Artist: Jam Jarr
Album:
Suck My Underground
Label:
African Dope Records
Link
Buy
Review:
If you have yet to make their acquaintance, please say hello to Mr. Waykin Bakaman and Mr. Soundproof. Otherwise known as Jam Jarr.
Jam Jarr have been blazing a trail of Psychedelic Glitch Pop infused Dubstep over the past few years and it is quite sticky sweet. Some tracks are more wobbled out and banging, others are more pop hook centered, and others still are slower and atmospheric with rich layers of sounds wrapping around the vocals, taking your head on a journey both internally and to extra-dimensions.
Sometimes I feel that I’m getting old and I reflect upon my more youthful years and where I was at a decade or two ago. I think about the various rooftops in the city that I would blaze up on with friends and I think about the inside stoner jokes passed around (illcombobawitz) between us. Then think about how within these stupid jokes was a rooted connection and understanding to our world that maybe we didn’t fully understand yet. We knew that shit was fucked and that we needed to do something to fight against things, that the mainstream and promoted paths might just be a ruse and that we would need to look to the side doors if we wanted to rise above; so we got stoned and made lots of jokes about it all while throwing house parties and exchanging music.
The Underground.
The Poor.
The Proletariat.
Certain people always try to capitalize on such “trends,” yet the people who reside within these spheres of life seem to know when someone is honest and when it is a rub. It seems that Jam Jarr’s newest release, their third EP with Cape Town’s African Dope Records, entitled ‘Suck my Underground,’ is exploring these themes and lashing out against what is happening throughout the underground of the world.
These six tracks still feature their unique blend of sounds and their constant smirk and nod towards being a young stoner with the humour that exists within, but underneath it is a rich commentary on the state of profiteering off the underground. It is within these tracks like ‘Peace is War’ (and ‘What is the Enemy’ off of their previous release) that Jam Jarr really shine.
When they slow down and back off of the heavy club friendly wobble (which is some of the best of this wobble music I have yet to find), the true genius of Jam Jarr billows out. Syrupy richly textured psychedelic prose about the world that surrounds us. The reality that life is rather fucked and if we don’t rewrite the rules and make the bad guys improvise, we will all always lose…
"If all the fighting is for the peace, then peace is war, but poor is still poor"
…but if we don’t get together to dance and experience this reality together, we’re gonna lose alone. No matter how much the outside will try to capitalize upon the underground’s energy and music, there will always be another level further to delve down to. So we may as well twist another, krunk up, and tell some jokes. Enjoy a sick party, hosh out, and see what happens. Perhaps if we always stay one step ahead, they’ll never defeat us. This seems to be the message of Jam Jarr and the way that they express it is quite engaging to experience.
My hope for the future: A full length album of tracks like Change to Grade, What is the Enemy, and Peace is War… with maybe an instrumental Soundproof track or two on it. Until then, I’m excitedly following whatever these two do and I suggest that you all do as well. Maybe if enough people do, they’ll be able to tour around a bit more and I can get a chance to see them live some day.
Keep rewriting those rules.
xoxox
-The Goa