Of the many, many aspects that fans miss the most about a lack of live music these days, one of the top elements has to be the collaborations–those spontaneous moments during a performance when another musician emerges unexpectedly from the wings to join the band you came to see. The resulting experimentation often showcases the melding of multiple styles in a way many could never have expected.
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic is keeping venues closed and bands off the road, Denver electronic outfit Nobide has teamed up with a wide swath of musicians for their Corona Collab collection. Released today, Corona Collab features Nobide alongside such notables as Ryan Stasik and Joel Cummins (Umphrey’s McGee), Marc Brownstein (The Disco Biscuits), Alan Evans (Soulive), Neal “Fro” Evans (Dopapod), Chris Karns (Pretty Lights), and many more.
While those names may be familiar, don’t expect Brownie to be tackling a Disco Biscuits song or Stasik to be inhabiting a prog-jam groove. Instead, each artist was challenged with a style of music completely outside their comfort zones. By keeping the tracks succinct (most clock in at under two minutes) the Corona Collab tracklist offers quick hits, as ambient chillwave beats by Weir quickly give way to Thomas Kenny‘s laidback guitar melodies, or Alan Evans’ electronic wind instrument-infused track cedes to an 8-bit homage from Joel Cummins. Despite these short, choppy songs from a range of artists, the 14-track offering flows seamlessly from one collaboration to the next.
Nick Vann of Nobide says of the Corona Collab,
All of these Corona Collabs happened over the course of the quarantine… Since we were all expecting to be on the road but ended up stuck at home, I thought it would be fun to reach out to a bunch of people and make something that would never happen given touring schedules. It’s a cool way to capture the moment – apart, but together. I tried to put musicians in styles I wouldn’t expect to hear them in, get their takes on different style. Brownie on a minimal 80s tune, Stasik on a hip-hop tune, Weir on something other than house, Joel on a drum n’ bass jam.
In addition to one-off collaborations between Nobide and a range of artists, the Corona Collab is also for a good cause. The album will benefit the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), as well as HeadCount in response to COVID-19. Vann went on to say,
It’s a given that this is a hard time for everyone. We wanted to give back to the venues that have supported us, and also encourage people to get out and vote, engage in the democratic process. We teamed up with NIVA & HeadCount to give the proceeds of this record to independent venues and to encourage voting in the 2020 election. Nobide, Alias, and all the partners supporting this release are so excited to share CC and to support NIVA & HeadCount.
Stream the Corona Collab from Nobide and a litany of artists below. For more information, head here.
Nobide & Various Artists – Corona Collab