Nu Bop

Album Notes & Community Reviews

On 'Nu Bop', pianist Matthew Shipp explicitly fuses avant-garde jazz with electronic and hip-hop production, creating a controversial and forward-looking statement. Shipp’s percussive, block-like piano chords and the improvisational impulses of his quartet, featuring bassist William Parker and saxophonist Daniel Carter, are set against a backdrop of programmed beats, synthesizers, and samples handled by producer FLAM. The resulting sound is a dense, rhythm-driven hybrid that juxtaposes the organic interplay of free jazz with the textures and grooves of urban electronic music, marking a significant and divisive experiment in his discography.