Nanda: Constant Change

Not every band can be The Beatles, and not every deejay can be Sasha. But, if North American awareness of electronic music evolved past the top three albums in the charts, Nanda would easily be on the level of Blitzen Trapper or Fleet Foxes to Tipper’s Coldplay. Dave Tipper is at the top of his game these days, boasting noticeably more intricate production, original sounds, and placement the PopMatters best of Electronic(a) 2008. However, the massive bass and choice sampling of Santa Cruz’s Nicholas Grabenstein cannot be simply disregarded.

Nanda’s fingers are in almost as many aural pies. Between the inspirational Yoda loops and guttural lower frequencies borrowed from dubstep and grime, Constant Change hits all the right buttons for immediate and lasting digital groove satisfaction. “Caveman” alone incorporates Buddhist throat singing, synthetic conga drumming, slide whistle, and a computer mauled “yup” into its upbeat breaks head-nodding session. Make no mistake, Nicholas is in the upper class of modern electro breaks.