I only recently discovered Jay-Jay Johanson as an artist and was immediately astonished by his incredible ability to construct beautiful elegant melodies, to transfer highly emotional content through a semi-cynical musical expression, and be highly artistic while doing that. He is definitely one of the more precious additions to my music collection. If I had to describe his music, in short, I would say it is trip-hop rhythms combined with soft-edged tracks and a jazzy atmosphere. Jay-Jay Johanson is sort of a contemporary Nick Drake, singing about melancholy with a cheerful voice while incorporating string ensembles in the arrangements. He arrived on the music scene in 1996 with his debut album “Whiskey,” in the midst of the trip-hop craze. Although close to the genre’s cinematic mood, Jay-Jay went further in incorporating other musical idioms, particularly jazz. His incredible talent is also evident in his imaginative beats, as well as in his sophisticated harmonies and instruments selection. He switched his sound to a more electroclash-oriented direction with his 2002 album “Antenna,” which featured the single "On the Radio," but immediately came back to his characteristic sound after this album. With his new EP “You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone,” Johanson stays faithful to his characteristic style. It’s an excellent album, that keeps the artist in the straight lane of success and high-quality music.
Johanson has also released a new video for the track "You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone," and it’s the one you’re watching in the background. If you haven’t already unmuted the sound while reading this article, please do, or just go to Youtube and play it. I’m sure that lots of you out there who haven’t yet heard Jay-Jay Johanson’s music, will find an artist worth digging into. Enjoy !
