Grooving ’til dawn at the best beats in town
Vainqueur – Elevation II (Reduced) [Chain Reaction] 1997
The way these chords ‘talk’ to each other is simply beautiful. That chord loop grows all through the track, and I never get tired of it.
Actress – Ascending [Honest Jon’s Records] 2012
Very hypnotic track from one of my favourite albums. Actress always manages to capture the essence of every sound, and make the melancholy come out of them.
Soul Capsule – Lady Science (NYC Sunrise Mix) [Trelik] 1999
This is a perfect set ender. The beat and the bouncy bassline will make you want to dance, while you’ll close your eyes to these lush chords and beautiful melodies.
Lukid – Bless My Heart [Werkdiscs] 2012
Another excellent artist from Ninja Tune/Werkdisks. I love this laidback yet funky introduction to what is a fantastic, crazy and diverse album, and nice use of that Evelyn “Champagne” King sample too.
Bandulu – Detention [Music Man] 2002
A chilled reggae tune (written by Dennis Brown) that I’m glad I discovered by chance, digging through techno records from Space DJz about 10 years ago.
Domenique Dumont – L’Esprit De L’Escalier [Antinote] 2015
I really like the happy and uplifting vibe in this one. It has that classic French je ne sais quoi.
Led Zeppelin – Going To California [Atlantic] 1971
This comes from “Led Zeppelin IV”, an album that I grew up with, and on which I find every song brilliant. Plant’s vocals, Page’s guitar, and Jones’ mandolin are all that were needed to record this timeless classic.
Archive – Again [Hangman Records] 2002
A dark and melancholic 16 minute-song, of which I find the arrangement very creative, as it carries you effortlessly, all the way to the end.
Lusine – Eyes Give In [Ghostly International] 2014
The broken beats, gorgeous pads and rich detailed sounds make for a perfect late night tune.
Brian Eno – Thursday Afternoon [E.G. Records] 1985
A one-hour ambient piece from the master himself. Rich and cinematic, I listen to this one all the time, and can really get lost in it.
If you’re enjoying Jona’s ‘Back To Mine’ selections for we heartily recommend that you check out his debut album, released 11th March 2016 on Alex Niggemann’s AEON label…
Jona – Sidetracking (AEON)
‘Sidetracking’ is Jona’s highly inventive and musically diverse debut album project for Alex Niggemann’s forward-thinking AEON label. The musical jigsaw puzzle began with ‘Sidetracking – Part 1: Prologue’ (an introductory 2-track vinyl instalment with remixes) in January 2016 and is completed in March 2016, with the release of the full-length ‘Sidetracking’ album, featuring 8 more original tracks to form the 10-track CD package.
Created over the course of two highly creative years, the concept for ‘Sidetracking’ was for Jona to invite some of his musician and producer friends to collaborate with him in the studio and complement his album’s solo productions. This inspired project features Varoslav (Rue de Plaisance, Paris), Usio (Studio Barnhus), David K (Cocoon), Bolivian percussionist Daniel Aguilar, Italian pianist Giovanni Verga, and Edinburgh-based producer The Reverse Engineer.
Driven by his desire to explore new sound perspectives and ideas, Jona has carefully forged his career path by consistently creating exciting and forward-thinking music. His previous label outings: ‘Traffic’ on ‘Lost Tapes Volume 1’ (AEON010) and ‘Gemini EP’ (AEON016), have seen him fine-tune his own unique sound. By incorporating a wide range of styles into his tracks, Jona strives to break down unnecessary boundaries and explore new ideas and ways to ignite that hallowed dancefloor flame. It is therefore no wonder that his solo and collaborative creations for ‘Sidetracking’ have yielded such stimulating aural delights.
‘Microcosm’ with its subtly mesmeric intro and snappy, swinging percussive energy is the perfect introductory aural treat, before diving into a spiralling, glitch ambient ‘Descent Into The Abyss’. Varo Slav (label boss at Rue De Pleasance) is a Parisian of Czech origin who brings his ‘from the heart’ creative energy to the gentle chiming chug of ‘Over And Out’, the album’s first collaborative venture.
‘The Chase’ is a track whose style is heavily influenced by the jazz music that Jona was so in love with during his formative years. Calling on the somewhat mysterious Usio (whose ‘Kuwa Huru’ LP on Studio Barnhus should be checked by everyone) to join him in a studio jam, has resulted in an utterly compelling afro-beat influenced percussive groove, topped with swirling funk-fuelled stabs and strings, mesmerising melodious piano, and a large helping of pure, hip-swinging goodness.
The funk factor is turned up several notches when Bolivian percussionist Daniel Aguilar unleashes his skills on ‘Drive’, the perfect accompaniment for Jona’s stripped back, bass heavy groove creation. The filmic qualities and ambient beauty of ‘Detachment’ show yet another side to Jona’s diverse compositional palette, complemented perfectly with the delicate touch of Italian pianist Giovanni Verga.
For Jona, emotion is paramount, melody is important, and original material is always better than a sample. In David K (Cocoon, Souvenir), he has found a kindred creative spirit and their combined creative energy sparks with joyous abandon on ‘Space Jungle’, setting the scene perfectly for Jona’s next bubbling solo excursion ‘The Temple’.
The perfectly segued dublicious skank of ‘Transmission Breakdown’ sees Jona’s experimental creative juices in full flow, as he teams up with Edinburgh-based digital composer and sound artist Dave House (aka The Reverse Engineer) for a delightfully hazy downtempo jam that flows perfectly into ‘Hidden Away’, the album’s stunning, melancholic, sun-setting finale, once again featuring the keyboard wizardry of Giovanni Verga.
The on-going blueprint for Alex Niggemann’s AEON label is to showcase music and develop an ever-growing family of like-minded creative artists focused on conjuring up the spirit of classic and timeless electronic music, whilst always updating and creating new boundless possibilities. ‘Sidetracking’, Jona’s debut artist album project, undoubtedly keeps the AEON ethos moving forward towards a very exciting future indeed.
Jona – Sidetracking (AEON) Cat. No. AEONCD001 Format: CD / Digital out 11th March 2016
Further Information:
https://www.facebook.com/jonaofficial/
https://soundcloud.com/jona_music/
http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/jona
https://www.facebook.com/aeonaudio
https://soundcloud.com/aeon-audio
