Near Death Experience (NDX) On the Making Of ‘The Release’
Can you share any interesting or unique musical elements or production techniques used in this 'The Release?'
’The Release’ brings together the songs we’ve been working on during and after the Covid lockdown period in the UK. This means a number of the tracks were written, developed and recorded when the band was isolating. So, all the elements had to be recorded remotely by each band member, sent through to our producer separately, and then pieced together. The drums were recorded in the studio during the brief periods of ‘freedom’, apart from one song, which uses electronic percussion. Can you guess which one?
Our open and spacious sound comes from the fact that we use the acoustic guitar quite high in the mix alongside the electric guitar. The different harmonic sounds of the two instruments provide good separation, whereas using two electric guitars can sound a little heavy or sometimes cluttered. Some bands want this sound, whereas we prefer more space to develop different rhythms, such as funk, Latin and world. The rhythmical style of our acoustic guitar playing also adds to the textures.
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of 'The Release?'
A lot of artists these days – particularly those that are officially ‘unsigned’ like us (self-release all our music) – aren’t interested in creating albums, preferring singles and EPs. We like to use albums to mark a particular creative period. Launching an album then drives us forward to work towards the next and is a springboard to further developing our sound.
The idea for the title comes from the fact that we like the names of our albums to tell stories brought to life by the artwork which connect with our band name. ‘The Release’ – and the amazing art created by our regular collaborator Brazilian Japanese artist Pedro Takahashi – signify that we are released into the world when we are born and then released from it when we die, essentially the cycle of life.
How do you feel this 'The Release' represents your artistic identity?
‘The Release’ is our second album (after 2019’s Mouth to Mouth) and sees us develop a more psychedelic yet funky and soulful sound. Our new songs post this second album are pushing that even further as myself (Ian Whiteling, singer, guitarist and songwriter) and Amar Grover (bass guitar) – the core of NDX – work with different musicians. In fact, we have another album’s worth of material, which we’ve already begun to record. So far it’s proving to be a more funky and soulful form of psychedelic rock.
Can you tell us more about you as a band?
We formed in 2016 in Ealing, London as a four-piece, each with a love of music from the 60s and 70s, which is where our sound comes from. Although I’m the main songwriter, the arrangements are very collaborative, with everyone contributing. We hit the ground running quickly arranging my songs and playing gigs across London, gaining a reputation for emotive, powerful performances.
We were soon picked up by the BBC’s new music radio show ‘Introducing’, which played one of our first recordings, ‘Summer’, which features on our first album. We were then delighted to play Glastonbury 2017, repeating the wonderful experience at the festival’s 50th anniversary in 2022. Following a few line up changes, myself and Amar are now the core of the band, performing as an acoustic duo as well as with a full band.
Are there any specific themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music?
There are no specific messages in our music, but our main goal is to stir people’s emotions, getting them thinking and moving. We like our songs to connect on an emotional level, through lyrics that suggest rather than tell an obvious story, letting listeners create their own impressions and ideas. When performing live we always want to make an emotional impact. After almost every gig we get people commenting on the raw energy we project. That’s what NDX is all about.