E.P Review: Nxdia - in the flesh
📷 photosbyjrd
August is a slow time for releases - with festival season well underway - it's perhaps understandable that the industry comes out of promotional mode. There are several releases however that find their way of grabbing the attention this time of year, despite the slowing down of the process.
One such release is the new in the flesh E.P from Manchester-based artist Nxdia, who moved the U.K as a child after being born and growing up initially in Egypt. Their early memories growing up in Cairo are of living near to a cinema, which provided early inspiration to their storytelling skills. A love of drawing and poetry gave them further creative influence and it's clear we're dealing with a multi-talented artist here. We got Niamh Rowley to take a listen to the E.P and share these thoughts.
Next we dive into ‘Decay.’ It gives an angrier take to the album, giving off “hey, listen up” energy
and for that I cannot fault it. It's cinematic and reminds me of the backing track in a revolutionary
type of scene. They know what they want to say and exactly how to say it. A truly stunning track,
smooth yet pensive and one that demands your full attention.
Releasing a six track EP this month Nxdia provides numerous nods to their Egyptian-Sudanese heritage by including
lyrics in both English and Arabic. With beautiful melodies and powerful vocals, it’s hard not to admire
and be slightly jealous of the talent on display here. Taking on a bedroom pop beat and adding a
flare of individualism allows for Nxdia to make a distinctly unique mark - one that’s rather
hard to ignore in my own opinion.
Serving us up with a mixture of upbeat and angsty songs brings me in to be hooked from the very first
track ‘idc.’ Having been played on BBC Radio 1’s Future Pop segment and being released in June, it staked its claim as the last single ahead of
the entire album’s release. Coming in with an immediate vibrant energy that contrast to
the nonchalant style of lyrics, it shares details of confronting problems head on, whilst simultaneously not
letting it take over your life.
The middle track of the EP ‘Both Hand Up’ comes in with a constant electronic beat and the inventive use of synths allows for this track to stand out from the rest. Vocally they povide a slightly higher pitch for this track in comparison to the others gives us a sense of just what
Nxdia has hiding up her sleeve.
'Dopamine' has a slower tempo with more of a lyrical
and vocal focus. With a quick pace lyric pattern, I find it keeps me engaged and on my toes, it’s really
rather enjoyable. Seamlessly blending the two languages together makes it sound so beautiful and
almost quite tranquil. An art they have become so incredibly talented at I find myself coming back to it
over and over again.
I find the same pull with 'What's it Like?' . Whilst carrying a
similar energy to the other tracks it still has its own individualism. It investigates stereotypes and the
feeling of molding yourself into the image you believe someone else wants you to be. It is refreshing to
hear in this day and age with the world around ever-changing and more in-depth conversations
occurring about how we treat others and get treated in return.
The final track ‘Tricky Conversations’ not only ends the album, but provides closure in the artist’s
situation. With a disco style feel to it, it’s rather easy to get lost in a trance. Taking a focus on owning up
and taking accountability you really start to think beyond just a tunneled point of view. I can envision
this particular track sneaking its way into bars and clubs, you just can’t help but want to move to it.
In its entirety, the album has truly spoken to me quite deeply. Moving on from hearing the same old tales
of love and heartbreak through our headphones and radios, Nxdia has swooped in to provide a voice on
matters we wouldn’t usually hear accompanied by some incredibly unique melodies. A strong
recommendation from me to listen and engage with this artist as they climb the ladder to the top.
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