Nervous Records launches the first of ‘Brooklyn Sessions’ EP series

In its 29 year history, Nervous Records has built its reputation on a willingness to take chances on new producers, fresh sounds, and innovative concepts. Now, the famed New York label has launched the first of its collaborative Brooklyn Sessions EP series—a challenge to the status quo in a time when communication and collaboration between producers, artists, and labels has become almost exclusively digital.

In 2018 the label had the idea of flying 3 separate producers from different parts of the world into the creative and musical hub of Brooklyn, welcoming creativity in a short time frame where creating a track meant all night writing sessions, 12-hour studio lock-outs and coffee runs that often detoured into all-night clubbing. The success of their experiment lead Nervous to formulate and action on the concept, bringing in Germany’s Ben Delay, Lisbon’s Moullinex and UK duo Trutopia together into one NYC studio to record the first of Brooklyn Sessions.

Nervous Inc. · Nervous Brooklyn Sessions 2020

Drawing inspiration from the fleeting strands of a New York summer, the edgy, throbbing spirit of an iconic city is evident across all four cuts appearing on EP1 of the series.

Trutopia and Moullinex’s collaborative “Galesa” opens with immediate fervour, highlighting an upbeat percussive-heavy tempo that reflects the continuous hustle of NYC—and its endless nights. Ebbing and flowing with unabashed drive, the producers carry forth the edgy tinges of urbanity into the open, amalgamating every side of the city into a well-constructed number. Following, Trutopia’s solo track “You Can Not Hold Back” bristles with high energy; featuring vocalist Koffee, the duo flawlessly encapsulate us into a classic house reverie where fluid saxophones intermingle with funk-fuelled bass for an overwhelmingly infectious tune. On “Ergo”, Moullinex holds the reigns of the track tight and taut; using carefully crafted snares, hi-hats, sweeping synths and a relentless, ominous percussion, the producer paints a dark, driving cityscape into our minds with vivid sensibilities—reminding us the different facets of Brooklyn living. Finally, Ben Delay’s undulating, breathless “Brooklyn (Back In Time)” closes out the EP, utilizing haunting wind instruments and undulating snares to wrap us into his soundscape of rumbling reflections.

Since its 1991 inception, Nervous Records has been at the very epicenter of New York’s house scene. Masters At Work, Armand Van Helden, David Morales, Tony Humphries, Josh Wink, Mood II Swing, Kerri Chandler, Todd Terry, Roger Sanchez and more have all passed through their doors, synonymous with the label, their work creating a rich tapestry that is still as much an influence today as it is a legacy in its own right.

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