Mathias Buckinx is the musician behind Northgroove, a creative born in Brussels in the seventies, just recently venturing out into the world of EDM. The Nite EP features an interesting blend of classic floor-filler energy and electrified melodic appeal – qualities depicted well from the opening fullness and rising enchantment of Dance The Night Away.
Featuring loaded productions of multiple synths, bass, relentless but light rhythms and occasional vocals, Nite sees the multi-instrumentalist Mathias move away from the organic and into the programmed world of samples, synths, and LFOs. The result is an impressively melodic, often euphoric listen, that falls somewhere between the likes of raver EDM and Daft Punk.
Six original tracks make up the Nite EP, the energy quickly multiplying for the Disco-kissed brightness and presence of sgurD oD tnoD. It’s a clever play of a title, and the celebratory, sci-fi or gamer-like array of retro synths and sounds that rain down create an aptly intoxicating experience. At close to twelve minutes in full, this arrangement evolves with character and depth, showcasing the true wealth of passion and skill that Northgroove has mastered in order to craft this project.
Low Emission Zone follows and immediately gifts a sort of underground, independent radio aura that’s addictively engaging. A personal favourite for its fine balancing of the colourful and the intense, this track rolls out like the peak of the night’s dancing – an audio crescendo in and of itself, with plenty of journey and evolution to follow as its darkness and weight progressively grow.
We’re into the meat of EDM now, and that’s all the more true for the aptly-titled gem that is Anthem – a summer-soaked euphoric listen with a simple chord pattern but an infectious tempo and tone. Always Northgroove maintains that audience awareness, letting the music change and redirect things as it moves along.
Rising anticipation and a mellow kind of thoughtful mood ensue, as vocals return for the soulful and poetic Cathedral Halls. A touch of the melodic side of Faithless strikes here, another favourite for its originality and depth; a dreamy and well-placed listen.
Wrapping things up is the lighter warmth and imagery of Elversele Clubbin’, a simple but recognisable track, with an ever-growing sense of power and enchantment as it gathers more and more momentum across almost seven minutes of musical exploration.
The versatility and appeal of NITE is increasingly impressive. The project winds up feeling like half of a greatest hits collection, almost from a simpler time but with a certain crisp and clean contemporary finish to counter that nostalgia. Northgroove has captured a style of his own here, but at the same time, has gifted his audience something special for their own awakening sense of possibility and escapism.
Find NORTHGROOVE via the Website.
