At long last, the long awaited untitled followup to the enigmatic Nisi's untitled debut album is here. For those of you who are newer listeners, Nisi is a one man band composed of a man of genius, Ian Mannheim. This newest entry by Ian is an eclectic blend of angsty, multi-cultural and at times
deep and ponderous themes. A pleasant surprise for previous fans of Ian's work is that this
album is largely vocal as opposed to his earlier works, which were largely not.
In this album, loyal listeners can observe that Ian's work has started to take on a flavor of
it's own, and has matured considerably when compared to his previous works. Listeners of his previous
album may recall that it was influenced heavily by Radiohead. This very introspective album explores the
inner workings of Ian himself.
"Delicate Girls" is one such song that invites us into Ian's mind. In it he expresses his view on,
none other than delicate girls, and in a surprising turn of events we find that Ian not only
eschews such girls, but is attracted to women with more masculine qualities. A bit of a shock to
be sure, but smart listeners know better than to put much past this talented artist. Ian concludes
this first piece dispensing sage bits of wisdom, such as "never drink from puddles".
"Factory Machine" feels like a tribute to Third Eye Blind with its driving beat and gutsy lyrics. In it, Ian confesses his desire to have been born a mind-controlled cybernetic.
One can almost feel Ian's angst, even though one can understand very few of the words. An
impressive addition to his work, lending to the overall theme of the album.
Ian follows "Factory Machine" with a quieter interlude, an Instrumental "Airports- Where I Spend My Free Time" This appropriate decision in the album's arrangement allows one to feel a bit calmer as the next song is much deeper than his previous three tracks and invites listeners for some deep contemplation as to why he presents his lyrics in a fashion that is unintelligible to any but his inebriated listeners.
"How About Saying Goodbye?" ranks in as the longest song on the CD at over 7 minutes. A song that almost instantly moves me to a very somber and sad mood, or gas, I can't figure out which. It is a slower song in which Ian uses a voice technique known to the as professionals as "gibberish". I did manage to make out "Over and over and on and on and on..."and "My heart and soul left long ago, now I do believe its time to follow." These lines give the song instant escalation to deep and
insightful.
"White Halls" is eerily reminiscient of Ian's time spent in the mental institution for his addiction to Pixy Stix and shoe polish. This being one of his more clearly presented songs it stands as one of my personal favorites, despite my inability to decipher all the lyrics.
"Kiritimati (Though Not Necessarily)" has a campfirish type feel. It refers to Ian's time spent on one of the Christams Islands in the South Pacific, probably Kiritamati, though not necessarily. It was during this time that Ian climbed Mt. Kiritimati and learned from the ancient Kiritimatian gurus how to make 30- minute brownies in 20 minutes.
Though there is a disappointing lack of liner notes or lyric sheets packaged with the CD, this is
allayed by the unique album covers that Ian has implemented. These works of art are hand-drawn originals by Ian's Hungarian slave boy. Ian acquired this young waif during a trek through Hungary's vast mountains in exchange for a pair of yak skin boots and some Twizzlers. In Ian's eighth track, we hear from Slave Boy himself in "Ian's Hungarian Slave Boy Sings of Revolution" In this piece, we are invited to hear Slave Boy's requiem and his pining for change. An ethereally beautiful song, in which one feels akin to Slave Boy's pain.
After Slave Boy's wailings have subsided, we move on to "Not thinkin' straight". Another song that I have absolutely no idea of its meaning.
And then again, with another instrumental to break things up comes "Tired Starlight"
"Day & Night" is what one might call an abstract song. The meaning of its chorus phrase of, "It all
comes back to the elements" will be a source of debate amongst Ian's fans for some time to come.
Featuring strong guitar riffs and underspoken lyrics underscore this song as a favorite amongst all.
To wrap up Ian's latest, "Extreme Days" shows us Ian's lighter, playful side. In a cross between
hip-hop and utter nonsense, Ian actually brings guests into the fray. This was actually an attempt at a theme song for the critically acclaimed box-office smash hit "Extreme Days" Ian highly recommends this movie uder the influence of mind altering substances. At the end of this extended
track we are offered the opportunity to listen to an auto-biography of sorts, presented by none
other than Ian himself. An exciting addition to be sure, since we have naught but his work to learn anything about him.
I did, however, have the opportunity to catch up with Ian shortly after his move to the Big Apple. I was able to ask him only a few questions due to his busy schedule. His responses, via email, are truly inspiring.
J: Why should anyone buy your record?
I: I don't know. Maybe because of its hypnotic grooves. Maybe because listening to it gives 1 out of
every 12 billion people a crazy feeling that can only be described as "not wanting to die."
J: Do you think your record will help people?
I: No. I think that money helps people, which means they'll only need more help after buying my record.
However, it will "help" them realize that anyone can make a record. Provided they can do things that make
noise while recording.
J: Do you think your record could save lives?
I: Yes. If used to deflect a laser beam, absolutely. Also, if one was being attacked by bears or cavemen or who knows what else lurks in tunnels these days, one could simply take a short rope (2 to 3 feet) and feed
it through the hole of the CD, tie a knot at the end of the rope, glue some sort of weight to the CD and swing it around in a helicopter motion so as to hack through the enemy. As far as lyrical content being
"motivating" or "inspiring one to keep going"... I would give that a definite maybe.
J: Is this record your ticket to heaven?
I: I think keeping my composure in this city of death (N.Y.C) and politely putting up with the stinky people who run like idiots from the smell of soap already got me into heaven. So maybe this kickin record will get
me some sort of bonus like the ability to zap people with confusion or wings with blinkers.
Sadly, at the time of this writing, Ian was getting to retire from the recording industry. Though
I fully expect Ian will continue to write songs and come up with tunes in his spare time, it may
be quite some time before we see another album by this extrememly talented artist. This is a most
lamentable fact. And so, for the time being, we must take comfort in that Ian's Hungarian slave boy
is available for weddings and Bar Mitzvahs.
Ian follows "Factory Machine" with a quieter interlude, an Instrumental "Airports- Where I Spend My Free Time" This appropriate decision in the album's arrangement allows one to feel a bit calmer as the next song is much deeper than his previous three tracks and invites listeners for some deep contemplation as to why he presents his lyrics in a fashion that is unintelligible to any but his inebriated listeners.
Though there is a disappointing lack of liner notes or lyric sheets packaged with the CD, this is
allayed by the unique album covers that Ian has implemented. These works of art are hand-drawn originals by Ian's Hungarian slave boy. Ian acquired this young waif during a trek through Hungary's vast mountains in exchange for a pair of yak skin boots and some Twizzlers. In Ian's eighth track, we hear from Slave Boy himself in "Ian's Hungarian Slave Boy Sings of Revolution" In this piece, we are invited to hear Slave Boy's requiem and his pining for change. An ethereally beautiful song, in which one feels akin to Slave Boy's pain.
