- Nomine is Bedford man Andrew Ferguson, who spent the first 15 years of his career propagating jungle and drum & bass, first as Rage then as Outrage. Forming alliances with artists like Amit and Digital, as well as a relationship with Rinse that extends back to the station's early pirate days, Ferguson's backstory and catalogue are impressive. But he started fresh with his Nomine project, which germinated anonymously on Tempa from 2012 until recently. Now, out in the open and freed from any industry ties, Ferguson strikes out with his new label Nomine Sound.
Path / Peace / Lost / Mantra inaugurates the eponymous project by picking up where his debut album, Inside Nomine, left off. "Nomine's Path" specifically recalls "Blind Man" from that record, focusing its dark drums and mystical Eastern graces around another sample from '70s TV show Kung Fu. The meditative theme continues on "Peace Please," which features live guitar, foreign instrumentation and wispy vocals for a pleasant feeling of solitude. "Lost Girl" is even more displaced. The lyrics by Barcelona artist Iustina are traditionally Bulgarian, there are Eastern strings at work and the percussion is more dubby—any sense of culture or location is muddled. "Nomine's Mantra" returns to the EP's Taoist beginnings, along with a rolling dance floor chant and a needless little acid streak. For an opening gambit, Path / Peace / Lost / Mantra is a bit safe but full of potential.
TracklistA1 Nomine's Path
A2 Peace Please
B1 Lost Girl
B2 Nomine's Mantra