If you look up the actual definition of dawn chorus, it's a bird song at the start of a new day. This is a key part of Jacques Greene's latest release — his second full-length to date. While his last album, Feel Infinite, featured songs about the club, rather than for the club, Dawn Chorus is more about leaving the party. Those early morning chirps of an actual dawn chorus are the soundtrack to exiting the after-hours, and so too is Jacques Greene's take on it.
This record shows a real maturing in the Toronto-based producer, and part of that development comes in the form of relinquishing some creative control. A look at the album's tracklist shows that Dawn Chorus is littered with collaborators, some of whom merely added a slice of input, while others went so far as to co-write material. The vocals on "Night Service," for example, were written and performed by fellow Canadian Cadence Weapon. Its constantly wandering acid bass line makes it one of more upbeat tracks on the record, and the lyrics tell a tale of clubbing — specifically, "clubbing in the late blog house / electro era," according to Greene.
"Let Go" is another track that's equally co-produced, this time by Machinedrum, and what a perfect match it is. The candied R&B vocals that are prominent throughout both artists' back catalogues are front and centre here, propped up by some perfectly produced percussion. The drum production on the entire record has been ramped up, in fact. This is perhaps most obvious on opener "Serenity," where the Chemical Brothers-inspired drum beat kicks you right in the teeth.
As an opening track, it's a statement of intent, and the big, unapologetic atmosphere of that song continues throughout the album. If this isn't Jacques Greene's magnum opus, we'll be very curious to hear what is.
(Arts & Crafts)This record shows a real maturing in the Toronto-based producer, and part of that development comes in the form of relinquishing some creative control. A look at the album's tracklist shows that Dawn Chorus is littered with collaborators, some of whom merely added a slice of input, while others went so far as to co-write material. The vocals on "Night Service," for example, were written and performed by fellow Canadian Cadence Weapon. Its constantly wandering acid bass line makes it one of more upbeat tracks on the record, and the lyrics tell a tale of clubbing — specifically, "clubbing in the late blog house / electro era," according to Greene.
"Let Go" is another track that's equally co-produced, this time by Machinedrum, and what a perfect match it is. The candied R&B vocals that are prominent throughout both artists' back catalogues are front and centre here, propped up by some perfectly produced percussion. The drum production on the entire record has been ramped up, in fact. This is perhaps most obvious on opener "Serenity," where the Chemical Brothers-inspired drum beat kicks you right in the teeth.
As an opening track, it's a statement of intent, and the big, unapologetic atmosphere of that song continues throughout the album. If this isn't Jacques Greene's magnum opus, we'll be very curious to hear what is.