Hieroglyphic Being: The Red Notes Vinyl 2LP

New slab of next-level cyber house chunes from Jamal Moss, on Soul Jazz of all labels! First things first, I don’t see another house track emerging in the next five years that comes close to the depths achieved on “Video Jazz”: densely layered MIDI funk, celestial pads, effervescent drums and canned piano house stabs, with a divine synth lead that creeps in and transports you to another plane - a human being could not possibly be responsible for something this transcendental. “The Melody Lingers” is equally sublime; that melody (pure FM bell bliss) has quite literally lingered in my head since I first heard it blaring out of a record shop in Paris' 2nd arrondissement last month. “The Seduction Syndrome” is another standout, a burrowing loop of piano chords pulled straight out of Reich’s dreams and into a pummeling, unrelenting house groove. This is precisely what house music should sound like in 2018: hi-tech but still sensual... no retro-fetishist analog bullshit… forward thinking and imaginative without sounding “futuristic” or losing its grip on the dancefloor. I shudder to think that I might not have ever heard this record if not for that chance encounter. I had seen it around, but was put off by the amateurish color gradient pharaoh on the cover and the layout/typeface pulled straight out of Mac OS 8. But after hearing and falling in love with the record, it all sorta makes sense. Double vinyl pressing with gatefold jacket and download code, limited to 1000 copies, highly recommended.

• double vinyl pressing
• gatefold sleeve
• digital download included
• limited edition of 1000
• music label: Soul Jazz Records 2018

reviewed by edward james almost 05/2018