- ANDREA BAUER
- Mister Lies circa 2013
Nearly two years ago electronic producer Nick Zanca released his debut full-length as Mister Lies, the lovely Mowgli; since then the Connecticut native left Columbia College and moved back east to focus on his music. Last week he released his sophomore album, Shadow, through Brooklyn label Orchid Tapes, which has put out some great LPs from other bedroom musicians earlier this year—I highly recommend checking out Ricky Eat Acid’s Three Love Songs and Alex G’s DSU.
If there’s a stylistic thread connecting all the artists involved with Orchid Tapes, it’s an appreciation for understated musical movements. Zanca gets it; a large portion of Shadow opener “Nymph” includes serene, minimal synths played at a low volume that might not register if you don’t crank up the volume. Zanca can turn up in concert, remixing his own work till they sound like arty dance tracks. He’s an engaging, animated performer too, contorting his body as he mixes and twists his songs on the fly.
Zanca returns to town Sunday to play Beat Kitchen alongside Foxes in Fiction, aka Orchid Tapes founder Warren Hildebrand, who released Ontario Gothic in September. Landmarks and Savage Sister open the show, and it kicks off at 8 PM. Until then take a listen to Shadow below.