Nahash^FR/QC

Photo Crédit : Thomas Guerigen

Artist, producer and DJ Raphaël Valensi embarked on his Nahash adventure in 2013 while in Shanghai, releasing electronic music inspired by metal on his own label Huashan Records. This same label also housed some of China’s first experimental AV, noise and drone bands, and promoted the Shelter Club’s “Let's get naked and listen to a bunch of drones” nights. Concurrently, Valensi was a resident DJ for Shanghai’s Acid Pony Club series of events. Nahash left the Chinese mega-city in 2017 to settle in Montréal, though he continued to work with Shanghai’s independent label SVBKVLT as their main mixing and mastering resource. In 2019, Nahash’s sound started taking new forms with his remix of Gooooose’s Plasma Sunrise, a mix of pounding rave drums, harsh noise textures and warm percussions arranged through the filter of Dancehall, old UK Bleep and Jungle records. Nahash drew the attention of peers and press alike with his Flowers Of the Revolution album, released in 2020 on SVBKVLT. In 2021, Nahash released the Club Apathy EP with longtime collaborator Osheyack on SVBKVLT, crowned Best EP of April 2021 by FACT Magazine and Resident Advisor. Nahash again pulled no punches with the release of his Tides EP on label POLAAR earlier this year; heavy drums and airy synths create a makeshift jungle sound built from recycled drum loops and second-hand trance samplers.

For his MUTEK debut, Nahash will draw inspiration from Flowers of the Revolution, his Tides and Stockpiling EPs (forthcoming on La Rama) as well as unpublished and exclusive material. Visual artist Tina Blakeney, who has collaborated with Valensi since his China years and created nearly every album cover, will assist him once more in this live performance.