On his musical journey to date, Jarmey has showcased a particular dexterity to crafting music, a polymath of sorts who has been able to nurture his sound carefully as to expand into and above multiple facets of Dance music and electronica. His musical universe is one permeated by a series of prevailing threads that come together at very exciting thresholds, a dizzying array of sounds that boil and simmer with intensity and intelligence, whilst always sounding thoughtful and expertly crafted. Its a journey that has seen Jarmey experiment sonically within the realms of House, Ambient, D’n’B, Jungle, Breaktbeat, Electro, techno and so on and so forth, and within all of these musical spaces Jarmey has always found a balance and a rhythm which sounds and feels so exciting to the ears and to the heart. His releases speak for themselves, a continual build-up and release exercise that has seen his sound grow and prosper into new and bold realms, with Wing Theory, X-Kalay, Holding Hands, Dansu Discs, and the like all calling themselves homes of Jarmey’s music. His work also as Ocean Stirs and as a member of Mother of Pearls (alongside Birmingham-based producer Ed Hodge) only adds further to his sonic mystique and depth, and as a place to walk back into there is plenty to delve deep within and linger for a while.
‘Swing Through Spaces’ is an apt title for his latest effort, building upon his fluid explorations of genres and musical in-betweens as a new representation of his ever-evolving musical narrative. The overall feel of the record has a real concise notion to it, simmering around the undergrowth with plenty of hypnotic low-end frequencies but with a constant emergence into the upper echelons of melody and tone. ‘Portal’ and ‘Fuse’, which get things started, both display a swinging rhythmic outlay with cascading key sequences that merge and blend so beautifully, with a keen eye evidently placed upon how one segment moves into the next. ‘Dusk’ and ‘Deep Space’ provide the record’s downtime moments, but in quite different ways. ‘Dusk’ is a pure, breezy meander through the summertime, with the bass line carrying the beat atop which sits a bird song melody of sorts with inspired vocal work, creating a head nodder for the ages. ‘Deep Speed’ however is a mind bender, as the arpeggios are set free within a cavernous space that only expands further as you begin to focus on the notes being played out.
The tracks ‘Negative’, which features Kitty Noble, and ‘Stay Hidden’, take things away into choppy, ever-shifting spaces. ‘Negative’ is a real gem, with that D’n’B rhythm providing the perfect foil for ever-shifting melodic patterns to swing in and out of view. It has that very clear reference point to the 90s era of D’n’B, where headspace drifting was most encouraged, and with Noble’s vocal work there is so much to connect with on this track. ‘Stay Hidden’ is ever so slightly different, with an inherent focus on looping segments and short but sweet vocal samples, this one rolls with a different intent – but it’s just as significant.
What great record wouldn’t be complete without a couple of remixes, and here the talents of Synkro and Son of Philips are employed to work out ‘Negative’ and ‘Deep Speed’ respectively. Negative is taken deeper than before, with the kicks occupying the space with flickering of breaks allowed to keep things moving onwards. Noble’s vocals are given a different kind of space in which to shine, as the horns, keys, and the like are spaced out to provide an incredible experience. Finally, the ‘Deeper Mix’ by Son of Philips creates a trance-like rethinking of ‘Deep Speed’, and it’s the final piece of the puzzle with this real statement of intent – a glorious slice of melodic bliss that makes this record feel like it could continue to go places, even after the final note has played out.
Tom Jarmey has achieved a fair amount throughout his career to date it must be said, and on ‘Swing Through Spaces’ there is a feeling as if a lot more is there to be written. A record that points to the future as much as the past, but in the here and now it speaks volumes, providing plenty of room to dive in and enjoy its bountiful feelings and tones, all wrapped up in an atmosphere of exploration that continually pushes outwards. A stellar release, and Oath couldn’t be more proud to present it. Press play, and drift away.
