Motor City's finest
To go in a slightly different direction from the Italian electro-disco I posted last week, I'd like to give you guys something homegrown from Detroit-based wunderkind Jimmy Edgar. Edgar's music is some of the sickest modern electro I've heard in a while - all sliced, diced, and chopped up beats, with super-deep warbly bass lines, and melodies that make my head spin.
Edgar began learning to play any instrument he could get his hands on at a young age, including string instruments, saxophone, and percussion and drum sets (all self-taught), and by age 15, he was performing at Detroit raves with contemporaries and techno pioneers such as Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May. He decided to study art, fashion and design, but dropped out of college to focus on music, the result of which had him releasing his first record by the age of 19. Jimmy's work has been released by Poker Flat, Isophlux Records, M3rck Records, and most recently by WARP, with a pair of EPs and now a full-length.
Jimmy's new album, his first official full-length under his own name (did I forget to mention that he also records as Kristuit Salu, Michaux, and Morris Nightingale?) is called Color Strip. It is slated for release next month, and with it, WARP is looking continue the roll of solid releases they are on after 2005's amazing lineup that featured Jamie Lidell, Maximo Park, Jackson, Broadcast and Boards Of Canada.
Anyway, as I said before, Edgar's music is really incredible, and Color Strip shows just how brightly this young electro-star shines. The balance he strikes between classic techno and electro influences blend seamlessly with Edgar's melodic sensibility and his own production techniques - apparently Jimmy custom-made a lot of the instruments and software tools you hear at work on the album, which is just amazing. So, look for the album online at the WARP's music store, Bleep, and at your favorite indie music retailer starting in early February.