Reverberations are the repetition of a sound resulting from the reflection of sound waves. Reverberation is not an echo; it is more like the echo of an echo; repeat as needed. Reverb is common in an electric guitar setup. It could be a floor pedal, a rack component or built into the amp and activated with the flick of a switch. Reverb is also used by sound engineers, architects, and numerous others, it is literally all around us.

Reverberations is also the name of a Nevaris album released nearly two months ago. Better late than never, I hope. When the single Dub Sol hit my inbox in March of this year, I put it on repeat and got my groove on. I loved it! And then, I waited for the full release to drop, which it did on June 2nd, which will be two months ago, in a couple of days. I have listened to this numerous times over those two months as I waited for inspiration to hit me and write something about this incredible album. It hit me today.

Manhattan-based artist NEVARIS and legendary bassist-producer BILL LASWELL have crafted an energetic and soulful collaboration inspired by the energy of New York City. Dub Sol garnered the praise of CARLOS SANTANA, who called this collection “a work of supreme creativity.”

‘Reverberations‘ is the third collaboration between Nevaris, Bill Laswell and this lineup of musicians (D.J. Logic, Will Bernard, Peter Apfelbaum and Lockatron, with the addition of Matt Dickey), here focusing more on the dub aspects of their sound. Here, the musicians’ New York City roots shine through. Bass, percussion, drums and turntables take center stage on this track, with a New York sound that channels the energy and vibrancy of the city. Reverberations is released via Laswell‘s boutique label M.O.D. Reloaded. 

These songs wouldn’t fit on a 45 vinyl. Correction, one piece; Locatronic clocks in at a mere 3:43. The remainder are at lengths ranging from 4:29 to 7:46. Heck, you would need both sides of a 45 to contain some of these tracks. All told, these are gathered together as a glorious 45 minutes of head bobbing, toe-tapping, and pausing whatever I’m doing while I listen to this music. Did you notice how I slyly moved from a 45 to 45 minutes? Continuity folks, all in the name of continuity.

A musician and visual artist, Nevaris is a percussionist, keyboardist, vocalist and composer whose music is influenced by Afro-Latin, dub, funk and the sounds of the streets. Born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, he is of European and Mexican descent with multi-generational roots in both N.Y.C. and L.A.’s Echo Park neighbourhood. Dang, it would have been so cool if he had lived in Reverberation Park instead of Echo Park!

Before recording ‘Reverberations,’ Nevaris recorded and performed with an evolving lineup of musicians named Loud Apartment, most notably Bernie Worrell of P-Funk and Talking Heads fame.

“This record builds on the momentum from ‘System Breakdown’ and ‘New Future,’ which we released in 2020 and 2022 as Loud Apartment. There were dub aspects of those recordings, so Bill Laswell and I decided to create a recording entirely focused on that sound. It was a logical next step and came together in an organic way. We let the music go where it needed to go,” says Nevaris.

Photo Credit: Nevaris photo by Michael Black

“It’s a dub-based project, with breakbeat, funk, ambient, and afro-latin elements. It’s rhythm-based music where the pocket is essential. Lockatron is a huge part of that, as, of course, is Bill Laswell, DJ Logic and everyone else involved. Peter Apfelbaum‘s horn arrangements are also a core aspect. In my mind, it’s a cohesive piece of music that is best listened to as a whole rather than as individual songs. And Bill takes it where it needs to go with the production like no one else really can.”

In addition to his work as a musician, Nevaris is a visual and multimedia artist who has worked on various creative projects across mediums. He also co-founded Nolej Records, Nolej Studios and the Uncomun Festival.

Enough talking for now. Let’s listen to the music, please.

Reverberations is released via Laswell’s boutique label M.O.D. Reloaded. 

Pre-order the ‘Reverberations’ album https://nevaris.bandcamp.com/album/reverberations

Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/artist/7v3fX2yK24jpCaMktBQUbY

‘Interference’  https://nevaris.bandcamp.com/track/interference 

‘Dub Sol’  https://nevaris.bandcamp.com/track/dub-sol

Apple Music  https://music.apple.com/us/album/reverberations/1669589207