It’s reassuring to see that Nicky Romero hasn’t lost his touch when it comes to progressive house. The Dutch DJ/producer bookended a relative release hiatus with the nostalgic “Future Funk” back in February, but his new track, “Novell,” falls more in line with his signature style.
An almost Prydzian arpeggio in the beginning of the track builds anticipation before an iconic synth lead sets the tone for the rest. An unexpected break after the first drop switches up the flow of the arrangement, with a piano interlude and strings section building the energy back up by the second.
Nicky Romero attributed his sparse releases over the past year or so to anxiety, but recently told us in an interview that the worst of it was behind him. If the rest of his upcoming releases are anything like “Novell,” I would have to agree with him.
