Jacques Greene - Fever Focus EP

Jacques Greene
Fever Focus EP
2018
Spotify

Jacques Greene's legacy as a house producer is no where near in question. His productions are lush and expansive, pushing the boundaries of where dance music can, and more importantly should go. His is not a music looking back at the past and reliving memories, but more so about looking towards the future with wide open eyes. His music comes out with little fanfare, and even less lead up. Greene has been relatively silent since releasing his full length last year save for a few remixes here and there, but this new EP takes his music to some new and interesting heights. On this record Greene tries to do something a little different seeking to merge both analogue and electronic songs into one cohesive unit. You can hear it on "Nodschleife" as popping synths couple with toned down bells. The music wraps you up and fills every inch of space with deep bass. This is not the kind of bass that bangs and shakes your world apart, but the kind that rumbles and swells filling a room with weight and heft. In statements about the record Greene has said his idea was to honor the club as "a sacred space for youth". It's an idea that a lot of people have been toying with recently, the idea of connection through dance music. For anyone who has gone to a rave or festival the idea seems pretty on the nose, but for a majority of Americans those experiences are less common place. A gathering where you can let loose and fully express yourself is often frowned up when it truly is one of the most important parts of being a human, Greene gets that.

The analogue moments are certainly a bit harder to spot on this record because they are used so well with everything else. "Perlant" uses some effected vocals in such an interesting and new way, but the thrust of the record still remains full immersion. Once you start this album it takes over everything, it's not meant for just a casual listen. Greene expertly slides between House, Techno and Trance effortlessly unafraid of merging the genres together. The record feels like a statement of intent, this is what Jacques Greene wants music to be, these are the places He wants it to go and He is more than happy for you to groove along with him. Sometimes Techno and Trance can keep listeners at a distance creating a hollow sound that while entrancing lacks some emotional depth. You never get that here. Fever Focus is first a foremost melodic, that gentle sound to bring you in then take you on an absolute ride. "Someone Else" takes the BPM down but also shifts the record into this other more evocative vibe. The vocals are still distant but they become more haunting here, penetrating deep into your soul. The lead single "Avatar Beach" sums up the idea of the record, that we can somehow create a space where we are all at the beach, even if it means we are in the club. It sounds like Greene is trying to "bring the beach to the club" but that's not it, He is trying to bring the vibe of the beach to his music and than translate it through a club experience.  I know I've waxed poetic about a six track EP but damn does thing sound good. This is a record for anyone who loves dance music and wants to see where it goes next, from someone who has always had that on their mind.

9.0 out of 10