Tel Aviv-based producer Nenor (fka Obas Nenor) released one of his first solo EPs in 2015 with DC’s Sol Power Sound. Four years later–after a run of successful drops on the likes of Heist, Whiskey Disco and his own Nenorion Music imprint– he makes his return to the afrolatin-leaning label with Future Ancestor. The record sits nicely within the SPS vein; uptempo afro jams layered with smacking percussion. It has an almost meaner texture than his Color Sound EP from 2015.
The lead track, “Tike Ye Ya Kende” is a trademark Sol Power Sound cut; percussive, vocal and driving. On the same side, our premiere, “Nova Man” takes things into a higher gear. Beefy drums bang away and get laced with eerie pads and filtered vocals. Meanwhile, big, chugging bassline gives the tune a tense, peak-time feel. The B-side continues the aesthetic, with heavy afro hitters driven by organic drums and instrumentation as well as hardware.
It’s a nice reintroduction for a producer we haven’t heard much solo work from in the calendar year. Nenor’s strength is in his ability to blend samples, nasty percussion and hardware and instrumentation skills into an incredibly playable afro-inspired format. The Future Ancestor EP is out next week, so grab it for your summer outings.
Pre-order on Juno