Mixes I by I 24.07.17

FACT mix 611: Nídia

Príncipe-signed prodigy Nídia carves out a fresh path with fractured rhythms and booming basslines.

Formally known as Nídia Minaj (after her musical idol Nicki), Nídia was still at high school when she began splicing together her own beats, influenced by the vibrant party scene in Bordeaux, France, where she lived.

Before moving to France at age 11, Nídia spent her early years in Portugal, just outside of Lisbon, and was fascinated by kuduro, an innovative form of Angolan dance music that evolved in Lisbon’s barrios. The hiccuping beats and lurching melodies of the “kuduro continuum” still make up the backbone of Nídia’s music, but she brings plenty more into the mix.

Nídia’s debut album was released this month on Portuguese club music powerhouse Príncipe, and is entitled Nídia É Má, Nídia É Fudida – Nídia is bad, Nídia is dope. This should give you some clue to the young producer’s confidence. There’s no meandering and no waffle, no theorizing or contextualization; instead Nídia gets straight to the point, cherry-picking far-reaching influences – hip-hop, batida, tarraxo, hardcore, techno, ambient – and assuredly re-creating them in her own image.

Her FACT mix is equally as singular, guiding us through a collection of polyrhythmic club bangers from across the diaspora. With clattering percussion, humid basslines and squealing warehouse-ready synths, this is music that should bring life to any party – it’s decidedly future-facing and offers an exciting alternative to the usual festival sounds cluttering up the feed throughout the summer. Who needs ‘Despacito’ anyway?

Read next: The 25 best albums of the last three months – April to June 2017

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