Jojo Mayer & Nerve – Ghosts of Tomorrow

An Exciting World of Tomorrow

Swiss drummer Jojo Mayer is a notable figure in the jazz world, his signature being combining jungle and fusion. Though he has been a solo drummer since the 80s, he formed the electronic trio Nerve in the 90s. The other members consist of John Davis on bass and Jacob Bergson on the keyboard. Aaron Nevezie also has an important role working with audio manipulation and live sampling. Ghosts of Tomorrow is their third full length album, and for new listeners, they will be surprised to hear the skill Jojo Mayer has mastered due to his extensive background. In this latest release, the sound has become even more experimental and intriguing. Each track on this album is completely filled with a variety of unique sounds; there is quite a lot going on, and that’s what immediately draws audiences into their music.

The opening track on Ghosts of Tomorrow is “Triptych” which is a rather trippy four minutes. While the drums aren’t the center of it, the buildup of Mayer’s drums is a refreshing addition to an otherwise repetitive track. Although it gets old after about two minutes, it still has its fascinating elements for those that love listening to funky beats.

“Hard Hat Era” is one of the specific tracks on Ghosts of Tomorrow where Mayer’s percussion skills really seem to shine. While the synthesizers are the primary focus, the drums still provide a pleasing and steady sound. This is yet another style that sets Nerve apart from the other current electronic trios. Differing from this are tracks like “Weekday Vampire” and “Instead I Grew Wings,” which are more driven by synthesizers that Davis and Bergson create in an effortless manner. While the drum focused tracks seem to have a more unique vibe, these tracks are enjoyable for listeners looking for a beat that they can dance to.

Going into this, the band members wanted Ghosts of Tomorrow to be distinctive from the rest. With that mindset, the few vocals that they used were from vocalists all across the world, proving that Nerve has no cultural limitations on their sound. The album was also mostly improvised, which makes the lively instrumentals all the more impressive. All around, this is an experimental work that paid off for these musicians.