Hudson Music Project Spotlight: Nightmares on Wax

There is a bit less than a month until thousands of smiling faces flock to the site of the 25th anniversary of Woodstock in Saugerties, NY for the Hudson Music Project. Nestled in the beautiful Catskill Mountains, the grounds will soon be home to frolicking concert-goers, four stages, and plenty of other activities to make this one of the best weekends of the summer. With a lineup consisting of artists from a variety of genres, there will be some difficult decisions to be made for festival attendees. Overlap is inevitable so we at WRR would like to help you in making your lineup selection by directing your attention to a man making the trek to NY from overseas, Nightmares on Wax.

George Evelyn, the man performing as Nightmares on Wax, is a DJ from Leeds, England. NoW was originally formed by Evelyn and Kevin Harper, the latter being replaced by Robin Taylor-Firth. Evelyn and Harper’s first album A Word of Science: The First and Final Chapter was hip-hop influenced and released in 1991 before Harper split to pursue a DJ career of his own. After falling off the map for 4 years, Nightmares on Wax returned with Taylor-Firth on the keyboard and programming to release the new duo’s first album Smoker’s Delight in 1995. This album was a change in style for Nightmares, which began as a DJ-based group, but was now incorporating live musicians into their recordings. Evelyn explains,

“Doing the live side proves there is more to the music. People have something more tangible to relate the music to and it gives us the chance to connect with the audience…We just want to mix the old with the new. That’s why, at the moment, I don’t have a live drummer. The sound of the beats is what makes Nightmares.” 

Since forming the group with Taylor-Firth, the duo have released seven albums that continue to define and grow their sound.

Another impressive aspect of Nightmares is their discography. 10 albums over the course of 20 years have come from Evelyn and company, and warrant some discussion. First we start off with his most famous track “You Wish.” This is a chilled out guitar and keyboard centered track that is sure to please (bonus points if you recognize the guitar riff). The next track “Be, I Do” is off their most recent album Feeling Good. NoW puts together some relaxing vocal samples with piano that will put you on a beach if you close your eyes. Exuding soul with some lovely piano, cymbals, and vocals is “I Am You” off their 2006 album In a Space Outta Sound. And lastly another soulful track off the same album, “Flip Ya Lid” shows their talent for samples and production to calm you down and keep your lid on.

Now for the most important question, why see Nightmares on Wax at Hudson? With such a heavy-hitting lineup, why should you take the time to see someone who you may never have heard of before coming across this article?

Firstly, they are OGs (original gangsters) of the electronic music game. One must pay respects to those who came before to gain a full appreciation for where we are now. These guys are the real deal and deserve to be recognized as such. One day when electronic music is reflected upon, there is no doubt in my mind that Nightmares on Wax will be brought up in conversation. How cool will it be to be able to recall the memory of seeing them years ago?

Secondly, their live show is awesome. I hesitate to use the word awesome in my writing because it seems cheap, but I feel it applies perfectly here. On the Hudson website it says that they are bringing a live set, so I hope that means the full band comes across the pond for their performance like this one. This means bongos, singers, drums, chimes, cowbells, and who knows what else. If that last sentence doesn’t get you interested in seeing them, I’m not sure what will.

Lastly, their sound fits well with any time of day. NoW provides such a diverse sound while keeping it relaxed and soulful. The official set times have no come out yet but I could get down with Nightmares to start the afternoon, as the sun goes down, while the night rages on, or to end the day.

Get your Hudson Project Tickets here soon before they run out!

Connect with Nightmares on Wax:

Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

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