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Ambient is often thought of as something innocuous, a pleasant sort of background music. In the right hands, however, the genre can be intensely challenging, and even downright unnerving. That’s certainly the case when Nina is at the controls. Best known as a resident DJ at the legendary Golden Pudel, this skilled selector is the creative force behind the V I S label, which she’s been running since 2015 alongside fellow Hamburg artist Good News. Following previous cassettes for Blackest Ever Black offshoots Krokodilo Tapes and Id Mud, along with additional tapes for JSME, Depth of Decay and V I S, Nina has now linked up with Paralaxe Editions for the first time.

de Val—Dutch for “the trap”—is Paralaxe Editions’ first-ever mixtape, and it finds Nina in her comfort zone, piecing together an arresting session of ambient, drone, industrial and avant-garde sounds. Full of crackling textures and disembodied voices, the music is cinematic in scope and frequently recalls vintage horror and experimental film soundtracks. There’s a palpable tension to the proceedings, yet the mix is also remarkably patient—Nina prefers creeping dread to full-blown fright. Ominous only begins to describe it, but the music’s hypnotic allure is bound to ensnare anyone who dares listen

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