Nightmares on Wax – Smoker’s Delight

One of the first artists signed to Warp Records, Nightmares on Wax was originally founded as a duo by George “DJ E.A.S.E.” Evelyn and Kevin “Boywonder” Harper, though Harper would leave before the release of Smoker’s Delight. A definitive downtempo / chill-out classic, Smoker’s Delight is a lush, atmospheric listen, perfect for the Discman generation, who found themselves for the first time to able to immerse themselves in music wherever they went. While not the most experimental or groundbreaking Warp release by any means, Smoker’s Delight is a perfectly constructed laid-back journey through breakbeats, soulful samples, latin percussion, dubwise basslines, and live instrumentation. In many ways, the experience of listening to the album is contingent on where you are, as the sounds can easily inhabit or move through whatever world you envision for it. George Evelyn later shared his musical approach: “I don’t recollect listening to music because of being sad. If I feel down I try work through it and find where it’s coming from and why. Then I find the illusion of it or my attachment of it, which then gives me a better understanding, and releases me from the so called state I was in before.”

Recommended – Full Listen