The mastermind behind No Stress, Paul Horton, is a touring musician with Brittany Howard, a founding member of the jazz trio Concurrence, founding member of future group PS, a very good Instagrammer and a constant creator. His 2023 EP, Nocturne Op.1 No.1, came as a bit of a surprise for me as he had originally planned to release it himself before inquiring if I wanted to be involved. Of course I did.
The EP is a mind bending blend of samples, beats, soul, jazz, glitch, ambience and head bobbing good times. Much like 2021’s Prelude No. 1, this release defies categorization but invites a completely mesmerizing listening experience. The only drawback? The runtime is too damn short!
Shortly after the release, this review came down the @Threads tube from Forest Conner:
If you are a fan of the immortal J Dilla, I highly recommend checking out what
@no.s.t.r.e.s.s is doing. There’s clearly a respect for the past while at the same time communicating a forward momentum. Really great shit.
Conner is not a music critic, which makes that review hit even stronger. You gotta love it when an actual fan gets such delight from listening and understands the references being made.
Horton is an incredibly busy guy. I suspect 2024 will see numerous releases from him outside of the No Stress project but I’m really hoping he comes knocking on our door again for a Nocturne Op.1 No.2.
Get the full EP exclusively on Bandcamp. Stream “Here We Go” on your favorite streamer.
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