Tag: Acid Jazz

JOSEPHINE PASCOE – Single Review: “Starfish”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews5 Comments

Today I have the pleasure of introducing a wonderful artist named Josephine Pascoe who, together with guitarist and producer Neil Thom, creates exceptional instrumental music with various and ever-changing elements of jazz, acid jazz, classical, blues and funk. Based in the London suburbs, she’s a classically trained pianist, violinist and flautist with a life-long love of music. She began studying piano at the age of five, then violin at eight and flute at thirteen, much of it at Trinity College of Music in London, where she also began composing her own music. She also trained to be a secondary school music teacher, but prefers giving one-on-one instrumental instruction on piano and violin.   

According to an article about Josephine on the music blog COOLTOP20, she met Neil in 2016 when she began taking guitar lessons from him. Besides teaching guitar, Neil is a producer and sound engineer with a wealth of experience working with various artists, bands and record companies. One night, after a few rounds of drinks, the two decided to have a go at writing something together, and took some jazzy chords Josephine had been playing with and developed it into what would become their first track “Florescence”, which they released in May 2017. In the years since, they’ve recorded and released 14 more songs, their latest of which is “Starfish“, an exuberant acid jazz tune which dropped May 5th. Josephine and Neil are both big fans of English funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, whose influence is strongly evident in their music.

Like most of their songs, “Starfish” was co-written by Josephine and Neil. For the track’s recording, she played piano, Rhodes electric piano, strings and flute, while he played guitar, bass and drums. Neil also produced and engineered the track. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, their songs incorporate an ever-changing mix of styles that make each one sound unique. Whereas their previous single “Eden” has a mellow jazz vibe, “Zomer” is breezy acid jazz, and “Before The Light Goes Out” is a soothing, contemplative piano ballad, “Starfish” has a more spirited dance-oriented feel, with a strong lively beat. Highlights for me are Josephine’s resonant piano keys, spirited strings and airy flute. Neil’s funky guitars and bass provide a wonderful, edgy counterpoint to the more classical-sounding strings and flute, yet complement both quite nicely. It’s a marvelous track.

Here’s “Starfish” on YouTube:

And on Bandcamp:

Connect with Josephine: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Find her music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

PHYSIA – EP Review: “Physia”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews4 Comments

physia

I continue to be amazed and a little amused that I’ve gained a reputation as a music blogger who artists and bands reach out to in hopes I’ll listen to and write about their music, especially given the fact I play no instruments, cannot read music, have never written a song, and know zero about computer music programs or synthesizers. Hell, I only learned a few years ago that a bass guitar has only four strings as opposed to a standard six-string guitar! That said, I’m immensely impressed by people who can do all those things. I also try to keep an open mind about all kinds of music, and (almost always) know a good song when I hear it.

With that in mind, I’m pleased to feature a young, promising musician from Canada who goes by the artistic name PHYSIA. It’s the basement project of 19-year-old college student James Bings, who just released his self-titled debut EP Physia on the 25th of January. Now based in Victoria, James grew up in the small city of Williams Lake, deep in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, and learned to play guitar and bass at a young age. He developed his skills performing live with his late grandfather, mostly jig and waltz songs. Drawing inspiration from bands like Mac Demarco, HOMESHAKE and Mild High Club, he wrote the songs for Physia during his freshman year of university, and recorded, produced and mixed them by himself. He played guitar and bass, and used synthesizers for the percussion.

james bing

His songs are all instrumentals, characterized by his lush-sounding reverb-drenched guitars, subtle bass and gentle percussion. The first track “Cool Cat” is an aptly-named, pleasing song with jazz-infused jangly guitars and just a hint of percussion. The title track “Physia” is sublime, with a lovely melody and terrific jangly and chiming guitars. I especially like the watery guitars that appear later in the song that add a bit of funkiness to the track. “Beach Interlude” is a short track, only 1:16 minutes long, but it’s a beauty, with some fine guitar work that conveys images of a romantic night on the beach.

“Nice Dog” is a mellow, happy tune with jazzy, reverb-heavy riffs, accompanied by a pleasant little percussive beat. The song seems to end at the 3-minute mark, then suddenly starts back up with a sped-up version of the same melody and guitar riff, ending on an exuberant note. “Floral” is another brief track, but James’ intricate guitar work is really beautiful.

My favorite is “Drag Queen” which has the most complex and fully-developed melody of all the tracks. The sweeping jangly and chiming guitars are gorgeous, and I love the effect of James’ soaring vocals that meld so beautifully with the guitars, creating a wonderful glittery soundscape. I asked James why he gave the track that title, and he said he was inspired by RuPaul’s Drag Race, which he and his girlfriend enjoy watching. The laughter of who I’m guessing is James and his girlfriend at the end is a fun touch.

Physia is a great little EP, and a very respectable debut effort that James should be proud of. He’s a fine guitarist and composer, and I really like his sound. I’m confident his skills will continue to grow and improve as he matures, and I’d like to see him use more complex melodies, guitar riffs and synths,  and perhaps even try writing lyrics and adding more vocals to his songs.

The cool artwork for the EP was created by graphic and digital artist, editor/motion designer and composer Harrison Ames Barrett  https://www.ames.digital/

Connect with Physia on Instagram / Facebook
Stream/purchase his music on Spotify / Bandcamp / Soundcloud / iTunes