Jimi Jules - Karma Baby EP
Jimi Jules explores some existential concepts with Karma Baby, his solo debut EP for Innervisions. The affable Swiss multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ is a certified hit-maker of and a Secret Weapons alumnus. Across the six tracks of Karma Babyhe demonstrates anew his fluency and complexity across many shades of production, DJ-centric alchemy and mood-creation. As the result of a lengthy process between Jimi and Innervisions, whittling his swathe of new and musically complex demos to six specific tracks,Karma Baby chart this artist’s new narrative through peerless form, technical function and effortless flow.
Dixon debuted the EP’s opening track “End Of The World“ during an all-night set at Robert Johnson, and the rapturous crowd response cemented the track’s position as the jump-off point of this release. It’s as outsized and compelling as the name suggests with an electro break-step, jamming chords and an arresting vocal refrain: “Give me a hit / And I’ll follow you until the end of the world.” The EP’s title track “Karma Baby” is a slow-burn reveal with chiming bells and sustained cinematic synth chords that stretch languidly over couplets of bars. A weighty sub-bass meets a slinky and sophisticated 4/4 tempo, with well-timed drum cuts and snatches of dub reverb serving to methodically release the tension of the taut arrangement.
“We Out Here” is a statement of openness, reflected in its pair of chord melodies and sleek deep-tech programming. Chiming lead synths and a dancing piano melody lay at the centre, creating a core that is as dynamic as it is solid. “Future Is Now” is an instant earworm, meandering around accents of whistling winds with a looping bass run of three notes, bringing together lightness and weight to illuminate all corners of the dancefloor.
“Last Muuh Before Paradise” is the EP’s tongue-in-cheek and organic house music moment, filled with quirky sweetness and live instrumentation. Floating piano stanzas and phrases shift in and out of focus, jazz piano snare drums roll, distorted vocals and a tweaked bassline rise to a crescendo. The song’s second half introduces an vocal part, which evolves through Jimi’s layered refrain. By the EP’s end it’s abundantly clear that Jimi Jules has no cause to fear, but the closer “Scared” speaks from the depths of the psyche. With its distorted vocal persona situated both too close for comfort and deep in the shadows, the discordant, splayed chords and floating off beats finish the EP with another memorable shade and a noticeable chill.
IV86 - Tracklist
A1 End Of The World
A2 Karma Baby
B1 We Out Here
C1 Future Is Now
D1 Last Muh Before Paradise
D2 Scared
Front Cover
Back Cover
