Biography
Portland’s experimental outfit Nice Nice pairs guitarist Jason Buehler with percussionist Mark Shirazi. Although the musicians first joined forces during the mid-’90s, the Nice Nice name did not surface until 1999. From those earliest sessions onward, spontaneous improvisations and quick-witted interplay shaped both their studio recordings and concert performances. The self-titled debut EP surfaced in 2001 via Archigramophone, after which a single appeared on White Denim and additional tracks turned up on compilations issued by the same label and Tigerbeat6. Chrome, the duo’s initial full-length, followed in 2003 and highlighted their refined blend of live instrumentation with real-time effects manipulation. One year later, the Yesss! EP delivered an even bolder expansion of that approach. Between 2005 and 2006 the pair contributed material to Audraglint and Audiodregs while also issuing a limited seasonal EP series through Temporary Residence. Buehler and Shirazi joined Cex for the 2006 album Actual Fucking. The same year brought a signing to Warp Records, after which several years were devoted to crafting a second album. Its first preview arrived late in 2009 with the single One Hit. That track, together with “See Waves” from the 2010 Warp compilation, led directly to Actual Wow, an album conceived to translate the energy and open-ended exploration of Nice Nice’s live sets onto record.
Singles
