Norwegian producer and composer NML returns with 'ISOLA', a meticulously sculpted second album that delves deep into the emotional and creative contours of isolation. Out now via Tellé Records, the project fuses hard-hitting techno architecture with wavering, melancholic melodies, an intense listening experience shaped by two decades of sonic exploration.
Written in a period of self-imposed creative solitude, Isola reflects the strange duality many artists inhabit: a cycle that swings between euphoria, dysfunction, clarity and obsession in the search for the “right” sound. From the looping, solitary pulse of the title track to the fragile optimism of 'You', the record moves through distinct states of mind. 'Revive' introduces a tense calm that soon erupts into the album’s more forceful second half, before 'Centered' and 'Circular' dive into spectral unease. Closing piece 'Elegy' acts as a culmination, an ambient mosaic built from fragments of every track.
Drawing influence from German and UK club culture as well as textural auteurs like Andy Stott and William Basinski, NML creates a world that is both mechanical and deeply human. Skewed loops, abrupt turns and cinematic depth reveal Larsen’s background as a seasoned producer and film composer.
Paired with a dystopian visual universe by Armand Nasiri and Aria Jadidi, 'ISOLA' is a demanding, immersive record.
