Most of Amon Tobin’s music from the late 90s sounds like the soundtrack to a nightmare. Assuming that your nightmares feature a lot of frenetic jazz drumming.
I remember buying and liking his 1998 album Permutation, but having a hard time listening to it end-to-end. I loved the dark samples and jazzy flavour, but about halfway through I would be craving a more straightforward DJ Shadow-type percussion. It’s hard to nod your head when your head is spinning.
That must be why I missed that album’s closing track: “Nova.” It’s still dark, but not dark enough to qualify as the soundtrack to a nightmare; maybe the soundtrack to a séance designed to call upon the spirits of Getz and Gilberto.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The syrupy saxophone.
2. The downward roll on the vibraphone, heavy with echo and reverb.
3. The tempo. While most of Tobin’s music pushes along like a scared squirrel, this one hangs back like a…like a….like a squirrel who can’t be bothered to come up with a good metaphor.
Recommended listening activity:
Washing dishes during a blackout.