Toronto artist j.ember delights the senses with his genre-defying double release "Parallel / Lines"
With his latest release, j.ember fuses the glamour of Jimi Hendrix-esque guitar riffs with a hip-hop style production and the end result is completely hypnotic.
The songs come as two different sides to the same coin, as j.ember explains "I decided to release the records in an A/B format. 'Parallel' and 'Lines' represent two halves of a story all of us are familiar with. 'Parallel' being the excitement and 'Lines' the downfall."
"Parallel" opens with a light, psychedelic guitar lick that swirls before a huge beat suddenly soars into the picture, adding another further dimension to the track that hopscotches around genres, refusing to be pinned down. With a twinkle of Tame Impala-appeal, j.ember skilfully melds together a range of moods and techniques in gloriously entrancing fashion, painting a picture of anticipation and telling the first part of the story.
"Lines" is intrinsicly linked to "Parallel", reflecting another mood, based mainly around a bouncing guitar riff and j.ember's airy, reflective vocals. It rejects the heavy, swirling psychedelica of "Parallel", and is instead a slower, more introspective offering that exemplifies j.ember's ability to glide through genres and techniques.
"Both lyrically and musically, 'Lines' captures a more reflective mood," Says j.ember of the track. "We couldn't find any drums that fit with the slightly off time guitar part so I decided to hit my legs and record it - 'Lap-drumming.' We ended up editing the lap drums, turned them into the verse drums. 'Lines' combines elements of hip-hop, jazz, and psychedelic rock. I made this record with Losh and Matt Kahane."
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