De:tuned have brought the beauty and brilliance of Nuron to a new audience (or an aging one in some cases) with this wonderful release.
Electronic music loves a myth; or maybe that should be loved
Before social media had artists detailing the minutiae of the toothbrushing routine, many analogue boffins skulked in the shadows. Some wallowed in the mystery, the likes of Aphex Twin and Underground Resistance perhaps being the most famous of those who sought the margins; the masked Redshape successfully dodged the limelight under his crimson visage.
Others had anonymity thrust upon them. When Likemind closed its doors in the mid-1990s, there was little to nothing known about its main contributor: Nuron and Fugue. A name came to light: Nurmad Jusat. What followed was almost thirty years of silence. It has only been since 2020 that Nuron has resurfaced, unearthed from twenty five years of quiet, off-grid introspection by the dogged detective skills of De:tuned. The Belgian label has been at it again, and now coaxed the reclusive pioneer into releasing a full double album of past works: DAT Tapes 1993-1994.
Putting the needle to this lovingly mastered record is an exercise of sheer delight. A flood of warmth pours from the opener, “The Coded Message” marrying lush pads with complex percussion and sailing strings. “Interior World” follows and illustrates another side of Nuron’s emblematic sound. Looming keys introduce an orchestral grandeur, an ominous interlude that breaks to crisp percussion and wistful flourishes. Such welcome surprises are a reminder of how little Jusat released, a mere handful of tracks before this eight piece collection. The steady rasping rhythms of “Waiting for Nothing” are fertile ground from which warbling bass and crystalline melodies rise. Track titles suggest a listlessness, a conflict of sorts. This is nowhere to be heard in the results. “Neither Here Nor There,” with its far-off filtered drums and understated bass, dawns into a bright and incredibly fragile piece. “Dialectic Confusion” marks the greatest shift in style. Broad choral chords are met with a Summer storm of bleep and beat for an off-kilter early electronica machination.
One of Nuron’s most celebrated works takes centre stage on the album, here under his Fugue guise. “Contrapoint.” Originally released on Likemind in 1994, there are two versions of this trailblazing track. The “First Version” is distant cousin of the original. Skittish hi-hats drizzle with whispered harmonies giving way to dauby bass notes. An early sketch of what would become a keystone of British techno, a delight in its own right. The second offering is the “Stasis Mix 1.” A 4/4 beat adds ballast with that driving energy giving way to analogue expanses where melodic spirals flex and twist.
It can be hard to listen to a record from the mid-90s without a certain amount of nostalgia creeping in. In spite of any rose-tinted reflections clouding opinions, DAT Tapes 1993-1994 is clear evidence of why this time is held in such regard. De:tuned have brought the beauty and brilliance of Nuron to a new audience (or an aging one in some cases) with this wonderful release.
DAT Tapes 1993-1994 is available on De:tuned. [Bandcamp]
