Nathan Melja - Triangle d’Or Part 1

19 Jul

"No hits, deep track only" is one of the coldest ways I've ever heard anyone open a record, and how right he was. Nathan Melja's Triangle Dior Part 1 is stylistically impressive and radiates this unquantifiable deepness with every note. The atmospheres Melja creates are familial, with a frigid detachment throughout. The title of the first track, 'Stargazing', sums up my feelings. Triangle Dior Part 1 imparts this uncanny existentialism nestled away between some bounty Tech House. It's like the warm fuzzy feeling you get from pondering the universe while that cold shiver travels down your spine because you realise how small you are within it.

'Stargazing' as a track embodies these elements. However, Melja tries too much with melody, meaning 'Stargazing' comes across as slightly melodramatic. The reasonably messy melody sounds more like a heartbeat monitor on the fritz and sometimes comes across as boastful or grandiose. Once we get into the meat and potatoes of the track, there's a greater sense of focus. Things tighten up while still being drenched in reverb, adding to this sense of mysticism Nathan Melja is creating. What's striking is that he's gone full circle by the end of the release. Melja improves his game compositionally with 'Bblluurrryy'. It's a chugging slower piece but raises the quality of storytelling. The sounds are reminiscent of 80s synth music as it sounds partly sci-fi but intertwined with adventure. While it's not exactly a floor filler, technically, it's well realised.

As a dance music producer, Nathan Melja is no slouch. Both 'UnDcided' and 'Welcome' lean on their modulating rolling bass while incorporating that psychedelic mysticism through reverberant melody lines that bounce around like a heated doubles match at Wimbolden. 'UnDcided' is a powerhouse of rhythm with layers and layers of syncopated hits, clicks, and claps that'll combine into this beautiful soup of dance garnished with fantastically psychedelic synth elements. Melja is reinventing Tech House by simply adding some emotion here and there. 'Welcome' benefits from this added emotion, and together with Patrick Holland, they use piano samples treated with tape-delayed saturation, bringing them alive. Nathan Melja and Patrick Holland bring a dichotomy to this cut through the dystopian atmospheres that populate the background. Welcome feels like an old-school summer tune with a beefier BPM. It's smooth and soothing with a little bit of bounce.

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