by Isabel Thomson-Officer

After hosting Nuno Dos Santos and his label showcase Something Happening Somewhere North America premiere in Brooklyn last week, we were absolutely thrilled to get our hands on a preview copy of his stunning new EP. ’Trigonometry of Love’ is set to be released on March 24th and features four incredible tracks. Don’t even bother trying to make sense of the title as mathematics and love equations have never gone hand in hand - we all know that love frequently makes zero sense. Not only is this eleventh release on Nuno's own label ‘SoHaSo’ but it is also a deeply personal EP for him. It features cover art by his father and the soundscape tries to capture Nuno’s life experiences complimented by his extensive knowledge of music and sound production as it genre-hops between deep house, techno and nu-wave disco.
 

The opening track, ‘Storm Inside’, starts with a strong bassline storm beat paired with a higher percussive jab over the top before being joined by sizzling hi-hats and an eerie background vocal synth. Together they build up to a dissonant melodic bass key progression that adds to this building feeling of unease. A higher warped melody then is added over the top all whilst the persistent bassline progression keeps it driving. Snares that sound like short claps mixed with the strange melody add to the chaotic atmosphere not unlike a storm that it invokes. One can’t help but picture rolling thunder, crashing waves and lightning all working in harmony to create the perfect storm deep in the night. The twisted bassline, melody and percussion all suddenly drop off and a melancholic vocal breathes straight through the track before all the eerie keys, bassline, snares and percussion dive straight back in and continue to the very end. It’s an incredible track that demonstrates Nuno’s unique talent for creating trippy percussive sounds and haunting melodies that together create a solid introduction.
 

The hypnotic with a twist journey continues with elegant ‘Wonka’. This gorgeous track is deep and melodic opening with a strong bassline and background melody riff. Light snares, with floaty synths build alongside melodic bells that progressively become more prominent yet slightly muffled. It’s a happy and groovy tune that you can’t help but find yourself smiling to as your feet tap and your body sways to the music. The beat builds and becomes almost disco like with high, wispy flutes playing long notes over the top. As the track progresses, major arpeggios take center stage which are then rejoined by the long flute notes, bells and the snares. The mighty bass beat stays persistent throughout keeping the track rolling. Perfect for a sunrise set or daytime Sunday chill vibes this one is best suited to be played outdoors and on a dancefloor in the sunlight.

As the EP progresses past the halfway mark, ‘Prosa’ enters with a slower BPM yet keeping that strong thumping bass with hi-hats that is very nu-wave disco. After several bars the melody drops in hard with a melodic chord progression that just dives straight into the track. A one note guitar riff joins before vocals jab through towards the end of the verse which then echo the same chord progression. Distant cow bells can then be heard in the background as a bass guitar joins in the fun and the vocals fade and loop in and out in the background before rising and falling in prominence throughout. It’s super groovy and happy track that is perfect to drop towards the peak of a DJ set. Just close your eyes and feel the beautifully emotive melody and powerful bass swallow you up and we promise you won’t be able to help but smile during this one.

The closing track, ‘Dust In Your Eyes’, is bouncy and opens straight up with a driving rhythm and melodic bassline while light snares fidget in the background. This track is deep and mesmeric with a percussive floating progression that builds with light warping sounds featuring throughout. A long breath exhales and adds to the dreamy and harmonious synths. A strong knock on every second beat adds a frisky accent to the strong bassline. The beautifully tailored synths and keys seem almost slightly muffled but couple perfectly with all the quirky percussive beats throughout this track. This is a true example of Nuno Dos Santos’ amazing talent as a true master of sound - it’s an absolute work of art that is as about as unique as it gets.