As their disemvoweled name suggests, TNGHT are all about minimalism. With II EP (their first release since the 2013 track ‘Acrylics’), the transatlantic duo of Hudson Mohawke and Lunice continue to provide quality over quantity. Their second substantial release is brilliant, inventive and jittery, managing to unsettle whilst also providing floor fillers. It is music for a comedown, to be played at 4am as you wait for pizza, hours old FIFA highlights playing in the background.
The middle-ground between Trent Reznor and Young Thug, TNGHT provide rattling experiments over twenty-five minutes by effectively throwing the kitchen sink at you. Vinyl scratches interrupt layered flutes. 8-bit noise dings above dirty sub-basses. Metallic drums bark through chopped and screwed samples. It zigs and zags, showing the experience the pair have gained this decade (Mohawke through producing for everyone, Lunice through his ambitious solo debut) whilst also providing the same anarchic energy they brought on their 2012 debut.
The majority of the album will be murder to search for without Shazam and goes to some truly strange places: ‘I’m In A Hole’ sounds like Tubular Bells, ‘Serpent’ sounds like a war drum, ‘Gimme Summin’ sounds like Windows 98 crashing. The only real deficiency is when you can picture how the instrumental could work as a beat. But ultimately, this is a triumph. It takes work to sound this effortless, and bravery to be this bold.
