ni is a band that don’t dilly-dally around the fact that they are out to break music. The band ostensibly exist to challenge the musical elements that are primal to us: defined rhythmic pulses, harmonies, cadence. Les Insurgés de Romilly is undoubtedly their most thorough exercise of the genre-bending, trope-smashing, and meter-mocking to date. If this wasn’t bewildering enough, the band are taking a darker turn in their latest Pantophobie.
While remaining true to their ni’s ‘break down the house of cards’ musical ideology, a central theme to Pantophobie is the exploration of fear. ni venture above and beyond the familiar prog and zeuhl dabbling that they are more than proficient with. Here, they exploit the darker and sinister elements of music, the stuff that raises hair and boils blood. The grinding bass, the pounding arhythmic percussion, the brooding guitars, the intermittent demonic squeals. The band employed the most apt audio team to realise this vision: recording was done with Herve Faivre of Igorrr fame, and mixed with Rémy Boy (Gojira, Secret Chief).
Pantophobia is more than a dark album, it’s downright unsettling. The band’s maximalist art-rock stylings are in full flair once again, but this shit so terrifyingly claustrophobic you’re bound to knock your monocle off.
‘Pantophobie’ will be released this bloody Friday. You can go and pre-order the album right now over at the ni Bandcamp page.