### Nadja: Flipper

#### 12/01/14 || Dinu

Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff from Toronto are Nadja, a duo who have been making wildly experimental music ranging from drone, ambient, shoegaze and doom metal. Nadja started off as Baker’s solo project in 2003 and Buckareff joined two years later. They have released 17 full-length records and 9 EPs as of 2013. The profits from this limited edition lp are being donated to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, an environmental agency that fights for the protection of dolphins and whales.

“Drown” starts off the smoky haze of fuzz that Nadja are known for and this permeates throughout the record. The basslines are huge as Aidan Baker begins his effects-pedal onslaught and it impressed this reviewer about how keen Nadja’s sense of scale is. Peter Broderick and Angela Chen mesmerize and add new layers of sonic depth to this awe-inspiring opener. The distortion and the drone burst out in controlled spurts throughout this track as well as the rest of the lp. As the shock of distortion slowly wears off, “Song For the Sea”, the longest track on the record (running for more than twelve and a half minutes) begins. This track has the signature slow-motion tempo that keeps one swaying and Baker’s obscure vocals are complemented by the thunderous momentum built up by the rest.

Wrapped in Plastic” has some epic riffs as the synths mesmerize while the last 4 minutes of this track are intensely beautiful and sketch out a truly unique soundscape. “Hands”, the final track is vast and intricately built. I was visualizing a leaky, drowning steampunk battleship as the song showcased the aural extremities this band aims for; tribal beats, mammoth grooves, crescendo and a climax, this track has it all.

With an average running length of ten minutes per song, “Flipper” has an overall coherent mood and the execution is flawless. All four tracks play off as variations of a single gigantic wave and yet feel discrete in all the immaculate machinations that are occurring in layers and textures all around. Nadja successfully manage to maintain an air of mystique and it feels as if this band has come the closest to carving their own brand of fractal music in a niche corner of the metal underground.

- Information
- Released: 2013
- Label: Oaken Palace Records
- Website: www.nadjaluv.ca
- Band
- Aidan Baker: vocals, guitar, drums, machine/organ
- Leah Buckareff: bass
- Peter Broderick: violin
- Angela Chan: viola

- Tracklist
- 01. Drown
- 02. Song for the sea
- 03. Wrapped in plastic
- 04. Hands