Nordra
Pinprick guitar lines, swaths of ethereal brass, sub-bass thuds, the clatter of distorted percussion, fever dream lullaby melodies—it can be difficult to discern what sounds we’re hearing over the course of Nordra’s eponymous debut given the strange and unorthodox context of their combination. Khot’s conceptual approach becomes abundantly clear in the live performances, where deftly crafted on-the-fly MPC beats serve as the static foundation to her dynamic compositions constructed out of guitar, pocket trumpet, analog synth, handmade electronics, and vocals.

The harsh and rigid beats that open the album on “Apologize To Me, Humanity” demonstrate the first part of the equation; the layered horn drones, aluminum-neck guitar riffs, and beautifully crooked closing melody encapsulate the latter half. Across the album’s four hallucinatory tracks, it becomes abundantly clear that Khot is a musical mastermind, able to navigate multiple stylistic and tonal shifts while nimbly switching between wildly divergent instruments over the course of a single song, all while maintaining a singular and cohesive vision.

Helix, Honey