Why This Residency Feels Different: N/UM

At Laissez Faire, we’re lucky to call the underground of The Beekman Hotel home—a space that allows us to go all in on sound, lighting, and atmosphere to create something special with our favorite artists, musicians, & DJs.

If you’re reading along, I suggest taking it further and tuning in to some of their stuff on soundcloud. Really good for scrolling and vibing.

Here’s the link: https://soundcloud.com/numlive

I was recently connected with three of those artists, who go by N/UM. (rhyming with "bloom"): /nuːm/ and they are fresh off a live recording at Picture A Wave, where they shared the stage with Juan Atkins and Moritz Von Oswald. Their set took a different turn—ambient, spacious, completely improvised—especially with free jazz legend Daniel Carter jumping in. We talked about that night, their upcoming releases (including a remix from Satoshi Tomiie), and what they’ve got planned for their residency at Laissez Faire.

What was the energy like at "Picture A Wave"? How did it feel to share the stage with legends like Juan Atkins and Moritz Von Oswald?
The energy in the room was beautiful. The live visuals were opening up a whole new dimension and the vibe from the people was so attentive and joyous. A very special experience.
It was an honor to be on the same stage as these pioneers and legends. They played incredible music, showing how they can create super interesting soundscapes and affect the groove with such thoughtful and effective tools. Their music was fantastic. And super humble and friendly humans as well. A true honor to be part of that night.

How did the collaboration with Daniel Carter come about, and what was it like having him play with you?
Daniel is a legend and staple in the New York Free Jazz scene since the 70s. He plays all kinds of horns and has an openness and curiosity to music and sound, that is one of a kind. Jeremy does a lot of recording and mixing/mastering work with the label 577 Records, which showcases a lot of Daniel's music, so they know each other pretty well. And Elias has also played some free jazz gigs with him.
It was definitely a very special experience to play with him. The music took a much more exploratory direction. Daniel played saxophones, flute and trumpet. His sound and playing is never the expected... always reaching for the unknown and discovering new soundscapes.

You played a more ambient, open-format set—how did that shift your approach?
We took our time in developing the ideas and really got into a meditative mood. Even though there are parts that have a groove to it, we stayed very much clear of the clubby/ravy four-on-the-floor grooves and buildups and drops.
The three of us are very comfortable improvising together (all our performances are improvised), so whenever we add another person to the music, we all have to be ready to follow the music into even more uncharted territory than we might have ventured into on our own.

What moments from the recording stand out to you the most when listening back?
All the horns that Daniel is playing are adding such a beautiful element of unexpected melody and almost an eeriness to the music, while still sounding very inviting and gentle. And since there is a lot of space in the music it also gives for example the mono/poly synth a lot of room to fill the music and create a huge and full sound.

How does this live album differ from previous releases?
They are both definitely very different. The vibe is more relaxed and meditative. Almost dream-like. It has some very deep bass but not so much of the usual driving kick and SH101 that characterizes much of our music. This music is definitely more about closing your eyes and going on a sound-journey than dancing. Even though this album is divided into different tracks in the post production it's really one continuous musical experience (the way we played it live, there are no parts edited out). And the sound and emotions that Daniel brings to the music open up a whole new layer, that is at the same time very original and unexpected as well as soothing and melodic.

Your label, Ninetofire, is releasing The Reservoir with a remix by Satoshi Tomiie. What drew you to work with him?

We have always loved Satoshi’s work as a producer but also as a Dj, he has an approach to producing that is coming from a musician’s perspective that resonates  deeply with us.

What does Satoshi’s remix bring to the track that wasn’t there before?

We where very interested to see where he would take our music, and what direction he would choose in terms of vibe or style, he ended up making a dubby version of our track that we really love. 

You’ve jammed with him—any standout moments?

Yes we have played several times together, what came across the most with him, is his sense of musicality and space while improvising with us, his fluidity is exceptional, flowing from keyboards to drum machines or any other instrument in the studio, finding any musical idea that would complement perfectly our jam.

Any dream collaborations on the horizon?

Of course! The performance aspect is crucial for us as a trio since we constantly interact with each other, having sort of a musical conversation, we tend to work better with the musician/producer who is comfortable improvising. We recently played with Daniel Carter who is truly a magician in the avant-garde Jazz scene Daniel plays any wind instrument from flute, saxophone clarinet to trumpet. He added a total different color to our music in the most cinematic way.

Can you tease anything about the label partners for the live album?

We haven’t announced anything officially yet since we are still finalizing the record and in the mixing process, we want to release a dolby atmos immersive mix as well as the vinyl and are really looking forward for that release to come out in a few months! 

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With an EU tour in the works for August, how do you approach performing for different crowds in different countries?

This is probably the most fun part for us! It always takes us a minute to warm up to the crowd and see how they react to the sound, what tempos or what styles they respond more to, if they are expressive how they dance to the music etc, it is every time a big surprise for us and so interesting. Luckily we improvise on the spot so we usually try a few things out during the first part of the set, and land on something that resonates with the crowd.

You’re playing for Resolute at Movement Festival in Detroit—what makes that festival special for you?

Detroit is of course a place with a deep music history across many genres and decades. The annual Memorial Day weekend trip there feels almost like a pilgrimmage. It is no-frills, straight to the point and parties are just filled with genuine electronic music lovers and practitioners of the art. It’s unlike any other festival really. The off-festival parties are just as much a part of the experience as the official stages and it is just a great time to play there and reconnect with community.

How does performing in a club setting like Laissez Faire compare to larger festival settings?

Club sets and festival gigs come with differences in how close we can get between audience and performer and each have their differences and challenges in terms of sound, how it travels and what works musically. Many things are also the same. Musically we approach them the same. Our formula is to start with open minds, opening ourselves to the audience, the environment and setting, letting go of expectations and building a connection instead with a group of people on the other side of our setup table, whether there are 50 or a thousand or more people there.

Your quarterly residency at Laissez Faire is exciting for me and the team here. What are you hoping to explore musically in this space?

We are really excited about starting our residency at Laissez Faire. A residency allows an artist or group of artists as we are to build something over a much wider timespan. It allows audiences to really get to know your music, your approach and artistic fingerprint on a much deeper level because they are able to almost return to an experience they’ve had and relive it but also experience how different the music is from one show to the next. Our shows will have no repeated songs at all and all the music will be composed and performed on the spot but still there will be very much a red thread going through it and for those who return each time the experiences will likely merge in their memory over time as well.

Without giving too much away, what excites you most about your future sounds.

We are really excited to move more into the world of immersive sound both in live settings and also releasing records in various spatial formats like Dolby Atmos. This is a development we have followed and been part of developing and exploring as artists over the years and it is something that is finally hitting a point where it is blossoming and entering a mature stage where it can reach large audiences. For us as a multi-instrument live improvisation group it has some fantastic possibilities that we just can’t wait to roll out.

What keeps you going?

Inspiration comes and goes. The important thing is to be working and playing when it arises. We sometimes play and feel great for one hour, then loose our way and feel like things are not inspired for 40 minutes. Then suddenly out of nowhere everything magically builds into an effortless, groovy, dynamic and perfectly structured composition without any explanation. Those are the terms of the agreement we have made with music.

Some take aways from 2024 releases?

There are some pretty elastic and bouncy things to sway to in there from this last year, a lot of driving polyrhythms as well as some sunrise songs to take along on a long trip. There should be a few words of encouragement to unveil in there for the keen listener but apart from that it is just about the joy of listening

Coco’s Corner

At the end of every interview, our beloved Coco swoops in with a few fun, last-minute questions—because why not?

If your residency at Laissez Faire had a signature cocktail what would be in it? 

Lots of spirit and passion

Any pre show rituals/superstitions? 

One shot of tequila, together.