Mister Lies - Mowgli

[Jerome]

online listen
I keep digging myself deeper
instrumental electronic album
it's so sick
you gotta keep up people
1.0 from me and a converted 2.1 from allmusic

from the album - Dionysian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGR5-BNIJDs

released Feb 26th, 2013



Bio - from allmusic

Inspired by ‘90s trip-hop artists like Massive Attack, Portishead, and Burial, independent
producer Nick Zanca started making beats under the alias Mister Lies as a freshman while
studying philosophy and dramatic writing at Chicago’s Columbia College. After releasing the
Hidden Neighbors EP, his full-length debut Mowgli was released on Lefse in 2013.

Album Review - from allmusic

Entirely created in his dorm room at the age of 19, the debut Mister Lies album is a dreamy
instrumental electronic album that ties together ethereal field recordings with hip-hop beats
and ambient techno. It’s apparent that Nick Zanca is still learning and navigating his laptop,
but there’s a lot of promise here. Though the material is heavily sequenced, the young producer
has a knack for arranging, and is determined to march to his own beat, even if that means his
music has more in common with ‘90s downtempo acts than with recent dubstep phenoms. For the
most part, Mowgli is easy listening, more concerned with drifting along aimlessly than with
setting off a party. “Ludlow” could be a lost Soul II Soul instrumental, and “Dionysian” has
the dubby breeziness of a Protection-era Massive Attack song. The songs here branch out in
various directions, whether it's an R&B beat that gives way to acid synth arpeggios or an EDM
beat that does a 180 with the introduction of a gurgling bassline or a chopped and screwed
vocal sample. Still, Zanca uses his scalpel to build lush arrangements from scratch with
liquid, barely noticeable precision, and the progression is so slow and steady that it’s barely
noticeable. This makes the album play smoothly and free of distractions in a way that is good
for washing over the background of a coffee shop or a computer workspace. Even if Mowgli is not
completely engaging, Mister Lies is on the verge of something innovative, and most electronic
fans will find these crisp, controlled soundscapes easy to absorb and enjoy.

Track Listing

1. Ashore
2. Dionysian
3. Align
4. Lupine
5. Canaan
6. Ludlow
7. Hounded
8. Trustfalls

Bizarre and boring.