We’re Both Losers Too

We Don't Count is a collaboration between Yves Tumor, a longtime favourite here, and NINA, who is completely new to me. 

A quick look on Discogs reveals that We Don't Count was released as a limited edition one-sided vinyl 7" for Art Book Fair 2025 at ArtCenter College Of Design in Pasadena, California, which ran from 15th to 18th May.

Thankfully, Warp Records are making it available to a global audience via the usual channels, describing We Don't Count as 

"Less a duet than a shared hallucination 

— a hook-dense piece in which Yves Tumor and NINA 

lean into bass-driven post-punk, 

melding propulsive rhythm 

with serrated guitar stabs and hypnotic vocal melodies, 

unveiling a new side to both artists’ oeuvres."

Yes to all of that. Or, in other words, it's on the shopping list for tomorrow's Bandcamp Friday.

Yves Tumor aka Sean Bowie has been releasing music for over a decade, on Warp since 2018, spanning multiple styles and genres, all never less than interesting, so a delve into the back catalogue is recommended. 

And, if you didn't catch it first time around, Yves' performance at Glastonbury was a highlight of 2022. Stick to the closing song, Secrecy Is Incredibly Important To The Both Of Them, just brilliant.

And, a little keyboard tapping and skim reading reveals that NINA is Nina Cristante, born in Rome, based in London and an "artist, musician, nutritionist & personal trainer". An interesting combination, for sure.

Unsurprisingly, it's another case of me coming extremely late to the party, as NINA has been releasing music for at least as long as Yves Tumor,  with four self-released albums - including collaborations and two soundtracks - between 2015 and 2025.

Fortunately, NINA's catalogue is well represented on Bandcamp with the perfectly timed and self-explanatory Compilation added to the list last month. If you like We Don't Count, odds are that you will enjoy NINA's solo music and that of her 'other' job in bar italia.

Fingers crossed that there's more to come from Yves and Nina's partnership.