NA
Cellar
8/10
The cover of NA’s second solo EP ‘Cellar’ depicts an underground, hexagonal-shaped tunnel, full of debris and cast in amber tones. There’s no light at the end; you’re stuck here for the forseeable future, listening to the staunch instrumentals that he’s imagined for this very setting.
The EP kicks off with ‘Cellar Theme’, a monumental grime instrumental that wields the same kind of sheet-metal catharsis beloved of the UK’s Bloom. It’s a guaranteed banger and leads straight into another certified hit, ‘Brass Claim’, which splices the triumphant Detroit electro/techno style of DJ Nasty with the bumpin’ forward motion of Jersey club. It’s a fucking riot and you’ll be hearing it a lot once DJs get to grips with it.
Thankfully, NA follows that up by giving us something new to grapple with: the bassline of ‘Menace’ licks at the underside of nimble junglist percussion and crystalline keys, while ‘Definite Sentence’ is a dark and rowdy club cut full of stuttering kicks and turbo bass. ‘NA In A Mood’ closes the EP, a mournful track that’ll leave listeners wondering whether they’ll ever see daylight again.
Mixmag will use the information you provide to send you the Mixmag newsletter using Mailchimp as our marketing platform. You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us. By clicking sign me up you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.