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Artist - Jay Haze
Title - Love and Beyond LP
Label -Tuning Spork
Released - 28.04.08
Posted 30.04.08
The most interesting new artist I have heard in the last year delivers a fantastic double CD long player. Brilliant arrangements, phat production, tight edits and killer lyrics. Think Bilal, Jill Scott, Plantlife, Amp Fiddler, Dwele, Sa-Ra, Prefuse 73, The Moody Boys and Jimi Tenor all rolled into one hazy joint that is laced with a fine blend of hip hop, soul, jazz, funk, before being given a futuristic electronic twist... If you were to ask me today who's my hot tip for 2008, I would say Jay Haze.
CD1 open with the soulfully laidback Intro which sets the scene perfectly. The ultra deep nu soul of 'So Far Away' is one of the many standout tracks and gives us the first taste of the excellent lyrical content of this LP as the warm funky sounds pour from the speakers. 'Don't Tease Me' opts for intricate beats and backing for the lustful lyrics. The more upbeat dubby and electrofied neck grinder of 'Floating Away 'never lets go of the soul vibe whilst it ventures into spacey techno realms. Highly addictive!
'Direct Hit' is where James Last and Burt Bacharach meet on Mars in 2026. Techy house sounds blend beautifully with more great lyrics, sending the right message to the dejected masses by encouraging cohesion, peace, love and motivation from the soul. Another standout! '90 Deep' was the 1st Jay Haze track I heard, it blew my head off and I instantly wanted to hear more! Techy pads and an almost Carl Craig / Ame sound that is dripping with soul makes this both a rude and mellow killer.
'Prince Of Spades' continues the optimistic vocal theme. This sits somewhere between James Pants and Moodymann whilst sounding totally individual with an almost country twang to the guitar. 'One Day At A Time' is one of those tracks that puts smiles on faces within the first 15 seconds. Both bluesy and Barry White-esque, this is reminiscent of tracks from Raphael Saadiq's classic Instant Vintage LP. Another one of the standouts for me!
The rather rude 'Cocktail' goes all N.E.R.D at the start before dropping into a twisted fuzzy bassline led track that Jaylib fans need to check. 'On The Slide' reminds me of Underworlds more ambient tracks; but instead of Karl Hyde spouting random words in a poetic fashion, we get a sweet vocal topping it in an Outcast stylee - another one to keep going back to.
'Never Gonna Stop' is all chilled out like Sade or a more laidback Plantlife. More quality lyrics, this time about lost love, over muted horns and a top low end. Yet another standout. 'Madhouse' boxes CD1 off with a darker vibe that compliments the paranoid white room wailing about being locked up in a padded cell.
CD2 is all instrumental and again has plenty of standout tracks; 'Some Kind Of Other Love' consists of dubby funk, soulful keys and a light drum break. 'Jump That' is quality dubstep at head nod speed. 'Reunion' drifts into the electro world of Drexiya and Warp. 'Steady Smooth' is where bleeps, beats and basslines collide to make a lethal dubstep floor mover that will also appeal to the broken beat lovers. 'Friday Funk You' is a funky killer, the drums and bassline are high quality! 'Awakening' is a jazzy hip hop influenced gem that revolves around a gorgeous piano loop. 'Your Girl Is Mine' is a sweet electro influenced hip hop cut, packed full of the little edits that make Jay's production shine - another firm favourite. 'Never Fail Dub' is a lovely ambient soundscape of dub effects and obscure noises that gel together effortlessly whilst building and dropping in all the right places - one of the best tracks across both discs. Fat Freddys Drop fans should check this.
Elsewhere 'Bring Your Love' sounds like a type writer gone mad. 'Rocket For Sale' sounds all Gotan Project. 'Like a Flame' is where Eastern vibes and stomping heavy beats collide. 'Keep It Real' plunges us into dubstep darkness with more stomping drums. 'Cheese Flamingo' is an oddball Eastern soundclash that doesn't really work for me. 'Frozen' is another dubstepper that is OK but not brilliant, and 'Sneakin' rounds off Disc 2 with a haunting Venution soundtrack and scratches.
A melting pot of all the genres that I love, making this a brilliant all rounder that keeps it fresh and interesting throughout. Can't wait to hear the double LP which has 8 more 'dancefloor' tracks that are different to the ones on the CD...
Rating - 10/10
Reviewer - PT
Sleeve Notes
There’s a sense of paradox in Love & Beyond. On the one hand it’s the most
unified, complete artistic statement from Jay Haze to date; yet at the same time
it represents a complex, multifaceted approach to releasing a record. But then
his approach has never been conventional. Here, Jay revitalizes the concept of
an “artist album” in an age of single-track downloads, presenting a
self-portrait that’s more than just a single listening experience. Spanning two
and a half hours, two CDs and two vinyl LPs, “Love & Beyond” exceeds
expectations, defies limitations, explores and ignores the idea of genre. And
it’s sexy.
It’s hard to summarize Mr. Haze’s ever-diversifying ventures. His nostalgic
tech-house project Fuckpony had three hit singles, issued by Get Physical,
BPitch Control, and Cocoon. He formed the group Sub Version with
Michal Ho and
Paul St. Hilaire, releasing a track for Soul Jazz’s 'Box of Dub' compilation,
followed by a full-length. He maintained the creative output of the labels Contexterrior,
Junion, and Futuredub, and he held a DJ residency at Fabric in
London. This, of course, was in 2007 alone – not including other numerous
accomplishments since founding TuningSpork in his hometown of Philadelphia back
in 1999. Taking all this into account, the level of progression shown on 'Love &
Beyond should be a surprise to no one.
2xCD Version:
Disc 1 brings Jay’s experimental beats into the realm of soul music,
resulting in futuristic pop marked by fuzzy bass lines and fat handclaps. The 13
tracks here are beamed directly from his psyche: romantic love ballads ('One Day at a Time' featuring
D:exter), declarations of independence ('New
Freedom'), and vulgar sex jams ('Cocktail'). Jay never abandons his optimistic
sense of autonomy throughout, perhaps best heard in “Direct Hit”, bolstered by
searing synths and bizarre vocal treatments. “Soul” describes the album not just
musically, but in the sense that Jay is revealing his own.
Disc 2 conveys the
moods that words are incapable of. An all-instrumental affair, the 15 tracks
here provide a sense of Jay’s broad palate, disregarding the constraints of
genre. To him, frigid electronic beats ('Jump That', 'Reunion') can be as
expressive as traditional instruments like guitar or piano ('Rocket for Sale'
with Michal Ho, 'Awakening'). Sunny melodies and dreary dubscapes are given
equal opportunity inside Jay Haze’s brain.
2xLP Version:
The double LP, with completely different tracks from the
double-CD, will prove to long time fans that Jay Haze hasn’t lost his ability to
move the dancefloor. The eight cuts here find him exploring organic, funky
sounds (lead single 'Ass to Mouth') as much as hypnotic sci-fi territory ('Inner
Hurt').
Self-produced in his Berlin studio over the last three years, 'Love & Beyond' is Jay Haze’s oeuvre: a fragmented, singular vision from someone who is (in no particular order) a producer, a businessman, a DJ, a human. All in all, the 36 tracks are a testament to Jay’s DIY professionalism and his commitment to moving forward.
