"The debut album from Nino is an intriguing, worldly exploration, merging elements of traditional South American music with very contemporary settings, all to excellent effect. Let's get it right out of the way; allusions to "El Condor Pasa" are probably inevitable, though not necessarily warranted here. True, some of the instrumentation is similar, but if you're going to use a specific regional influence in your music, using the sounds and textures native to that region is rather essential. However, one need go no further than about 90 seconds into the album to hear how beautifully those traditional textures can be made to blend with a modern setting. This is a strong and triumphant debut. Some music stands its ground on an emotional and textural level without having to know the exact words, and happily, this is one such album."- Silver Michaels The majestic beauty of the South American Andes and the visceral energy of contemporary electronic and indie-rock music fuse with the release of Nino’s debut, self-titled album. Behind Nino is 26 year-old Memphian and long-time musician Neal Barenblat, who began recording the entire album shortly after returning from an epic solo six-month journey through our neighboring continent to the south. While traversing the jungles, mountains, cities, and deserts of Spanish South America, he developed a very personal connection with the magic of Andean folk music. “Nino”, at its essence, aims to capture the intense and inconceivable freedom of solo travel and self discovery. The powerful eccentricity of Nino’s songs is extremely diverse. “Alturas” taps into the chorus of masculine voices so often heard by Chile’s Inti-Illimani, yet borrows celestial synthesizers and computer drum sequences from the likes of M83 and School of Seven Bells. “Ronnie Stevens I Will Find You” races with speedy guitar strumming and mythical quena-playing from Bolivia’s Los Kjarkas and the tribal rhythms often present in the music of Kala Marka, also from Bolivia, and ends with the power of a night-club at full blast. For himself, this music is a way to hold on to those incredible moments - the first-times, the fears, the loves, the curiosities, the dangers, the failures and the successes. For his audience, this is a glimpse and a warm welcome into a different life.