First Light Presents: Novus w/ Alex Banks at Foundation
Johnny James, Managing Editor
Transitioning from its Chorlton home, experimental electronic night novus ups its scale this month with a new venue and a huge line-up of electronic artists, both emerging and established. Joining the first light team at Foundation (Northern Quarter) are electronic innovator Alex Banks, NTS resident Herron and emerging producer Wazoo.
An artist unafraid of reinvention, Alex Banks first broke out with his Monkeytown Records debut, Illuminate (2014) – a luxurious, detailed and emotional affair which led to performances all over Europe and remix work for the likes of Bonobo. Having since reshaped his sound, Banks released the follow-up, Beneath The Surface, on Max Cooper’s Mesh last June.
Blending the headiness and immediacy of the dancefloor with the artistry and emotional depth of IDM, this record is a sonic powerhouse. Full of crushed, punchy percussion and hypnotic synth arps, the mood is one of cinematic contemplation, which, at Foundation, Banks will present in a brand new set, along with an AV show – not yet performed outside his native Brighton.
Next is master selector and Manchester club scene mainstay, Herron, who has built a following as a DJ through his _meandyou. label, NTS show and Soup Kitchen residency. Recent signee to Swedish techno guru Peder Mannerfelt’s label, Peder Mannerfelt Produktion, he’s a fast-rising name in the world of experimentally-minded dance music.
And lastly, ahead of the release of his debut project, Touching Space, first light resident Wazoo returns to novus with a set of intricate, glitched-out and ever-evolving beats, lo-fi synth harmonies and warped samples. Fuelled by a love of electronic hardware, Wazoo’s tracks have an organic, dub-tinged flavour that manages to sit comfortably between genres, nodding to everything from ambient to jungle.
Don’t miss first light’s latest instalment of novus, which looks to be its best one yet.
