The Indie Electronica Collective, ‘Nexus Plate’ Tugs on your Emotion and Intellect!

Flipper, Iris and Alex form an Indie Electronica collective that goes by the name of Nexus Plate. On the single, “If I Choose”, they seem to have decided (consciously or unconsciously) that the best music ever made was done by those dark synth-driven bands that jumped out of the eighties and nineties, to create massively hooky singles with just a couple of keyboards and a few added instruments on the side. When they get it right, as they do on this earworm track, they rival the best of them. But if you‘re thinking that Nexus Plate can simply be summed up by the above statement, think again!

They drastically change tones, textures and tempos on their songs, always working hard to maintain a level of infectiousness, and succeed more often than not. Even an eclectic and ethereal composition like “U R My Life”, maintains a certain kind of catchiness. This is truly a piece of music that creeps up and settles in, tugging on your emotion and intellect. This track is bursting with genius and stunning atmosphere. It constantly moves to places you never expect, delighting and surprising you at the same time. A quick run through their concise catalog and you will discover that this collective can be pretty epic if they want to. The truth is Nexus Plate dig a whole lot deeper than those 80s synth bands ever did, and often times come up with epic, layered compositions that end up in movie soundtracks. Literally. Like the movies, “Hostel: Part III” or “Heatstroke”, for example.

“If I Choose” is well-written and arranged music, with an incessant, intense rhythm and driven bass line. The vocals are at the forefront, but never feel forced or out of place, and the lyrics are a whole lot better than the throwaway trash in too much popular music. Often in modern-day electronic music, the vocals seem to be an afterthought, trick or treat add-on, just to draw your attention. Not so with Nexus Plate, their voices are an integral part of their compositions, adding an important melodic and atmospheric dimension to their music.

From the heavy opening chords of “If I Choose”, you can sense that this is a band with an altogether different take on electronic music. And as the track progresses, there’s a sense that something out of the ordinary is pouring out of your speakers. To my mind, simply calling Nexus Plate an Indie Electronica band is a touch too restrictive!