A consistent contributor to our label since 2012, Irish label resident Jay FM is a master craftsman of elegant, atmospheric, and affecting deep and downtempo compositions. His new “Skin Deep” EP, featuring three gorgeous deep house tunes, further expands his illustrious catalogue.
The “Skin Deep” EP kicks off with “Wishful Thinking,” an exceedingly lush affair. In the early going, a variety of sensual pads envelop an aquatic deep house groove (a Jay FM signature). As the song progresses, relaxing and profoundly mellifluous piano and guitar themes further enhance the romantic aura. Well before the song’s completion, the soothing, infinitely blissful melodic and rhythmic layers of this composition have succeeded in elevating the listener’s mental and emotional well-being.
Centering on a chilled groove and hypnotic arpeggio, the release title cut, “Skin Deep,” proves to a suspenseful and moody number. Haunting vocal textures and the minor-key lead theme, which employs the bell-tinged tones of a steel drum, reinforce the song’s brooding atmosphere. As the various layers coalesce in the song’s latter half, we are transported to a mystical seance of sorts, as the listener’s own demons are conjured (and ultimately vanquished).
Closing out the EP, “Insight” delivers a more robust groove than its release predecessors. A jubilant lead theme, which seems to symbolize the titular ‘insight,” contends with a variety of darker textures, including a foreboding, echoing female vocal motif and, ultimately, a bellowing bass layer. In the end, the rational brain has triumphed over the reptilian one, as manifested in the song’s buoyant outro sequence.
A shifting collage of ambient layers and bright melodies that resists convention from a member of New Zealand's underground house scene. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 9, 2023
The latest from Ryan Farish uses sweeping electronics and expansive melodies to create vast, rolling vistas of sound. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 21, 2020
Your album comes at a time most needed. Thank you for the inspiration and dedication⭐This is an amazing album you need if you are searching for some inspiration⭐ May Flores