Album Notes

Nohno one project of Dean Dennis, known for his work with Clock DVA, The Anti Group Collective and Sector. Metropolis is Nohno’s first release. "Having evolved from his involvement with experimental, industrial and EBM group Clock DVA in the eighties to early nineties, to solo dance floor oriented techno as Sector, Dean Dennis has arrived at his current Nohno project. Dennis has created a sublime album filled with ambient tech-house, lush abstract jazzy interludes and a feeling that the metronomic precision of the machine is fused with the humanized ghost in the shell. Soul is created within circuitry." Jeremy Balius 2006 "Nohno is the most recent creative outpouring from Dean Dennis, a name associated with early electronic and industrial music purveyors Clock DVA. Known for their emphasis of man-machine interfaces and history of musique concrete techniques, it is not surprising that Nohno is an enlightened descendant of these roots (and by extrapolation, the applied Kraftwerkian foundations). Found within "Metropolis" is a likely fusion of old-school industrial electronics and experimental jazz, wrapped in the unassuming guise of languorous tech-house styles. It is a well-balanced mixture of sharp electronic rhythms, shimmering orchestral accents and spacey abstractions. The interplay of bouncing, metronomic percussion, relaxed synth tones and processed vocal samples lends "Metropolis" an unhurried, yet intricate texture. Upbeat tracks "Divisible" and "Train Home" glow with blithe and supine peacefulness, perfect driving music for those late nights when roads are empty and coasting through tunnels lined with fluorescent lights and glistening tiles seems akin to discovering nirvana. Arrangements coalesce from layers of distinct elements to form warm melodic grooves and futuristic, repetitive meanderings. As in "Latin America," mellifluous basslines pulse, twitch and flow in the underlying spaces, while compelling treble hits and snaps loop in endless patterns above. From the wormy acid lines and popping beats of "Octopus" (a personal favorite) and the tripped-out, slow-groove of "Overtone," to the jazzy and abstract interludes of the title track and "Falling Angels," the disc enjoys a natural diversity. With this proliferation of sounds, Nohno has sculpted a hybridized dichotomy, deploying cold robotic mechanics hand-in-hand with fertile organics. The resulting "Metropolis" is brimming with its own ingenious offspring," -- Dutton Hauhart 2006