Lo-Fi Sundays 046 - ningen

Transmitting raw jazz energy from Germany to the ears of the world, ningen is stepping up the paradigm by taking lo-fi straight into his own hands. From melody to stereo-imaging, this novel producer is bucking the usual reigns of sampled music. Taking a cue from some of the finer craftsmen of break-beat music, ningen crafts his samples from scratch, performing primarily through guitar and piano.

While the timbre throughout most ningen music is solidly engineered to permeate the lo-fi aural aesthetic, it is his phrasing that separates him from the pack. Leaning less on things triggered askew, and far more on syncopation within each bar, his rhythm carries as opposed to juggles. It is a dynamic that creates a pseudo sing-song attitude to his harmony choices. On occasion, there’s even been a true-to-life vocalist, Voca, who lends her musings to the ningen head-bop. Combining jazz overtures and hip-hop sensibilities isn’t a recent development, but he certainly has a touch and taste for the finer points of break-beat composition.

Be sure to take your time peeping the thorough ningen catalog, as lo-fi is just one branch of his musical machinations. Featuring a few contemporaneous jazz and hip-hop instrumentals brimming with lush fidelity and balance, his personal flavor can be adapted to a number of thought-positive atmospheres. With 43 tracks and counting, we’re still digging through it all ourselves.

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