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Nene H lands on Live From Earth with new mini-album 'ISSA SCAM'

The tracks interweave self-irony with a cultural commentary, inspired by memes, the internet and digital trends

Nene H has released her latest body of work, 'ISSA SCAM'.

Modelling as a six-and-a-half (the half leaning into her unexpected unpredictability as an artist) tracks, the mini-album intertwines themes of self-irony with a commentary on society: think inspiration from memes, the rapidly shifting landscape of internet culture and digital trends, and humorous comments on the future of contemporary online culture.

Two of the tracks feature close collaborator Bubblegun (pictured with Nene H), navigating topics of TikTok and transforming them into pop-infused tracks whilst offering a satirical commentary on issues such as mental health and plastic surgery.

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Elsewhere on the record - which precariously balances cultural critique with self mockery - the Turkish-born, Berlin-based musician employs groove, hook-like samples and meticulously-crafted basslines, adding to a discography both in terms of her production and DJ sets which channel everything from Turkish-German hip hop, to techno, ghetto house and music built upon the foundations of Azerbaijani and Turkish sounds she grew up on.

“Right now the current online climate is different than when I made this album but the entire concept is a playful nod to the chaos and absurdity that encapsulates our digital era,” she explains. “It's a meme within a meme, inspired by the quote ‘Old world is dying. New world struggles to be born. Now is the time of monsters’. This saying, ancient as it may seem, perfectly encapsulates the zeitgeist of our times.

“This project is a satirical love letter to the digital cosmos and the new wave of electronic music that defines it. It's about embracing the ludicrous and finding humor in our collective online hysteria. I ventured down this rabbit hole as a departure from the solemnity that characterized my previous work. After immersing myself in the serious and often introspective worlds of Live concepts, and my ‘Ali -علي’ album, ‘ISSA SCAM’ emerged as a necessary palate cleanser—a way to laugh at myself and the world around me.

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“I wanted to craft something that felt fresh and unburdened by the weight of being overly serious. In the end, ‘ISSA SCAM’ is a celebration of the now—acknowledging the monstrous, bizarre, yet fascinating era we're navigating.”

'ISSA SCAM' by Nene H is available now, check it out here.

Niamh Ingram is Mixmag's Weekend Editor, follow her on Instagram