Detroit's
Jay Daniel first became known during the early 2010s for his tag-team DJ sets with fellow Motor City wunderkind
Kyle Hall, as part of a monthly event called Fundamentals. Soon after, he began releasing gritty, stripped-down house tracks inspired by Detroit veterans like
Moodymann and
Theo Parrish, debuting in 2013 with an EP on
Parrish's highly regarded Sound Signature label.
Daniel expanded his sound through further releases, including a double-EP on
Hall's Wild Oats, and
Broken Knowz is his debut full-length, arriving by way of Ninja Tune's Technicolour imprint. More fleshed out, loose, and spontaneous than
Daniel's earlier material, these tracks were recorded in his mother's basement using a multi-track mixer, and they're built around his own drumming and percussion. The tracks often feature melodic keyboards that occasionally seem to imitate flutes and other woodwinds, in addition to more atmospheric synth washes. The release definitely feels homemade -- the loops are sometimes scratchy and a little bit off-kilter, but through repetition they begin to make more sense. While tracks like "Paradise Valley" sound warm, inviting, and jazzy, others are more minimalist -- "1001 Nights" features looped cymbals and congas that feel like the intro to a disco song that never quite blooms the way you expect it to. Instead, his songs chart their own courses and go in their own directions. With highlight "Squeaky Maya," he starts out with a rapidly thumping, complex beat pattern before lush keyboards creep in. Again, the track never reaches a proper climax, but it feels incredibly relaxing and reflective. "Shake It Down" similarly features a busy, interlocking rhythm and cosmic synths that casually saunter in. At one point the beat briefly falls apart, but it quickly picks itself back up with no worries. Closing number "Yemaya" has a thick, wobbly, kick-heavy drum loop along with more exuberant yet calm synthesizer chords and little disco-like arpeggios.
Daniel still sounds like he's developing his sound with this album, but it's a noble effort, and certainly recommended for fans of Detroit dance music or the rougher, more off-beat side of house. ~ Paul Simpson