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Amsterdam-based R&B tunesmith and producer Nambyar is back with a new single ‘Darlin’’ feat. experimental multi-genre music producer and Mad Decent-collaborator Full Crate.
Following on the highly praised singles; last year’s debut and Spotify’s ‘New Music Friday’ featured ‘Warm In The Winter’, acclaimed Hilly Dilly, 22 Tracks and MTV – who compared his soulful vocals to artists such as James Vincent McMorrow, Låpsley and SOHN – and the Hypebeast premiered ‘Once More’, which gained Nambyar introducing features across key international tastemakers such as Music Radar, 1883 Magazine and Hhhhappy. His latest release, ‘Through the Light’ – an EP featuring the latter alongside three new cuts – was
Blending electro-tinged R&B, soul, future bass and deep house influences Full Crate brings a SBTRKT-esque high bass driveling in the background of Nambyar’s entrancing voice. “I was playing some chords while Full Crate was making this crazy beat. It caught me right away, I knew I had to lay some vocals on it straight away”, he explains of the organic production process.
A fresh take on ’90s R&B, ‘Darlin’’ is a soothing soul number, a call- out to “someone close, stuck in a toxic and repetitive cycle to wake up, recognize the toxic patterns and try to break them,” reveals Nambyar when talking about his confessional lyrics. Accompanied by the eerie, moody visuals directed by his brother Kay Nambiar, which see the enigmatic artist delivering an intense and dramatic performance – including a dance routine shot in slow-motion – the single is Nambyar’s most enticing offering yet.
Born to a Fijian father and Dutch mother, Nambyar relocated to a small village just above Amsterdam to work on his own music for the last three years, honing his songwriting and production skills. Initially inclined towards guitar-driven melodies and playing in a band, Nambyar’s current sound developed when he started writing songs on PolySix and Prophet analog synthesizers in his own studio.
Making his mark on the international music scene, with performances including last year’s ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event), forward-thinking Pitch Festival and Eurosonic – as well as pinning Swedish pop singer Erik Rapp’s single ‘Look Like Lovers’ – Nambyar’s dazzling live set has led him to play opening shows for Alex Vargas and pop’s best new hope Billie Eilish.
Nambyar’s expertly layered vocals and intimate lyrics along with Full Crate’s futuristic production, combine together to create perhaps the singer-songwriter most compelling release yet.