Live Review: PREMIERE: Jai Pyne finds balance on his split release, 'Only 1 For Me/Clouds Above'
You may recognise the name JAI PYNE. He kicked around for bit as part of much loved Sydney indie rock band The Paper Scissors in the late 2000's/early 2010's, and after basically burning out, he's trading in his guitar for a synth and microphone for a drum machine and delivering something entirely different for him as an artist altogether.
Taking some time off after the band folded sounds like a much needed and productive time for Jai. He spent the time reconnecting with his love for music and to dip his toes into the world of production. He says that “I feel like I've removed myself completely from the music which is kind of rediscovering and whittling down my process, finding new ways of creating”.
Today, we're sharing the first taste of not only one, but TWO tracks from the producer. That's right folks, we've got a split release from Jai coming your way down below in the form of 'Only 1 For Me'/'Clouds Above'.
There's a definite streak of 80's Chicago house inspired beats, with various 808 percussive samples cropping up throughout both singles. 'Only 1 For Me' kicks off the split with a soft kick and a driving melody that is later given a bit of a boost through this beautifully textured blanket of chords that rest lightly on top of the percussion.
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There's a recurring warped vocal line that fades in and out of this one at various pitches that works to both compliment the fog-like synth, but to also add mood and tension to the atmosphere of this one. The beauty is in the contrasts here, with the crisp, 808 percussion working in tandem with the warped, atmospheric synth to create something both danceable and listenable too.
'Clouds Above' brings in more of a classic house melody with various tonal pairings taking the stage on this one. The percussion is less of a focus and more of a driving force here which allows for the various synth lines to really shine on this one.
He's been hard at work perfecting the layering on this one, and it comes out this floaty, mesmerising house track that doesn't work too hard or take itself too seriously. I think that's the beauty of it though, the way he's found balance between the instruments on this track.
This particular release covers so many damn bases. Where 'Only 1 For Me' is more percussive and has more of a focus on creating crisp, authentic percussive loops and sounds that really harken back to this era where it all began, 'Clouds Above' is in stark contrast, taking advantage of Jai's ability to create atmosphere out of a mere few sounds.
The split works hard to focus both aspects of Jai's songwriting and is really exciting to hear.
There's going to be limited 7" vinyl's available to purchase through his label TurkTown Records of the split, so best get on that one. Keep an eye on the TurkTown Records Bandcamp here.
Photos by Arlo Pyne
Words by CAITLIN MEDCALF
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