This morning, we welcome Marseille-based artist and electronic music producer NxQuantize to MailTape! After welcoming label boss Goldie B in episode 537, we’re delighted to shine the spotlight on another Omakase Recordings artist, who has recently released its dazzling second album OnYi.

As explained by the artist, who coined this neologism, the term ‘OnYi’ means ‘to be in the void’, reflecting his exploration of the mysteries of the universe and the limits of our existence. So if, like me, these words make sense when you wake up and your mind is still in a dreamy state, let’s not say anymore and get swept up in its rich and contemplative musical universe for a blissful Sunday morning!

NxQuantize’s selection

Slauson Malone 1 - Voyager

NxQuantize: ” Voyager illustrates well the moment when my eyelids open, the moment when I emerge looking at the ceiling 2 minutes before sitting on the edge of the bed. If I have this melody in my head, the smile is immediate, and the day will be good. I discovered Slauson Malone in 2019, with the release of his album A Quiet Farwell, 2016-2018 (Crater Speak), a stunning avant-garde discovery with the track My feet’s hurt “I was a fugitive but then I realized there was nowhere I could run to” (see page 110 and 113). The track Voyager is taken from his latest album, released by Warp, a discography that should urgently be discovered for those who haven’t yet! The future is now before your very eyes.”

” Voyager illustre bien le moment où mes paupières s’ouvrent, le moment où j’émerge en regardant le plafond 2 minutes avant de m’asseoir sur le bord du lit. Si j’ai cette mélodie en tête, le sourire est immédiat, et la journée sera bonne. J’ai découvert Slauson Malone en 2019, avec la sorti de son album A Quiet Farwell, 2016–2018 (Crater Speak), découverte bluffante d’avant-gardisme avec le titre My feet’s hurt “I was a fugitive but then I realized there was nowhere I could run to” (see page 110 and 113). Le titre Voyager est issu de son dernier album paru chez Warp, discographie à découvrir d’urgence pour celles et ceux qui ne connaîtraient pas encore ! Le futur est à présent sous vos yeux. “

Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist - Mac Deuce

NxQuantize: ” Mac Deuce is the luminous, melancholy track that epitomizes my mental mood and my view of the present on a Sunday morning. It’s peaceful, with the winter morning mist on the windows and the smell of coffee wafting through the kitchen, and opens, for my taste, the horizon to a calm and radiant day.
The discovery of these two artists was, I’d say, obvious, growing up in the bath of US RAP. They are both stalwarts of the genre, each from a different generation and background, yet they agree 200% on their collaborations over the last 10 years. This track is taken from their latest album featuring Voir Dire. An album which, at first glance, should have been a good one, given the talent and renown of both artists, in fact delivers an opus which, I think, will be presented as a classic in the years to come.”

” Mac Deuce, c’est le morceau mélancolique et lumineux qui illustre bien mon atmosphère mentale et mon regard sur le présent lors d’un dimanche matin. C’est paisible, avec la buée du matin hivernale sur les vitres et l’odeur du café qui plane dans la cuisine, il ouvre, à mon goût, l’horizon vers une journée calme et radieuse.
La découverte de ces deux artistes fut, je dirais, évidente, en grandissant dans le bain du RAP US. Ceux-ci étant des incontournables du genre, chacun issu d’une génération et d’un parcours différent, s’accordent pourtant à 200% sur leurs collaborations des 10 dernières années. Ce titre est issu de leur dernier album en featuring : Voir Dire. Un album, qui à première vue, se devait d’être un bon album au vu du talent et la renommée des deux artiste, en fait nous livrent ici un opus qui, je pense, sera présenté comme un classique dans les années à venir. “

Everything But The Girl - Flipside

NxQuantize: ” I can hear Flipside spinning in the background of the room in the middle of a Sunday morning, while I’m reading in my lounge chair and tinkering with one thing and another around the apartment with my thoughts flying freely from one subject to another. When suddenly, the beat of the latter stops, my attention switches to the hi-fi system and I turn my ear to this magnificent pad, which had been accompanying the EBTG song all along, suddenly isolated and transcending my emotions.
I discovered this track back in 2006, right on the heels of EBTG, the day I first saw the 1997 movie “187 (One Eight Seven)“. Played by the excellent Samuel L. Jackson, this film is punctuated by an excellent soundtrack which contributed to my musical education at the time, featuring tracks by Massive Attack, Method Man, Dj Shadow, V Love, Galliano, God Within, and many more…”

” J’entends bien Flipside tourner dans le fond de la pièce au beau milieu d’une matinée de dimanche, entre le moment où je suis en train de lire dans mon fauteuil de salon et le moment où je bricole une chose et une autre dans l’appartement avec les pensées volant librement d’un sujet à l’autre. Quand soudain, s’arrête le beat de ce dernier, mon attention se tourne avec mon regard vers la chaine hifi pour tendre l’oreille sur ce pad magnifique, qui accompagnait depuis le début la chanson d’EBTG, tout à coup isolé et transcendant mes émotions.
J’ai fait la découvert de ce titre en 2006, et donc dans la foulée de EBTG, le jour où j’ai vu pour la première fois le film “187 : Code Meurtre” sorti en 1997. Joué par l’excellent Samuel L. Jackson, ce film est rythmé par une excellente B.O. qui a participée à mon éducation musicale de l’époque en comportant dans celle-ci des titres de Massive Attack, Method Man, Dj Shadow, V Love, Galliano, God Within, et j’en passe… “

MailTape’s selection

NxQuantize - OnYi

Jules: ” It was a challenging task to pick a single track from NxQuantize’s latest album because each track is dazzlingly complex in terms of narrative and sound. OnYi is replete with surprise and richness, featuring a myriad of guest artists from diverse backgrounds and blending genres such as jazz, ambient and hip-hop. In the end, it’s this eponymous track that I think gives the best insight into his musical universe, but you should definitely run out and listen to the rest! “

modest by default - 你带着太阳的热量

Jules: ” I don’t have much to say about this Argentinian artist, whom I discovered while wandering around on Bandcamp. Little is known about him/her or his/her extensive collection of music, which you can access for free by the way (how crazy is that?). Perhaps the best we can do is just let ourselves be lulled by these jazzy soundscapes. This one is from his/her album GIRAFFE (​ب​ه خ​د​ا ن​ز​د​ی​ک ت​ر​) released on the Chilean label NO PROBLEMA TAPE. “

Natural Wonder Beauty Concept - Natural Wonder Beauty Concept

Jules: ” Natural Wonder Beauty Concept is a shared project between Ana Roxanne and DJ Python (Brian Piñeyro). After they first met in New York in the winter of 2020, the pandemic provided them with the chance to confront their musical worlds and individual feelings of melancholy and experiment together. After touring separately, the two artists came together in 2022 to finally release this eponymous album that draws from their previous work and influences but does not sound like either of them. “

Oneohtrix Point Never - Ubiquity Road

Jules: ” For the final track my first choice was Djrum’s Blue Violet, which seemed a perfect choice to round off this selection with one of my favorite artists, who is also one of NxQuantize’s many influences, and a complex, rich and emotive track, just like his music. But a few weeks ago I listened to Oneohtrix Point Never’s latest album, Again, released on Warp, and this track has been with me ever since. So it seemed like a good idea to finish with a gentle, experimental, and liberating sentiment. “

That’s it for this morning folks! Thank you for joining us and many thanks to NxQuantize for his dazzling selection and to Noémie for this episode’s wonderful illustration. Have a great Sunday!