Cosmic And Transfixing, This Experimental Ambient Tune From A Denton-Based Artist Will Tap Into The Unknown Parts Of Yourself.

Welcome to Song of the Day, where we hip you to all the new local releases you should be caring about. By highlighting one new North Texas-sprung tune every week day, our hope is that you’ll find something new to love about the rich and abundant DFW music scene five days a week.

Nonori – “Fields of Ekhthrah”
RIYL: falling through a city made of glassssssss
What else you should know: It’s the second track of Iltja, the third 2021 album from the Denton-based ambient artist.

Information on the individual behind Nonori is rather limited online. From the about section of their YouTube channel, we know that they’re “a music person” and that their music “is delicious” — which is all we need to know, really. Their Spotify page also tells us that a “metamorphosis” is “complete” and that the two cities with the most listeners are Moscow and St. Petersburg. We’re not sure how that fact fits in all this, but it’s an interesting tidbit.

This album, Iltja, is described on Nonori’s Bandcamp as “a collection of sounds designed to give you the experience of flying, or perhaps falling through a city made of glassssssss,” and that is truly the best way to put it.

The ambient/noise/drone/experimental scene has a knack for capturing obscure feelings and sensations that can be found on the spectrum of human emotion. Sure, a good rock or rap tune can articulate our shared experiences, but there’s something special hidden in the flows of instrumentals or the chaos of industrial noise that can really tap into visceral parts of ourselves that we have trouble putting into words. “Fields of Ekhthrah is a track that’s better off experienced, not explained.

One of the more easy-listening songs of the album, it’s got a peaceful, non-threatening tune and exists on the same plane as those “anime beats to study to” songs. It could also very well fit into the soundtrack of a video game. Does anyone out there play the memorizing Tetris Effect? That’s what the song is serving us.

And not to be too on-the-nose, but much like Tetris, it seems like every part of this song just falls into place.

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