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BRSTL # 004: Jay L
Thursday 22nd November 2012 | barnabas
Vinyl-only bristol based label BRSTL's fourth release is Jay L's first.
Mastered straight to wax, the label only feature bristol techno and house artists, and strictly avoid letting their music escape into the digital domain, a nice boutique-like touch in our increasingly digital culture: protecting artists as well as the music. It's all hand-stamped limited pressings, which makes 'em even more desirable...
Jay L is the consummate DJ, and has been playing out for years. Relaxed and unassuming, he's a regular on the scene at many of Bristol's club institutions, including revered Bristol alternative-venue night Al Fresco Disco, as well as guest spots around the uk and festivals home and abroad. He's dropping a few at the Bristol super-club Motion with Kerri Chandler and Moodyman this weekend, and has had a regular and much-listened to slot on Bristol's own Passion FM. If you facebook 'im, he might even shout you out...
He's part of the FallingUp collective who've been running the night for four years; I caught up with him for a chat...
"FallingUp's becoming less of a regular club night," he says. "It's more of a party; when it feels right, when we're excited about something or someone - 2012's highlight for me was definitely [detroit legend] Andres, who was amazing. We snapped him up when we heard he was in the UK."
I ask him who's hot right now...
"It's a bit weird to be put on the spot about this sort of thing," he says, before going on to list the widely varied LA composer and performer Gifted & Blessed, detroit glitch-jacker Kyle Hall, and long time allies Typesun and Andy Mac. "They're both writing some real good stuff right now..."
Typesun has actually just released Heart Maths, a collab with Guido, on his own label Root Elevation, complete with Perevelist mix.
Whilst Jay is very much part of this massively inventive and collaborative bristol scene, he's content with his own company... he's drawn to music thats deep, warm, and raw, and uncontrived.
"Sampling is a big part of what I do - snippets, natural sounds... slices of energy. When they feel right, they come out..."
Although he did let slip that he's stocking up on 'hardware' - implying its more fun to play than to sequence.
"I'm drawn to authenticity and emotional content, not trends. I'm averse to trends. It's gotta have vibe. Environment definitely inluences... One of these tracks was made in the country; one evolved in the city..."
First and foremost a DJ, "clubbing and DJing go hand in hand." They're basically the same thing, he says. "Understanding how to be a part of the dancefloor is a big part of playing out..."
His tastes are not limited. "I'm forever buying records; my collection is ever expanding... I've always been a house head, but also I love the funk, hip hop, boogie, soul..." Influences that are apparant in the smooth, natural feel of his tunes. Its all about the realness for Jay.
I ask him how he would descirbe his music...
"I read an interview recently, can't recall where, that tickled me... (he chuckles) ...the artist says 'i made the music - now it's your job to describe it..."
OK! So here I go...
Broken, but not glitchy. Chilled, but jackin'. Deep for certain. Natural sounds all over the place: so natural it's instant classic, complete with e-pianos, chunky hats, swooping verbs... Although clearly designed for the dance floor, the tracks would befit a cocktail chill moment as much as an eyes-closed sway-your-body trip. Its deeply wonky, but somehow smooth: almost live-sounding. Texturally rich, the tracks make no bones about where the drop is, but are lushly 'pushed' with thoughful edits and variations scattered throughout.
It's like walking through dry twigs in a warmly enveloping rain forest, with distant and beckoning tribal drums muffled by the foliage. You peer out through the deep green palm leaves only to find a tastefully lit bar filled with smiling people... Actually, strike that. Analogies risk belittling the music. Subtle, simple, stylised, professional, and yet natural and uncontrived, these tracks epitomise the 'vibe' that Jay was talking about.
He comes across as a chilled guy who simply loves the music, moved to put something together only when it feels right. He's a giver, not a taker. Its nice to meet an artist who isn't motivated by fame, money, trends, and web marketing...
Fingers crossed that he gets inspired by another few slices of energy soon and blesses us with another rewarding record.
Link to Boomkat
