Nini - Prisoned In Body

Hear The Track Here

It's been my pleasure lately to find a couple of excellent musicians from China; 1969 and Nini - although their musical styles couldn't be any more different. Both have tremendous appeal though and both are worthy of checking out. Nini, a vocalist from Beijing, China is a lady I first heard in a collaboration with Munich's Simon Witt; probably better known as Burp. Experimental electronica then is the area we are going to be cavorting in, so make sure you are adequately prepared. There again, if you are a fan of Burp's music you will already be familiar with this singer.

Nini has guested on a couple of the weird-meisters works (Recent Solloquy and noctis labyrinthus) and it was only when I reviewed Excited Eggs (August 2007) that I got to hear her on her own. Very nice it was too, if such a term could be applied to experimental music; and it is obvious why the Burp/Nini collaboration works so well. Prisoned In Body is considerably more laid back than anything heard from this artist before. It's long, drawn-out lope seems to take forever delivering each note, while you ears are undergoing the most efficient syringing known to man (or more to the point woman). The only other instrument on this track besides the electronica backing track is Nini's own vocal chords. To call her a singer isn't quite correct; she uses her voice like an instrument; using sounds to convey feeling and emotions.

Not a bad trick if you think about it.

Now personally, as meny of you know, I'm a big fan of Eastern female vocalists and despite my many jibes about caterwauling and the like, I find that this style is the most stirring of all vocals. Even, as this track would indicate, when the backing track twists and turns in and of itself and is probably a whole case study in its own right. It's Nini's voice though that gets me every time; and her very idiosyncratic way of using it. While Prisoned In Body isn't exactly comfortable listening, it's certainly interesting, detailed and varied with lots of lovely sounds to gawk at.

Recommended Experimental Electronica.