Nuff X - Sting In The Tail

Hear The Track Here

For those who have had the good fortune to know about Nuff X, this has been a very good year indeed, as indeed was 2007. It's always gratifying when an artist finds his stride and Nuff found his surprisingly quickly. Mind you, a large part of that was down to the music this electronica musician produces. For sure, there really aren't many electronica artists who can be said to have their own sound/style but Nuff does. Having said all that, most of the last few releases from this quarter have been highly sophisticated, and very listenable IDM (Intelligent Dance Music seeing as you axed (sic)). It's earned him a string of highly recommendeds from me so it's a fair bet I like him and what he's doing now.

Sting In The Tail is a track entered into the E/N/D compo running on Soundclick's electronica forums and, that being the case, there are probably some onerous rules attached to its construction. Usually it's a restriction on the amount/sort of sounds you can use, or it has to be in a certain style or - highly difficult this one - it has to be finished in x time. Having done some of these myself in the past, it can sound like a rush job or limited in some other way. Of course, if you know what you are doing you can make pretty much anything work - and that's what these compo's are about. Sorts out the men from the boys as it were. So what does Nuff make of it then? After all, we all know he has a distinctive taste for the weird but lively...

Sting In The Tail is certainly more extreme than some IDM you may be used to, and that may be down to either the compo rules or Nuff's sense of the sonic universe he inhabits. I'd personally say that the track was more experimental than IDM but - in my case - that's a good thing because I like Nuff best when he is exploiting his own particular penchant for slicing and dicing sounds like some crazed TV chef. In that respect Nuff X fans will clasp this poisonous viper to their bosoms, although I fear that for most people the wtf factor may play too big a part. Nonetheless, it's definitely hardcore nuffcore and that suits me - and a lot of other - just fine.

Highly Recommended sonic silliness. 'Nuff said.