog, as it gradually enters a realm of astral white noise across nearly nine minutes. By contrast, “Subtle (remix of Joachim Spieth)” offers an almost celebratory energy, encapsulating the duo’s aesthetic in an economical burst of thump and murmur. “Absent (Quiet Mix)” rounds out the bonus material with a stripped-back version of the album cut, highlighting its delicately picked guitars and melancholy lamentations.

RIYL: The Sight Below, Gas, Yagya, Quantec, Labradford, Fort Romeau, Farben



Written, recorded, produced, and mixed by Nitechord
Mastered at Ambient Mountain House by James Bernard
Original artwork and screen-print titled, 'Barren' by zakè
Design and layout by zakè

'LLø (Nitechord Remix)' originally appeared on 'LL' (Zakè Drone Recordings, ZD-026) as 'LLø (Lines Mix) [Nitechord]'. 'Subtle (Nitechord Remix)' originally appeared on PULSE 02 (Past Inside the Present, PITP-PULSE02) as 'Nitechord - Subtle (remix)'. 'Absent (Quiet Mix)' is a alternate recording of 'Absent'.

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