- For those who are only aware of Maayan Nidam's late-2000s output, Deep Under Sobriety Regime might seem to come out of leftfield. On this new 10-inch, the surgical sound has made way for something warmer and more immediate. Like Nidam's earlier work, these two tracks are doggedly horizontal and lean heavily to the trippy end of house music, but there's a pleasing emphasis on the character inherent in the instruments and effects used to record these tunes.
I found the B-side, "Looking Through A Glassy Mind," to be my favourite track of Nidam's career, either because or in spite of its apparent simplicity. It's largely to do with a pint-sized, tinkling lead line, which picks out a series of pitches that are fragile yet reassuring. It's offset by an increasingly gnarly bass tone that begins blunted and low-passed, before opening up into a rabid snarl. The claps and a noise cymbal highlight the second beat, creating something of a half-time feel despite the tune's light-stepping momentum.
"Deep Under Sobriety Regime" has a far heavier atmosphere. It's not exactly designed for headlong forward momentum, but its broken kick pattern and sizzling top-end set the stage for dramatic, dubwise rim shots and a rippling bass that lurks in the low-mid frequencies. It's joined by a reaching, distorted lead line, but—despite the growing cacophony of elements—your attention is largely subsumed by the dank but breathing atmosphere of machines and effects.
TracklistA Deep Under Sobriety Regime
B Looking Through A Glassy Mind