I don’t know what music Carlos Santana generally listens to, but I can only assume that his taste in music is as good as the music he makes and so, when he recommends a band and offers them praise, this is worth taking note of. Recently, he did lend commentary on the new album from NYC-based artist Nevaris, notably: ”Love this! They’ve made a work of supreme creativity”. So let’s explore Nevaris’ debut full-length album ‘Reverberations’, shall we?
First off, it should be noted that this album resulted from a few years of recording sessions with legendary bassist Bill Laswell, who also produced this album. This record represents the third collaboration between Nevaris, Bill Laswell and this lineup of musicians (DJ Logic, Will Bernard, Peter Apfelbaum and Lockatron, with the addition of Matt Dickey), here focusing more on the dub aspects of their sound. Many words come to mind when listening to this music – smooth, reflective, polished, chilled, groovey, organic, worldly, and spiritual are the ones that immediately find me.
This instrumental recording – combining dub, funk, afro-latin rhythms, turntablism and extended improvisation – is available as of Friday via celebrated boutique label M.O.D. Reloaded. The musicians’ New York City roots shine through. Bass, percussion, drums and turntables take center stage on this track, with a New York sound that channels the energy and vibrancy of the city.
A musician and visual artist, Nevaris is a percussionist, keyboardist, vocalist and composer, who is heavily influenced by Afro-Latin, dub, and funk music. Born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, he is of European and Mexican descent with multi-generational roots in both NYC and LA’s Echo Park neighborhood. In addition to his work as a musician, Nevaris is a visual and multimedia artist, who has worked on a vast array of creative projects across mediums. He also co-founded Nolej Records, Nolej Studios and the Uncomun Festival.
Prior to recording ‘Reverberations’, Nevaris recorded and performed with an evolving lineup of musicians under the name Loud Apartment, most notably Bernie Worrell of P-Funk and Talking Heads fame.
“This record builds on the momentum from ‘System Breakdown’ and ‘New Future’, which we released in 2020 and 2022 as Loud Apartment. There were dub aspects of those recordings, so Bill Laswell and I decided to create a recording entirely focused on that sound. It was a logical next step and came together in an organic way. We let the music go where it needed to go,” says Nevaris.
“It’s a dub-based project, with breakbeat, funk, ambient, and afro-latin elements. It’s rhythm based music where the pocket is essential. Lockatron is a huge part of that, as, of course, is Bill Laswell, DJ Logic and everyone else involved. Peter Apfelbaum’s horn arrangements are also a core aspect. In my mind, it’s a cohesive piece of music that is best listened to as a whole rather than as individual songs. And Bill takes it where it needs to go with the production like no one else really can.”
On June 2, ‘Reverberations’ will be available from fine digital music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify andBandcamp, where ‘Dub Sol’ and ‘Interference’ can already be downloaded.
CREDITS
All songs written by Agustín Crawford (Ollin Publishing, BMI) & Bill Laswell (BassMatter BMI)
Nevaris – percussion, electric piano, Hammond organ
Bill Laswell – bass, EFX
DJ Logic – turntables
Peter Apfelbaum – horns, Busilacchio electric reed organ
Will Bernard – guitar
Matt Dickey – guitar
Lockatron – drums
Produced by Bill Laswell
Created at Orange Music, West Orange, NJ
Engineered by James Dellatacoma
Mastered by Michael Fossenkemper at Turtletone Studio
Horn arrangements by Peter Apfelbaum
Cover artwork by Realize. Designed by Yoko Yamabe
Bill Laswell uses Ampeg amplification & D’Addario string
Follow, support and fan out over Nevaris
Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Soundcloud | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music
