Dennis Ferrer protégé Nasser Baker may be only 19 years old. But the young up-and-comer has already shown house fans he has a vast knowledge of music history and of progressive house music.
What’s even more impressive is that he’s done it with just one release, his debut EP titled “Salutations”.
Since “Salutations” dropped in February, Baker has begun to stamp his imprint on the American East coast house scene as well as across the Atlantic. With a surprisingly mature and deliciously dark sound, Baker’s first single “Night Rider” became an instant hit.
The young and extremely versatile DJ and producer has proven he has much more to show listeners with his latest track “Tricks”.
On “Tricks”, Baker utilizes one of the biggest weapons any skilled producer has in their arsenal – a receptive ear – as the track showcases not only Baker’s ability to create an engaging rhythmic pattern, but also his ability to find the perfect vocal track to accompany it.
So, Baker dug deep into the classic rock archives, finding one of Foreigner’s biggest early ’80s hits, “Urgent” to sample for his latest creation.
Of course, the “trick” in this case is to use the vocals to enhance and progress the rhythmic element of the track, so Baker creates a looped snippet of some of Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm’s signature lines, effectively transforming the melodic tones of his voice into another percussion-like sound.
At first listen, Gramm’s signature powerful rock voice is almost unrecognizable, but there will be a certain familiarity there for music fans, which makes “Tricks” a more comfortable and enjoyable experience.
The vocal sample certainly leads the track in a very different direction from Baker’s previous single, but as some heavy low-toned synths seep into the background, the track suddenly seem to resemble “Night Rider” in terms of depth and the song’s darker edge.
Still, Baker’s newest effort definitely stands alone as an original work and shows that Baker – although young – has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. We certainly can’t wait to see and hear more from Baker, who appears to have a very bright future in the house music scene.
To check out “Tricks” and more tracks like it, simply head over to Houseschuh Internet Radio and get your groove on!
Nasser Baker – Tricks
Label: Objektivity