The new pretender to the throne of experimental and indie R&B Jeremy Nutzman, a.k.a. Velvet Negroni, is the perfect representative of his time. With an ambient synth piano, downtempo percussion and a captivating voice, the African-American from Minneapolis, who was adopted by a family of white evangelical Christians, split his formative years between classical piano lessons and late night jam sessions. This duality has clearly influenced Neon Brown, a record that looks as much to contemporary urban soul as it does to indie rock. Following a tour with his friend Bon Iver and a single released on the New York label b4 in 2018, Velvet Negroni saw his work sampled by Kanye West and Kid Cudi on their joint album Kids See Ghosts. On i,i, Bon Iver invited him to sing on the track iMi and sampled from his track Waves. This time, for his debut album, Nutzman surrounds himself with producers Psymun (Young Thug, Juice WRLD, The Weeknd) and Elliott Kozel a.k.a. Tickle Torture and reveals songs that sweep away stereotypes. The harmonies of his gentle R&B blend into each other over intense rhythms. Soft dub follows electro soul. And his androgynous voice makes the tracks all the more mysterious. Merging the influence of Prince in the 80’s, The Weeknd’s futuristic R&B and Bon Iver-style electro folk, Velvet Negroni enchants us with the eclecticism of this brilliant album. © Max Dembo/Qobuz