Deep into the eccentric but far from misunderstood, Nick Campbell’s brand of off-the-wall electric bass virtuosity will give everyone looking for new musical thrills a run for their money. The L.A.-based musical pioneer has boldly undertaken the quest to “Reinvent the jazz genre for this generation.” and the playful disposition of his sound belies the seriousness of his background and his proposal.
His full artistic name is “Nick Campbell Destroys” and depending on how you look at it, it’s either hyperbole or a perfect description of his innovative tackling of traditional jazz and his formal musical education. At some point, NCD must have said to himself “How can I stretch what we know further beyond what I was taught were the limits of it?” With cheerful intent and a curious mind, he went, ploughing ever hungry for new vibes across Funk and Jazz and pop and God knows where else, tearing down the fictional walls that separated genres and styles and finding new ways to connect them into a unified stream of grooves and harmonies.
As Nick Campbell Destroys gets ready to release his upcoming debut album, he presents us with a jazz-funk entrée called ‘Sunday’ written and recorded alongside multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer Theo Katzman. Written from the POV of someone who has trouble socializing (don’t we all, sometimes?) on the weekdays and much rather just lounge around their home on a long, lazy Sunday.
Though the subject could just as easily have been discussed with a gloomy tone, Nick and Theo’s song is anything but; the end product is a vibrant and almost summery track with a rather upbeat -if laidback- framework.
‘Sunday’ is very eclectic, like a fusion between Beck and Thelonious Monk. This is nowhere near as disjointed as you might think, and it works extremely well, in no small part thanks to Theo’s compelling vocals and Nick’s funkalicious Basswork. Be sure to check it out and be amazed.
www.instagram.com/nickcampbelldestroys
