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photosThe Line of Best Fit 13-1-10 (Condors)
"There are enough wannabe cool student druggies about to make dubstep into some sort of national scene. It’s one that’s got a lot of talent invested in it too, with artists like Burial making some genuinely groundbreaking music, whilst the likes of Kieran ‘Four Tet’ Hebden have been dancing around similar soundscapes for quite a while. However, there’s been an alarmingly limited crossover to mainstream culture, with a few articles in New York Times and the NME, as well as Skream’s remix of ‘In for the Kill’ being amongst the few notable exceptions.
It’s a genre based upon a good idea. With Condors, Nedry are building upon this solid foundation to make something truly breathtaking. Whilst the album has been knocking around for a few months, it’s only now that it’s being given the exposure that it so rightly deserves. Originally being put out by themselves, it caught the attention of music bloggers around the UK, as well as the attentive ears of Huw Stephens, who gave the band a memorable session on his show. Monotreme records have stepped in to give the record a proper release, and it’s obvious why.
Whilst the rhythms are firmly entrenched in dub, there’s more than a splattering of everything that’s good about modern music in this. And whilst the twitchy, glitching guitar work and broken beats would make a truly magical instrumental piece, it’s the vocals of Ayu Okakita that furnish the record with the distant warmth that makes it so arresting. There’s more than a nod to Portishead and the trip-hop genre in her lingering, beautiful singing that acts as the perfect counterpoint for the dark, electronic sound that it’s layered upon.
The fact that this is a debut release is almost beyond belief, and the confidence that seeps from every second of the record is almost contagious – from the very first listen it sounds seminal, with every song having its own unique identity and purpose. Nedry may be making a noise that resembles a dark, computerised future, but they do it with the personality that dubstep seems to have cut out. As soon as final track ‘Where the dead birds go’ finishes, there’s little else you want to do other than stick opener ‘A42’ on again and let it wash over you. Condors is a record that pretty much has it all, and if music is to do anything great this decade, it could do worse than taking notes from this."
Subba-Cultcha (Condors)
" Having already received high praise from Q and Radio 1’s Huwe Stephens Nedry’s debut album is certainly worth the buzz…
Nedry are Marr Parker, Chris Amblin and Ayu Okakita, who I believe met on Myspace. After a year of online interaction between 2007 and 2008, they decided to brave it up and meet face to face in spring 2008. The music they make can be described as a cross between the haunting beauty of Boards of Canada, the provocation of Radiohead, the darkness that Sneaker Pimps projected through songs such as ‘Clean’ and the chilling element of Bjork’s repertoire. So basically, electro meets dub meets rock.
I’m going to cut to the chase; this is one of the best things I have heard for a long while, which, for some reason, has completely thrown me. A lot of this type of music generally impresses me but not quite enough – perhaps it is a little too cheesy, or has too much of a pop element, or is too obscure but Nedry get the balance just right and it has been a long time since I have been this satisfied with an electro album. The music is intertwined without flaw, the songs are structured with great intelligence – there is not too much going on but it is still interesting and, unlike a lot of other records made in a similar style, listening to this is not a chore, it is thoroughly effortless and enjoyable. It does not make you uncomfortable; instead it provokes thought and consideration. What I particularly love is the use of vocalist Ayu’s voice – it is more like an instrument than lead vocals and it flits in and out of the music perfectly and is nothing short of amazing to listen to.
This may be their debut and Nedry may have only existed for less than three years, but ‘Condors’ is remarkable. The only disappointment is that it ends after eight tracks. (10/10)
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Sara Curtis