Manhattan-based visual and multi-media artist Nevaris has officially released SoundSession, a 4-track EP steeped in jazz, dub, funk and psychedelic influences via Nolej Records. The nine piece band featured on this release recorded the EP in just a single day, live in the studio with no edits or overdubs. SoundSession follows the release of Nevaris’ Reverberations (2023), an album Carlos Santana praised as “a work of supreme creativity.”
The SoundSession EP is the fourth official collaboration between percussionist Agustín Nevaris and producer/bassist Bill Laswell. Nevaris and Laswell wrote all the music for the EP together. The band performed their interpretation of these songs live at Laswell’s Orange Sound Studio in West Orange, New Jersey back in May of 2023.
“SoundSession is about playing together live without being stressed by ticket sales or a venue accommodating so many musicians. Bill Laswell‘s studio in West Orange, New Jersey has always been an inspiring place with so much history; it was built for Franki Valli originally. The live-room is something magnificent. We had never used it in a way that fully took advantage of it,” says Nevaris. “So this was a chance to do so, using the full space of this sizable room. From the first notes, we could tell there was something good happening. And the recording documents it exactly as it was, with no overdubs or edits. Every note feels right from my perspective; exactly how it happened in real time.”
SoundSession features Nevaris on timbales, bongos, and Hammond Organ; DJ Logic on turntables; Jonathan Maron on bass; Angel Rodriguez on bata drums, shekere, congas, and darbuka; Will Bernard on guitar; Peter Apfelbaum on sax, flute, melodica, and reed organ; Jojo Kuo on bata drums, shekere, and misc. percussion; Lockatron on drumset; and Matt Dickey on guitar. The EP was recorded and mixed by James Dellatacoma and mastered by Michael Fossenkember.
The melodic saxophone on the EP’s Afro-Latin inspired opening track, “Ninth Sun – Live” sets the tone for the following 30+ minutes. The percussion work shines across the entire release, particularly on the succeeding track, “Remedy – Live”. The band’s ability to communicate and improvise with one another elevates this song to new heights. When speaking about “Remedy”, Nevaris says “The title speaks to the power of music to bring healing to our bodies and minds, especially during troubled times like the present.” On tracks like “Document” and “Dub Orchestra”, the band showcases their ability and willingness to let the songs breathe. Steady dub-influenced grooves and record scratches only “scratch” the surface of the almost 18-minute, psychedelic-tinged EP closer.
Blooming psychedelic atmospheres creep their way into the soundscape across the release, carefully making their way to the forefront and seamlessly dissipating back into the mix. Their use of space as an ensemble enhances these additional textures and atmospheres, allowing for each song to hold a life of its own.
SoundSession is currently available on all streaming services, including Spotify and Bandcamp.
You can support Nevaris directly at nevaris.net. Be sure to catch the Nevaris Project with Yeison Landero at Manny’s in State College, FL on May 22.
Comments are closed.