Natt Moore is an artist who produces music in a variety of genres, including electronic, instrumental, ambient, dance, and drone. He composes and publishes his work independently, seeking full autonomy over both the art and commercialization of what he does. It would be unfair to call Natt an audacious artist – that would suggest an element of risk-taking in his method – but he undoubtedly possesses something rare and rewarding, namely a reassuringly vast ambition tempered with deep humility; an ego aware of its servitude to the abstract totality of it all. His perspective is a welcome one.
While esteemed producers of the electronic vanguard are busy carving the heart from the rave culture, or shamelessly unzipping cliché-spangled universes of throbbing bass, factory-line beats and jerking trap melodies, Natt Moore moves into a sublime cinematic mode of gorgeously rich soundscapes with bubbling rhythmic momentum on his 5 track EP “Drive: Vol. 1”.
The foremost evidence of Natt Moore burgeoning maturity is the music, which speaks for itself. “Drive: Vol. 1” is an example of Nat’s understanding of a collective work as an art form. Indeed, reviewing selected tracks and listening to this EP’s highlights is an exercise in self-defeat. The pleasure is in the whole, the ebbing and flowing of the work, which can lull you in and then knock you off your feet when you’re least expecting it.
“Drive: Vol. 1” is an EP of movements, with an unfashionable but completely admirable belief in patience as a virtue. Not an element feels unfocused or anything less than meticulously thought out. This new recording also shows off traces of restraint, balanced with a restlessly creative spirit.
Nat Moore’s style of production, his attitude about music, and his openness to various genres are what make him such an incredible artist, and this EP is a beautiful example of that. Right from the opening track, “What I Am”, there is an unmistakable celestial atmosphere that acts as the foundation for orchestral flourishes and snapping rhythms.
This is not a collection of songs so much as it is a patchwork of different atmospheres and moods, sewn together to form a stream of consciousness, as if you were watching a movie. Fans will find plenty of dense arrangements to delve into, like “This Moment” and “Drive”, where throbbing bass lines are prominently employed, and the onslaught of foot stomping percussion is shared with warm synth arrangements and cinematic depth.
Sitting somewhere between the sound designing of Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis and Hans Zimmer, “Hold On” and “Inertia” swirl and flourish, as the deepest of multiple bass and string layers enter the mixes. The all-embracing sounds eventually make their way to higher ground as the arrangements settle into a groove that is as spacious as it is daunting. It’s the depth of sound and focus on composition that makes Natt Moore’s musical pieces so distinct.
The synths wash against brooding string onslaughts while the upper register melodies slowly work their way into the tracks. It feels like an appropriate tangent within an EP that is based on visiting a whole host of aural environments while staying rooted in a fundamental flow. Natt Moore’s work on “Drive: Vol. 1” is intermittently energizing and hypnotic.
OFFICIAL LINKS: ITUNES – GOOGLE PLAY – AMAZON – HMVDIGITAL – SPOTIFY – SOUNDCLOUD
