NAH- Difficult (2013)

NAH is a drummer who drums over samples and tape loops.  Early in 2012 NAH released TAPEFUCK, a short album filled with abrasive saxophone loops, synthesizer, and the occasional vocal sample.  Later that year, he followed up with his sophomore release, END.  Both of these albums ended up making my year end list last year, so I was pleased when I found out NAH had quitely released a new album only weeks ago.

With NAH’s third LP, Difficult, one immediately notices that the drumming has improved.  While I was a fan of both of his previous entries, I felt at times the drums fell into similar patterns.  With the first track, ‘neighbours below’, NAH displays more drumfills in his beats. 

Continuing more with the style found on END, the accompanying music has continued to shift away from samples and more towards programed synths.  While I did prefer the more cut-and-paste samples of TAPEFUCK, the synths do make the album sound less ‘choppy’.  The one track which felt the most like something from TAPEFUCK, ‘mr tension III’, actually stuck out and felt out of place.

One of the strengths of this album is its brevity.  Many of the tracks seem not fully realized because of their shortness when standing alone, but together they create a listening experience that embodies the succinctness of J Dilla’s Donuts.