Hear Nothing Anonymous’ Glitzy Debut EP ‘Here To Stay’
The Mumbai electronic duo traverse R&B, drum and bass, pop and more across five tracks
Nirmit Shah and Ambika Nayak from Nothing Anonymous. Photo: Ronit Sarkar
Mumbai keyboardist and producer Nirmit Shah and vocalist Ambika Nayak have known each other from their days in R&B/alternative act Kimochi Youkai for about three years now, but decided to form electronic duo Nothing Anonymous with an aim to work together on something concrete.
It’s why their debut EP is called Here To Stay. The duo explain over a collective email interview, “To us, these words ‘no matter what, we’re here to stay’ resonate. We feel unabashedly proud of who we are as Nothing Anonymous, and we feel that this tune [the title track] quite succinctly expresses our intentions.”
After performing at festivals such as SulaFest and Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Pune, Nothing Anonymous established themselves first as a live duo that blended electronica with their influences of jazz, pop, R&B and hip-hop. The song “Pieces,” a can’t-fail electro-pop earworm, was released in June this year. While Shah is also part of jazz-informed electronic group Ape Echoes, the duo says there’s more than just a coming together of influences from their existing projects. “We try and come in to the studio with a blank slate and just write together. Our shared influences and tastes naturally flow in and direct the music.”
Apart from “Pieces” and the short but wavy title track, the five song EP features Nothing Anonymous at their diverse best – from the buoyant “Where Do I Begin” to the playful funk/jazz plea for communication on “Say Hello” and the shimmering closing track “Find You.” The duo says the best way to hear the tracks are live, which makes sense since they’re set for a nationwide tour to promote Here To Stay in the coming months, including a set at Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Meghalaya in October. “This would be the first time we’re performing in Kolkata , Meghalaya and Pondicherry and are really looking forward to it,” the duo says.
In addition to performing unreleased and newer songs like “Waste Away,” they’ve “remixed some of the older tunes.” They’re also working with Mumbai-based visual artist Jishnu Chatterjee “to create a unique visual experience during our live set.”
Krunk presents Nothing Anonymous 2019 tour
October 17th – Auro Kitchen and Bar, New Delhi
October 18th – TopCat CCU, Kolkata
November 1st – 2nd – The Festive Hills, Meghalaya (Bacardi NH7 Weekender)
November 15th – The Storytellers’ Bar, Pondicherry
Stream ‘Here To Stay’ EP below and on more platforms here.
