JESUS IS MY SON SOLAH#2

So, Ini.itu kicks the bucket. You all love to buy LPs, so why didn't you buy any from this label, or just the ones you knew already? I am sure economical reasons are the ones to close this venture, and I think it is a pity. Nineteen releases, with some distinctive design; let's hope collecting a complete set of Ini.itu will become a thing in the future and that they slowly will get rid of all of these release.

The outline of the label was "Asian electronics / experimental / drones / reshaping traditional instruments / & field recordings", which is showed quite well in their catalogue, ranging from pure field recordings (Lopez, Dauby, Artificial Memory Trace), to electronics (Courtis), traditional instrument manipulation (Freiband) and remix of an 80s electronic gamelan project (by Wieman). A diverse set of releases, but it works wonderfully as a whole label, I think.

Jesus Is My Son, being the musical project of Gregory Duby (in the past a member of K-Branding, now active with Zoho, and having his own label, FF HHH), and he's a guitarist. The previous occasion I heard his music, in Vital Weekly 733, I was not so impressed by it. I didn't see the relation between him being influenced by Olivier Messiaen and his solo electric guitar, describing the music as something of which 'not a single minute that could really interest me here'. But this new one, without any guitar in overdrive modus, he plays some interesting folk inspired tunes.

Overall the mood is quiet and subdued. I couldn't say if any of this is really folk like, but it sure sounds great. Most of this music sounds rather sorrowful I must say, like's already foreseeing the closure of the label, but these six pieces are also melancholic and sometimes just plain sweet.

Now, I would think, such a release ticks of all the right boxes, a man with a guitar, no experiment, limited edition, LP sized, hipsters of the world unite and get this. No download code. Ah, yes, that's what is holding you back. Damn. This is an excellent album!

Jesus is My Son est en fait le projet de Grégory Duby, guitariste bruxellois actif dans le rock et la musique improvisée (il a déjà ouvert les concerts de Codeine!).

Les morceaux proposés sur SOLAH #2 qui sort sur le label Ini.Itu (Mandaï) se caractérisent par une approche minimaliste de la musique folklorique? Cette musique contemplative mais relativement austère de nature risque de dissuader certaines oreilles de poursuivre l'exploration de manière plus approfondie.