Love Letter To A Record: Nadisko On Faithless’ ‘Outrospective’

Many of us can link a certain album to pivotal moments in our lives. Whether it’s the first record you bought with your own money, the chord you first learnt to play on guitar, the song that soundtracked your first kiss, the album that got you those awkward and painful pubescent years or the one that set off light bulbs in your brain and inspired you to take a big leap of faith into the unknown – music is often the catalyst for change in our lives and can even help shape who we become.

In this series, Music Feeds asks artists to reflect on their relationship with music and share with us stories about the effect music has had on their lives.

Nadisko – Outrospective by Faithless (2001)

Dear Outrospective,

The palpable emotion of your first two tracks had a big impact on me as a 15-year-old. You were released only months before September 11, 2001, making your softer songs on the album a lot more relevant in their poignancy.

It’s almost as if you anticipated the worldwide feeling of the aftermath. You were a completely fresh and different album, immediately striking me down with the haunting horns of ‘Donny X’, before moving into a sombre, all too real ‘Not Enuff Luv.

The jovial and thumping kick that marks the beginning of ‘We Come 1′ with Maxi Jazzs’ soothing voice was soon etched permanently into my mind. The start of an emotional, ravey trance sound, perfectly heightened by the masterful synths of ‘Sister Bliss.

‘We Come 1’ is one of your highlights, that crescendos into melodic brilliance. ‘Muhammed Ali begins with a whirlwind of jazz infused soul, perfectly suited to Maxi Jazz’s vocals that protrude through groovy percussion and a seemingly effortless hook of ‘You Are The Original’. What an incredible homage you paid to an amazing human.

The mechanical ‘Machines R Us’ brings an array of percussion, melding ambient and dreamy moments of perfection that lead into ‘One Step Too Far’, one of the best songs on you, a supremely crafted, beautiful song that Dido fits perfectly within. Contrastingly, the rapid drum pace of ‘Tarantula’ is accompanied by a Maxi Jazz, building to a singular point in which he preaches wariness of his bite. The arpeggiated synth eerily enough reminds one of the pitter patter of eight legs and as an arachnophobic, you know I’m on the fence… One of your most sombre songs, ‘Evergreen’, what a rainy day tune that is. Moving strings with a simple beat, not to detract focus on the haunting lyrics. ‘Lion Tamer’ reassured and reinvigorated me to find strength.

For a second album, you were a roller coaster. You embodied adolescent duality in your own way. Looking back at the start of our relationship, Outrospective, you were strong, soft, moving and very human.

And I love you for that.

Blake from Nadisko

Nadisko have just released their iridescent new single, ‘Take Me Away’. Listen to it here.https://musicfeeds.com.au/features/premiere-nadisko-capture-the-summer-on-take-me-away/

 

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