A legendary guy just released a legendary album today. We’ve been treated to a great gift today. The iconic musician that is Nicholas Gunn had been leading up to this point for quite a while, and now the full piece is out there. Nick’s latest artist album, 30, has come out today, marking exactly three decades since The Music of the Grand Canyon, his most successful record to date, was released. At a time when machinery was heavy, expensive, and you had to rent studios to get real instruments recorded on tape, Nick committed to his long-time passion, music, and produced one of the best-received pieces of music of the 90s, which went on to sell over a million copies, marking Gunn’s entry into the annals of music history. Since then, he’s founded a family of labels under Blue Dot, released many more artist albums, and even entered the Dance music space, even co-producing ASOT’s Tune of the Year of 2021, ‘For All Time’. We were lucky to have him over for an exclusive interview just recently, where we discussed the aforementioned, as well as many other topics. We strongly encourage you to have a read, it’s a great piece. And in true introspective and tributing fashion, not only does the release date of 30 coincide with that of his 1995 million-record-selling body of work, its contents also pay homage to it. Across 18 tracks spanning exactly one hour and then minutes, Gunn takes listeners on those special journeys only he can craft, putting all of his skills on the table. The entire record feels like something you could’ve seen charting in the late 90s, with a great focus put on Downtempo / World tunes, sung from inside the soul of Nick’s signature flute. All songs nod to the Grand Canyon album in terms of textures, too, with distant pads acting as the soundbed to several yesteryear percussions and rhythms, nature-resembling textures, and a general feeling of staying true to the legacy of a man who got to conquer the world with the sound that pours out of his heart. “Through the album, I tell the stories that have happened to me through music since 1995, how I got to where I’m at, and the different styles I’m now representing. It’s all in there.” -Nicholas Gunn, in our exclusive interview with him. From the nature-evoking atmospheres of tracks such as ‘Desert Sky‘ and ‘Blossom‘, to the starring role of Nick’s flute in ‘Campfire‘, to the contrast between the original and Dance interpretations of ‘Miss You‘ and ‘About A Love‘, the piece takes you flying, levitating even, to a place which has its roots years ago, yet sounds as timeless as ever. The album is not a lone piece of Gunn’s sketches, by the way, welcoming the efforts of several friends and collaborators, namely, Craig Connelly, Richard Durand, Chris Howard, Alina Renae, Jordan Grace, and Brittany Egbert. As you know, my listening sessions when encountering albums happen blindfolded, so as to really soak in everything a comprehensive series of songs has to offer. And in that blindfolded state, when hearing is intensified, the album felt like a hug. I don’t know why I felt that, but I really loved the feeling. It’s as though something older and wiser had sent me a message. I really like the journey aspect of the LP. Now, in terms of particular songs, ironically, ‘Open Your Eyes‘ marked me, with its blend of flute and strings weaving in and out in a call-and-response manner, and its pads truly transported me somewhere else. But my absolute favourite has got to be the title track, ‘30‘. This one really spoke to me. It’s delicate, but it’s also four-on-the-floor somehow, without losing that gentleness of it. Its melody reminded me at times of ‘Wicked Game’, I reckon it’s the way the guitar speaks. I also really like the little breaths before the flute lines, which adds to the human component of it all, while also feeling as though it’s Nick who is expressing himself through the airy notes. Few words can be said when a product is this good. Language can’t really grasp the feeling of flying away in a sound wave, quite literally. The album is wonderful, and 30, to me, is a message full of hope that good music, music with a soul, is still out there, being released every single day. You just have to sift through the amount of empty beats out on the market, and every now and then, you’ll come across some gem like this one. My career is an odd one. You won’t find a guy who’s been 32 years in the business, started in instrumental and classical, sold millions of records in the 90s, doing world instrumental music, and then transitioned to electronic in 2016. -Nicholas Gunn Listen to Nicholas Gunn‘s spectacular new album, 30, by hitting the ‘Play‘ button on the Spotify player below. Also, click here to support the release on your platform of choice. Be sure to follow our page to stay up to date on the latest news and views regarding our beloved Dance music industry. Nicholas Gunn Releases Memorable Album, 30
The 30 Experience
Writer’s Picks
Nicholas Gunn — 30 Tracklist
Final Words
