Bleep

Nicolas Jaar gives another enticing newcomer a platform on his Other People imprint: Richmond-based Ian Mugerwa takes his Ot To, Not To project to the NYC label, releasing Goshen – his debut of experimental RnB with an acoustic touch. His unconventionally structured pieces are centred around layers of his own vocals. They flow as unpredictably as the instrumentals in these airy, unobtrusive arrangements. Combining acoustic guitar and piano with the layered sound of up to 40 cellos on ‘Withdrawal and Restraint’ and ‘Never’, Mugerwa sometimes even creates the illusion of an orchestra – yet with the way he touches his instruments being audible, and the purposefully unbalanced low-fi recording, the album never loses its remarkably intimate feel.