NONI WO — not to be confused with the Japanese “nani wo (何を)” meaning “what + [particle marking direct object]” — consists of four male humans who live and record music together in Montreal. Glimpse them here peering genially out of a sedan, so you can imagine them in your mind. Better yet, press play on the video for “SPECTER,” premiering in this very post, to allow images of their moving bodies to enter your face and eyes.
“SPECTER” marries the sonic hallmarks of post-OPN (or Ford & Lopatin) sample-and-synth composition — the hi-fi panning bursts of fragmented percussion, the willfully preset-core tonal palette of MIDI flutes and organs, the mix-filling moments of alien bass presence — with the brand of “I get delirious whenever you’re near” dance-pop practiced by the likes of Gang Gang Dance or Aa. Possessed of more moving parts and mix-occulted Easter eggs than your usual electronic pop jammers, NONI WO operates as eight hands grasping microphones, slamming keys, and pressing buttons in joyous union, laying vocal harmonies over clean-toned guitar lines that sneak through webs of mingled synths and percussion.
The video presents these men through rose colored lenses. Watch as they watch you watch them dance, stand on their heads, wear ponchos, and stare. At around 1:47, one of the NONI WO-ers gazes off camera with this contemplative look on his face — not quite wondering what exactly he’s doing (that he is sure of), but more like, just assessing the state of things. Then other band members start to assess, as if inviting you to assess. You assess.
NONI WO released their U S B E P in early October. You can buy it from Summer Cool.
• NONI WO: http://www.noniwo.com
• Banko Gotiti: http://www.bankogotiti.com