JESSE BRU / SEA TO SKY / レコード

On Oath’s latest release, the imprint is beyond proud to bring renowned West Coast producer Jesse Bru into the fold, who brings with him a truly barnstorming collection of music that dips deep into the in-between and brings forth a captivating audial experience like no other..

Jesse Bru remains one of modern dance music’s most intriguing technicians, both from a humanistic and machine-driven perspective. His sound is born deeply from 90s sample-based approaches, and this fascination has been stretched out and rewritten constantly throughout his releases to great effect. Bru primarily releases music under the guise of House, but to delve deep within his records is to see a much broader perspective, where many genres can be found within the grooves and rhythms. His melodic work, with a particular emphasis on vocal samples as part of melodic exchanges with pianos and synths, is inspiring, to say the least, and as a core facet of his work always aims to shift his sound onwards and upwards. There aren’t many styles that aren’t touched upon within his discography, and his journey to date feels very much like an exercise in understanding the liminal spaces that persist between a myriad of genres. Bru always finds new ways to mesmerize, entice and unfurl within his music, joyous yet calculated and unraveling – a distinctly infectious sound that keeps listeners engaged from start to finish. With stellar releases on labels such as Slothboogie, Aterral, Oath’s sub-label Last Year at Marienbad, Blaq Numbers, and Happiness Therapy, there’s plenty to delve into and get to know.

‘Sea to Sky’ is Bru’s first LP since 2020’s ‘The Coast’, and there aren’t many ground or in-between spaces which he doesn’t cover over the album’s 13 glorious tracks. Shifting from simmering ambient to pumped-up electro, sparkling House cuts through to unraveling downtempo numbers, Bru ensures the listener leaves the experience feeling the totality of his universe. Going through the album sides, A begins with ‘Cascadia Sun’, which features an esoteric vocal sample laid upon shifting chordal arrangements, which does much to set the tone for things to come. ‘Kalamalka’ is up next, which drives into an electro-themed sunset, one which features some inspired melodic sequences and deep-set rhythmic patterns. ‘Pacific Northwest (Off The Grid)’ comes into view next, and this is classic Bru, with a rock-solid kick providing the foundation for a myriad of delicate melodic tones to drift in and out of view – warming the heart and the soul, as always.

The B Side introduces ‘In The Sky (Night Moves)’, which swings the focus back to into the electro realms, with this number set at a meandering pace, ensuring maximum engagement with the soft hues and delicate textures. ‘Go Somewhere’ slams into the stage right afterwards, an uptempo garage number that sets the pulses racing with its gorgeous chordal work and vocal samples. Side C has ‘Deep Cove’ up first, which features one of Bru’s long-form House journeys, and this one does not disappoint, with spacious melodic blemishes overlaid with one another for maximum emotional impact. ‘Hyperlight’ rounds off C, acting as a quick glimpse across the horizon line with soaring arpeggios and deep chordal exercises, creating a pit stop on this already dynamic and interchangeable journey.

Side D kicks off with ‘Mnajdra’, which again features Bru’s classic motifs in the art of crafting top-quality house music. A hypnotic rhythmic palette sets the stage for the vocals to do their magic, along with pretty, engaging synths which provide a melodic base in which to loose yourself completely. ‘The Abyss’ takes things back into electro territories, and this one has a brooding tone to it – the hum and fizz of the bass synths, razor sharp percussion, and filtered vocals make quite an image in the mind.

Getting towards the business end of the record, Side E contains ‘Sea to Sky (Discoteqha)’, which shifts back into house territories. Another one of Bru’s 8-minute masterpieces, the unraveling nature of this track provides plenty of scope and scale in which to dwell, a mesmerizing experience that is balanced and poised to perfection. Side F, the final chapter of the record, features 3 rather contrasting experiences, but of which is reflective of the overall experience. ‘Movin On’ slows things way down, with a swinging hip-hop beat acting as the crux for soulful melodies and vocals to lay themselves loving up top. ‘Autumn Rain’ is a reflective number, with somber synth work giving way to a skipping breakbeat that echos murmurs in the soul. To round up the experience, we have ‘The Drip’, which takes the record into its final form – Jungle/D’n’B to be precise, with waterfall-like arpeggios frantically sprawling over hyper intense fills and breaks, and as the final track it remains fitting for such a wondering yet expertly conceived musical experience. Its very.well, its very Jesse Bru and it works so very well.

Some artists spend their whole careers searching for the sweet spots within their musical universes, the spaces in the middle ground which when activated can act as the catalyst for new ideas and progressions. Jesse Bru feels as if he has found these moments within his work many moons ago, and has always found new ways to reinvent the wheel seemingly at will. This new record of his is a testament to that fact, a truly all-encompassing experience that takes both time for the listener to get involved, and knows exactly when to shift gears and take a right turn. Its curated to such a high degree, that every move into differing musical perspectives makes sense, with the tone set at the beginning but with plenty of space left to grow, and that is truly the sign of a great full-length experience. So why not drop the needle on this one, switch off for a bit, and drift through into the cosmos…