Clad in a pink balaclava and fake lips, Joby Longyin is an avant-garde artist who stands out in any crowd. Armed with fiercely original persona and his own brand of ‘music beyond music’, the Scottish born musician recently shared his debut studio album, delivering nine undeniable tracks that perfectly illustrate his wild experimental style.
Released as a self-titled debut, ‘JOBY LONGYIN’ is a sharp, expansive experience that is quite unlike anything you would have heard before. Utilising a wide range of genres combined with glistening spikes of avant-garde musicality, and delightful dollops of humour, Joby’s debut is an unexpected gem that well and truly deserves to be heard.
Recorded and produced by Alan Emslie, the entire record was done with no pre-planning and guide, with the artist and producer diving into the mix and recording in raw, explosive live takes. The result, is that every song is packed to the brim with real energy, capturing the excitement and spontaneity of the sessions in perfect form.
From the opening, dynamic synth tones, squeeze toys, and growling vocals of opening track ‘DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS’ to the tempered beats and rampant EDM sounds of ‘LIFE IN A NUTSHELL’, Joby paints a bold, kaleidoscopic journey that never rests and constantly surprises, taking every left turn and unexpected move to constantly keep you guessing. Tracks like ‘SINKING’ goad you into a false sense of isolation and atmosphere, before Joby then slaps you with 8-bit textures in ‘TEMPLE SOCK’ or celestial electronics in ‘OPERATIC COW DUNG’. It all concludes with a twisted Christmas carol in ‘JOY’, where Joby creeps into frame by whispering his name, before pitching the whole track down through lingering synth tones and a building sense of unease.
An experience that will leave you with more questions than it answers, Joby Longyin’s debut album is an artist statement like no other. Available now on all major streaming platforms, and on limited edition cassette via Bandcamp, ‘JOBY LONGYIN’ stands tall as one of this year’s most original and undeniable new releases.
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