Joshua James Nunn is a London-based composer, musician and producer who has just come to my attention through the release of his latest EP, Quiet Noise.
By Graeme Smith
Feature photo by Joe Berisford
Quiet Noise marks a return to music for Joshua, having spent the last four years working on film composition, and he doesn’t waste any time easing back into it. The four-track collection is striking in its introspection, and we are given a window into his mind and his thoughts.
Joshua brings his love of film with him in the EP’s compositions, and the cinematic overtones make the record feel much bigger than it is. This starts right from the ambient intro of opener Awakening. You get a sense of something coming to life as the arrangement slowly builds, finally arriving at a reflective finish with snatches of captured speech.
Life livens things up with an understated groove and operatic vocals. Electronic textures gradually come in during an arrangement that will have you moving as well as feeling. Melancholy, by contrast, is suitably downbeat. Morose chords set the mood before a soulful and hypnotic vocal sample comes in. There’s a touch of the blues about it, paired nicely with some hip-hop percussion.
Nostalgia closes the EP with a piece that looks back as much as it looks forward. There’s a touch of retro sci-fi about its opening synths and some swelling electronica suggests the Avant Garde.
Joshua James Nunn has an undoubted dedication to his craft and his skills in composition are plain to see in his new EP. What’s more, we are invited to find out much about him through his choice of moods and musical themes, even without the presence of any lyrics. It takes quite an artist to achieve that, and Joshua clearly is one based on the evidence of this collection.
Quiet Noise is out now and you can check it out below.