J1 aka THE DEER

Over the past 2 years or so, I have really started to get into the whole sound of Modern Funk, thanks in large part to Dam-Funk, and any fan of Dam knows of his group Master Blazter with Dam, Computer Jay, J1 aka THE DEER. So I started to pay attention to the musical career of both Computer Jay and J1 and was not disappointed in their solo works or other projects. Then about 1 or so ago, found out that J1 had signed to one of my favorite record labels, Record Breakin' and guess what, just a couple weeks ago, J1's debut Record Breakin' project was released. "The Yellow," an 8 song EP (3 are instrumental versions of vocal tracks) that takes us on one funky trip through the mind and styles of J1. What exactly does that mean, well read on and you will find out, so here it goes.

Synths, some soft claps, of course drums, kick off "Mellow Yellow" before the beautiful, soulful voice of Jimetta Rose enter to complete the picture. What exactly does this picture sound like you may ask? (You may also say that pictures don't have a sound and to you I say, open up your eyes and ears.) Imagine riding in a car with the top down, but instead of driving on the road, you are floating through the sky on a cloudless day. Get it now?

Another incredible female vocalist, Ragen Fykes, appears on the second track, "Take Flight." While it may only come in a just over two minutes, "Take Flight" still, well takes you on a great flight. The track slowly builds as the drums and synths fade in and just as they peak, the airy yet powerful voice of Ragen Fykes enters on the mic. As the track comes to end, the instruments fade as the vocals are the only thing remaining for the last 20 plus seconds.

After the smooth and free floating sounds of "Mellow Yellow" and "Take Flight" J1 decides to hit us hard with the heavy drums and a great crackling vinyl sound on "Parables of a Miracle." Coultrain provides the voice of the narrator of this parable. On each verse he keeps his voice low and grimy, almost as if he is struggling to get those words out (which matches perfectly with the raw and crackling beat,) but once he hits the chorus you see his voice shine as he sings "miracles don't come a dime a dozen, and it still gets cold even in California, and its clay to mold every morning when you see it is not as easy as it seems to be the night before."

The sound of birds and water are interlaced with the drums of J1 to begin "Ode 2 Goteborg" one of two instrumental tracks to close out "The Yellow" EP. Once nature fades (after about 10 seconds) the drums and a stringed instrument (want to say steel guitar) remain. But there is one addition, a soft chime sort of sound that is used intermittently to keep the sound of the birds in your mind. This proves very helpful, as halfway through the birds make a triumphant return for a few seconds, before the instruments take back over. It really is a great integration of man made sounds and natural sounds that we fair too often take for granted.

In case you thought J1 could only pull off 4 different sounds on a 5 song EP, he lets us know on "Latenite in Londontown" that he has at least one other sound up his sleeve (he actually has many more that if you check out his back catalog you can find for yourself.) The album closes with this hard hitting, spaced out song that cools off after the first third to let you really settle into the otherworldly groove of drums, claps, guitars, and synths. So prepare as you go on this ride.

Too often people think of funk as a fad or a cheesy 70s music genre that has long passed. But J1, as well as a slew of others (most who are on "Starship 27 Vol 2: Take Off" J1's last project) are proving everyone wrong, funk is here to stay and growing stronger everyday. On "The Yellow" we witness the multiple faces of the genre and just how incredible strong, diverse, and intriguing this music really can be. If you think you know funk and hip hop, and what they can sound like, put on some headphones or get in your car and listen to "The Yellow" and get ready for one hell of a trip that you will want to relive over and over again.

Stream and download the album here.