It’s become cliche to say that a record “slaps”, but there is really no other way to describe the new EP from Ninajirachi. Following on from her debut EP Lapland in February, Ninajirachi has returned with the Watergun EP on NLV Records and in doing so has cemented herself a producer never content to sit still.
Showcasing the same light melodic touch from the Lapland EP, combined with a new focus on weightier drum sounds, the new record is a perfect evolution of Nina’s sound. Watergun cruises for the first 90 seconds on a bright pad sound before dropping into a pummelling overdriven drum section which is sure to melt minds on large sound systems.
Nina hinted that the evolution in sound went hand in hand with a change in process, switching from an improvised approach to a more intentional workflow
“Often I make up tracks as I go along, but for this one, it was like I heard the finished product in my head before I had even opened my computer and decided, ‘I’m gonna try and make that’, and the rest was just a ghost in the wall moving my hands and making the track for me.”
The second track Stingray was the result of a collaboration with Sydney producer Oh Boy, and borrows 90s rave references combined with breakneck speed and more drums that sit in the middle ground between warmth and all out distortion.
Overall the record showcases Nina’s insistence on exploring more experimental territory and hints at a serious desire to move her sound forward. With upcoming appearances on a slew of festivals across summer including FOMO, Yours & Owls and Stonefest, it looks like there will be no shortage of places to road test new material.