Nefer-T challenges his lock-down angst and harnesses creative resilience in releasing his funky new single ‘Coping Mechanism’.
The experimental artist addresses mental health with this candid yet uplifting electro-funk bop. The track is a beacon for society at a time when talks of mental-health and managing the mind is so prominent. The rising star not only employs a jazzy twist with his expert command of sax, piano and synth; his musical talent extends to belting vocals and production that is flawlessly executed in this track. It’s clear that we’re dealing with an incredibly well-rounded artist who is here to inject the alternative-indie scene with his extraordinarily rich, unique sound.
Nefer-T on his creative process:
“I think there is a general undercurrent of “self-therapising” in a lot of my work. I try to offset any complex/darker topics with a sense of humour and or a beat that contrasts.
All my regular coping mechanisms were kind of taken away from me in 2020 and I’d not long quit smoking (again), so I was trying to find new ways to deal with the situation and being in lockdown.
The whole idea of me releasing music myself formed during lockdown initially, as a means of staving off boredom and evolved into an artistic project and to push myself. ‘Coping Mechanism’ was one of my first songs that I wrote. I think there ended up being a technological undercurrent because I was working in tech at the time and felt I was becoming increasingly robotic – going through the motions being stuck indoors and working from home.
The singles so far have all been recorded and produced in my bedroom studio. I have developed a very crude booth substitute to help reduce background noise and not terrorise the neighbours with my loud voice.
I am influenced by a wide range of genres including electronic, lo-fi, alt hip-hop, electro-pop, synth-pop, house, dance, jazz, funk, neo-soul, disco, pop, and alternative. I think it’s important to listen to different sounding artists or people who like to switch things up or smash conflicting styles together. Three artists I often have in mind as inspiration are Outkast (plus their solo work), Gorillaz and Kelis because their catalogues are so vast and varied – that’s the aim really.”
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