- Big bad 160-BPM business from the New York junglist.
- New York City is an abundant source of inspiration for NIGELTHREETIMES. The rapper-turned-producer's signature sound, a composite of clobbering breaks, deep house and bassy techno, is packed with references to the heaving metropolis. His previous album from a year ago, THE KID AND THE IRON HORSE, for instance, starts out with a recording that could be interpreted as an quotidian moment in any borough–overhead trains rattling, distant announcements and comical small-talk ("What's that smoke coming out of your mouth? This? This is called death"). On his latest LP, Queens-bred Nigel engages with the city through sci-fi aesthetics that underline his gift for crafting immersive scenery.
Space travel, extraterrestrial life and a sense of dystopia are all part of the sci-fi landscape on METROPOLIS N. New York City might not have anything in common with these concepts on first thought, but the eight-tracker draws a compelling connection between them. There's a severity to its big room drum & bass and hardcore-inspired jungle that feels apocalyptic. Icy 8-bit synths loom over stark, steam-rolling drums, like lasers over an industrial wasteland, and distorted acid squiggles give off mad scientist energy. New York residents can relate to this foreboding mood. Amid ever-climbing living costs and cutthroat business competition, the city is rife with a fraught sense of survival with long-term endurance always at the top of everyone's mind.
Opener "TSQ MELTDOWN"—an allusion to Times Square—features a documentary-style voiceover sample detailing frustration over New York City public transit and its abandoned subway stations. This conjures up scenes of a city falling apart, while furious jungle exacerbates the urgency of impending decline. Manhattan is sinking, after all. The sample on "MISSED TRANSMISSIONS," which sounds taken from an old-timey film, talk of unidentified flying objects and vehement protest at the idea of unknown visitors living on Earth—"you can't stay here…it's getting crowded already." That's not too far off from NYC mayor Eric Adams proclaiming the city's lack of real-estate for migrants earlier this year. Knotty jungle cuts like "PHANTOM SHORES" and "INTERNATIONAL PIRATE SPACE STATION" are some of the album's deepest, switching out rapid tempos for a more profound focus on sound design. The former has manipulated, looped vocals that feel like fuzzy transmissions from faraway lands while the latter features a beautiful build-up of alien synths that profusely glisten among chopped breaks, like friendly strangers offering candles in a blackout.
Despite its menacing quality, METROPOLIS N carries plenty of poignant moments. "EARLY MORNING FROM 103RD STREET," a nod to East Harlem, is a clear highlight with its wistful jazz notes and double bass instrumentation that lend the track an orchestral air. "ROAD 2 RAILS," which combines dark drum & bass with jump-up, as well as "SAD DAY PASS XFER" also take a nostalgic turn thanks to more pensive chiptune. These are classic introspective rave cuts that mirror a New Yorker's need for reflection amid the city's constant change.
Nigel, a core member of the Queens rap crew World's Fair (and who also goes by Nasty Nigel), has been making percussive dance music since 2020, and METROPOLIS N is is his strongest record yet. His previous projects as NIGELTHREETIMES were also sample-heavy and breakbeat-oriented but METROPOLIS N stands out for its comprehensive vision and ultra-textured soundscape. In its pursuit of kinetic, often sinister, sonics, METROPOLIS N unwittingly captures New York's inherent grittiness and its non-stop cadence. Moving from raw to meditative basslines, it's an emotive journey from an artist who goes from strength to strength with every release.
Tracklist01. TSQ MELTDOWN
02. EARLY MORNING FROM 103RD STREET
03. ROAD2RAILS
04. SAD DAY PASS XFER
05. OCT BEACH
06. PHANTOM SHORES
07. MISSED TRANSMISSIONS
08. INTERNATIONAL PIRATE SPACE STATION