There’s a quiet volatility running through On the Edge of Getting Lost, the new EP from Italian producer/drummer Nother & singer Moon Leap. The duo’s “Nothing Wrong” crossed my radar back in April, and I included it on the Friday Setlist. The groovy, downtempo neo-soul vibe is irresistible. Moon Leap’s gentle tremolo on the song is a distinct blend of trepidation and confidence, and the low-key darkness of the production is haunting and memorable.
I hadn’t heard of either artist before – but there was little to go on for a broader post, though they did have a pretty fantastic collaboration in 2021 with “US”, with a music video that you’ll fall in love with. It was hard not to write a whole post about that video alone.
In May, the duo released “Mercy” and announced the release of the EP On the Edge of Getting Lost. “Mercy” is a moody, sparse trip-hop single with a lot going on beneath the surface: strange noises, glitchy elements and lyrics with a dark, ominous edge to them (“Someone is whistling at me / Another is grunting like / A pigsty king“). They’ve since released a gorgeous live version:
On the Edge of Getting Lost was released on June 6, and even with a 15 minute run-length, it deserves a close listen. Across five tracks, Stefano Milella (Nother) and Alessandra Stella (Moon Leap) balance warm, late-night calm with subtle unease, building intimate soundscapes with strange, dark elements.
“A Cage” is the heart of the project. It starts as a whisper, a soft, restrained ballad, before building into a dense wall of syncopated beats, layered vocals, and cinematic, warped textures. Turns out that these songs are part of the soundtrack for an upcoming Italian TV called Hype, featuring Italian rapper Ernia.
Thematically, this is a record about collapse, in the slow-motion, emotional sense. The lyrics explore illness, longing, codependency, gendered exhaustion, and identity. These themes become richer with repeated attentive listening. There’s a real contrast between the coolness of the production and the emotional heat beneath it.
Moon Leap’s vocals are understated, but sharp and nuanced. Her performances here feel lived-in and unguarded. Meanwhile, Nother’s production never really settles into one aesthetic. It’s a shape-shifting blend of electronic, soul, trip-hop, and ambient textures, rooted in atmosphere but open to distortion and discord.
“What’s Left of Me” closes the EP with a controlled chaos. It starts as moody and subdued, gradually building into a noisy chorus, with Stella’s vocal soaring in of the most cathartic moments on the record. There’s a lot of restraint throughout On the Edge of Getting Lost which makes the moments of release that much more effective. It’s too bad that it’s only five songs.
