NMM SoundBytes: Captn K’s “Salad Days” Will Make You Dance
Australia’s Nathan Nisbet makes fun lo-fi dance music as Captn K. His latest single “Salad Days” comes from the EP of the same name that released last month. The EP exemplifies the jangly dance pop of groups like The Rapture that make electronic dance music that the indie kids can vibe with. While the tracks could easily fit into the playlists of various mainstream clubs, there’s a certain warmth and independent quality to the music that feels as much indie rock inspired as it does standard electronica. With clear inspiration from 80s acts like Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode, this is music that rave kids, club scenesters, hipsters, and indie rockers alike can dance to.
Nathan started out listening to classic rock as he grew up, before discovering 80s New Wave and buying his first synth. Then he joined his friend’s band, Sensory Overload.
The music was rambling complex electronic music inspired by the likes of The Orb, Orbital, and Sabres of Paradise. We stayed together till 1998. From there my production was infrequent and I started being asked to DJ more and more so I focused on that a bit. Ironically when I was DJing back then I would play the vintage music I first got into; blues, rock, soul, funk etc. This bled into my production tastes and I tried some different styles and approaches to music, incorporating samples and not just strictly midi based production. The result was a more organic and funkier trip-hop style vibe.
The musical journey got him here, to Captn K and the latest EP, Salad Days. The sound is unique, yet familiar, with a real DIY feel that makes it even more endearing. Start to finish, the EP is strong, but the title track here really feels like the best place to start.
Check out Captn K’s “Salad Days” music video below, then head to Spotify or Bandcamp to enjoy the full EP and more.
