Under the pseudonym of Joseph Nanner, a mysterious character from New York City, known only Owen, delivers his stellar debut recordings as a cassette double pack via London experimental label, Exotic Pylon.
Though packaged together, the two collections have distinct vibes. Atmospheric Slow Jams for the Pilots blends the spaced-out qualities of ’90s jungle and Jamaican dub with anime and video game soundtracks, though through the relaxation of lounge. Combining minute-long snippets with slightly longer tracks, the result is something like Mad Professor doing an album influenced by Air and Sega video games like Herzog Zwei and Phantasy Star IV.
New Star Broadcasting takes a more trip hop approach, offering lumbering Quaaluded beats, slowed samples and a laid-back atmosphere. It’s the perfect album for hanging out in the local lounge or coming down on a Sunday morning.
As retro as Joseph Nanner’s music appears, he actually is very forward-thinking. Though perhaps rooted in sounds from the ’90s, his songs reside in an otherworldy cyberpunk realm where heroes are animated and daily life is taken one stimulant at a time. Escape for a spell into the mellow tones of galactic nebulae.
