The sonic makeup of Nova is split between nasty bass workouts and straightforward pop, but Steinway seems incapable of distinguishing himself as a producer in either mode. It’s big music, with gaping synth storms and mountain-flattening beats sprawled across its 15 tracks. If Void was reaching for stylistic smarts, Nova sets its sights for the highest rafters in the biggest arenas possible. It’s loaded with guests, from the increasingly ubiquitous Ty Dolla Sign and Miguel to Chief Keef and songwriter-of-the-moment Julia Michaels the music backing said guests is appropriately glossy and bombastic, possessing all the subtlety of a thousand confetti cannons. If Steinway still possesses promise as a producer, it seems we’re going to wait a little longer to see him deliver on it: his second full-length, Nova, largely abandons the cool-kid stylistic tics of Void for something bigger, brighter, and wholly anonymous. Spanning jungle-inspired breakbeats and brittle, cavernous techno, the album contained few true revelations when it came to the type of sounds Steinway was exploring-but there was a level of competence on display that suggested, with a little ingenuity and maturation of style, he could bring a darker and more complex sound to the festival-tent audience he’s since courted. The 27-year-old producer cut his teeth earlier in the decade with big-room bangers under the Clockwork alias before switching to his current RL Grime moniker after shaking off his bass-face past with the High Beams EP for Fools Gold in 2013, he released his debut LP Void under the umbrella of California’s woozy, slightly off-kilter WeDidIt collective. to start from where VOID left off, but rise up and soar across the sky.Henry Steinway’s second full-length largely abandons the cool-kid stylistic tics of his debut for something bigger, brighter, and wholly anonymous.Įven considering the trend-hopping world of dance music, Henry Steinway’s career so far has been hard to parse. my vision is for the music to feel like the birth of something new. Throughout the process i had this vision of a “nova”, or of a star that begins as nothing but then expands endlessly until its light is all you can see. Shortly after release, through social media, Henry released an statement regarding his struggles and motivations that ended up conceptualizing the album atmosphere and the idea behind the title, NOVA: The album also features collaborations with artists Miguel, Boys Noize, and Ty Dollar $ign, who have worked with RL Grime in previous projects.
The release date and tracklist were announced July 13, along with new merch in RL Grime’s store and the fourth album single, Undo (ft.
It was first teased through a zine titled “NovaZine,” where he also wrote a letter regarding what Nova is about – “A journey that will define and encompass every part of the RL Grime project over the coming years.” NOVA is the second studio album by LA-based DJ and producer RL Grime, released in July 27, 2018.