As a musician, J-Soul’s sound waves have been emanating out of his native Russia throughout the last half-decade. Over that time he’s had a string of releases and remixes on labels like Re-Zone, Twisted Frequency, Curvve Records, Anjunadeep and a half dozen more besides. It is through Holland’s Black Hole Recordings though that he’s elected to make the jump to sophomore artist album. With ‘Glace’ J-Soul’s pulled off the mask to present Andy Jaar - the man behind these leaps, but the core to his music still echoes through his pen name though.
‘Glace’ the album starts fittingly enough with ‘Glace’ the track. A progressive journey, it’s alive with funkified bass, melancholically evocative analogue synthery, all wrapped in nouveau disco chic.
Going vocal, ‘Glace’ fields ‘Not My Guy’, which features the bluesy tones of songstress Creole. Her cooler vibe is subversively modified by Andy’s pitch-wheel machinations and dubsteppin’ distortions. Matvey Emerson on ‘Only Music Is Real’ provides a fast ride into discordant synth-scapes. ‘Placed In The Dark’ slides the album into percussive techno territory. These melodies might appear minimal, but their cumulative effect exacts a big impact club-side. Further in ‘Cube’ uses the similarly tightly toned loops with an almost filmic quality to its drop. Recent single ‘Akulla’ rises from its early depths and at its apex explodes into euphoric trance life.
Pumping the album’s brakes momentarily, tracks like ‘Running Man’ and ‘Guitar Fish’ take Andy’s second album periodically into chillout territory. ‘Hey’ meanwhile updates the jacking old-skool house sound, mounting it on a rolling house groove, whilst simultaneously advancing the track with vocal hooks. Leusin on ‘Morning Light’ escalates rapidly into an electro-fired ride, its sweeps plough in combusting FX and electric guitar thrash to seal its potent thrill. The spirited aura of the Moroder-esque ‘Esoterique’ signs the album off. It’s out now.
© justaweemusicblog.com
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