Jai Nitai Lotus: Something You Feel
Different is good. Jai Nitai Lotus and his album Something You Feel definitely present something different from your everyday hip hop music. Something of a tripped-out blend of Dilla, Flying Lotus, and Odd Future, Jai Nitai Lotus presents himself as an amalgamated mixture of sounds with a common foundation in hip hop. Handling the beats and all the raps (with assistance from a variety of instrumentalists and other fellow experimental hip hop musicians), Jai Nitai Lotus really puts himself into this project and gives you a bigger and better reason as to why his music is truly something you feel.
“Hard Times and Bless” which features Georgia Anne Muldrow and Declaime is the first real track on the album. A soulful, sped-up sample flip hangs a note in the backdrop as Jai rhymes diligently about the come-up in life–from childhood to adulthood–as well as working in the world of hip hop. Some jazz-kit snares resound alongside fat kicks and some hazy cymbals giving the track a very fuzzy, mysterious feel. Even though the sounds may be complex and hard to reach, they are like yoga for your ears as they quell all harsh sounds in everyday life with the vocals of some talented emcees and singers over a chill instrumental. This song does a great job of reeling you in, hook, line and sinker.
Tracks like “The Barrel” and “Moon and Star” continue that trend of hazy, yet soulful sounds behind some pretty solid lyrics by Jai himself. Then there are others that stray away from a consistent theme, such as “Bailout” and “Simbreaker” which feature heavy synth elements along with booming drums and other-wordly electronic noises. Lasers and such permeate the background of the song as Jai Nitai Lotus amps up the volume, mood and feel of the project into a high-rolling burst of energy that courses through the veins of the music.
The dynamics explored on this project are quite varied which really elevates Something You Feel into a new level of sonic dimension. By changing things up through sound and volume, Jai really keeps the listener on their toes in a good way. From rock-infused songs like “Love Won’t Be” to ambient, smooth joints like “Alice Piece Peace,” the stylistics of Jai’s sound are juggled around in just the right way to make this album interesting.
While Jai ever changing sound might be his signature, one can not help but sometimes lose sight of the songs as they almost leave you drifting. The music puts you away somewhere while you try to crawl back and pay attention to Jai’s lyrics–which are great–but are taken away from by the beautiful curse that is his production. It makes you yearn for Something You Feel: The Instrumentals.
Rating: 7.0/10
MP3: Jai Nitai Lotus featuring CeasRock “The Barrel”
Buy: Bandcamp