Bleep

Industry OST
Having crafted a multitude of electronic tunes adjacent to the dancefloor, while also developing a strengthening confidence in string-led fusions on 2019’s The World I’m Going To Hell For, Berlin-based producer Nathan Micay channels his inner cyberpunk with his score to BBC and HBO’s hit drama Industry.

Essentially a human story about high-flying graduates navigating the complexities of love, sex and status in the cut-throat world of investment banking, there’s little sci-fi to speak of in Industry, save for a vague, apocalyptic decaying of community; a complex atmosphere where friends and enemies blur and the collateral is costly. The show’s cold, grey interiors and the dubious, competition-led morals of its characters are neatly matched by Micay’s liberal turns of icy synth melodies and ghostly hints of electro menace, recalling Light In The Attic Records’ Kankyō Ongaku collection of commercial ambient works melancholically turned inward, lamenting a dystopian collapse as opposed to celebrating an optimistic future. Much like Daniel Lopatin's recent scores to Good Time and Uncut Gems, Micay demonstrates a deft ability to both bludgeon with sonic chaos and haunt with subtle and eerie underscores.

A striking mixture of terse strings and tense electronics — daubed with harrowing dialogue snippets from the show — Micay’s first soundtrack gig marks a milestone in his sonic evolution, easily matching his main output.

Butterfly Arcane
Nathan Micay follows up Blue Spring LP with a 12" aimed firmly at the dancefloor. Both A-side tracks 'I'm Your Huckleberry' and 'This'll Tell The Tale' display a modern take on rave sensibilities and have Micay's trademark flair for melody stamped all over them. The B side opens with 'Did You Know I Cannot Die', an epic soundscape reminiscent of moments throughout Vangelis' Bladerunner, underlined by a rhythmic drive that propels it well into the outer regions of space. 'The Party We Could Have' closes out the record, back in floor-filler territory with gnarly basslines and emotive pads that are fast becoming regular features of this talented producers work.

The release also includes an updated version of the comic that accompanied Blue Spring, featuring a foreword by music theorist/technologist Mat Dryhurst.

Blue Spring
Having had a good run of releases under the Bwana moniker, Canadian producer and DJ Nathan Micay has recently decided to simply release music under his given name. This change has reinvigorated his output - after dropping cracking EPs for Whities and ESP Institute back in 2018, Micay now steps out with his first-ever full-length record.

The additional scope afforded by the LP format allows Micay to let his imagination run wild. Blue Spring contains some of the richest and most detailed work he has ever produced. While still rooted in the sounds of the club, this record also touches on dreamy synth-scape electronics, IDM, experimental rhythm tracks and cinematic sound design. It’s a rich, dense and colourful listen, one that seems intent on giving you little endorphin rushes at any opportunity. Anyone who’s come for more of the Bwana-style tech-house bangers should try something like ‘The Party We Could Have’ out for size.

Micay’s highly creative approach extends beyond the sounds of Blue Spring - the creation of the album artwork involved him writing a story that was then turned into a comic by Peter Marsden and Dominic Flannigan. The final result acts as both a tribute to Manga legend Katsuhiro Otomo and a perfect way into Blue Spring’s world of lush soundscaping and breathless production.

With Blue Spring the innovative Nathan Micay has created the sort of record you end up rooting for - this album is passionate, clever and friendly all at once.