Pale Jay Vinyl, CD & Tape

Music as a Catalyst of the Unconscious

A lot can be said about the pop-cultural influence of John Coltrane’s legendary jazz album, A Love Supreme. From the obsession of the ’68 hippies with the record to its impact on rock music, and even being crowned the greatest jazz recording of all time – there are only a handful of albums that profoundly change generations. Sometimes, their influence reaches so far that it is enough to establish careers – as it is the case for the soul musician, Pale Jay. According to his own statements, the mask-wearing newcomer attributes his musical energy to a trance-like listening experience of the jazz classic. It happened after a serious bicycle accident left the trained singer and pianist bedridden in the hospital. During an emergency operation, the surgeon played A Love Supreme. In a surreal state between sleep and wakefulness, the idea for Pale Jay‘s own songs emerged – something that was meant to be a direct catalyst of the unconscious and put the untouched, innocent in the spotlight. As additional influences, the Californian mentions virtuosos like J Dilla and Donny Hathaway, positioning himself somewhere between the soul vocal giants of the 20th century and those producers who revere the old while transporting it into a new world.

Soulful, dusty, and straight from the heart

Not much is known about the US-American Pale Jay. An ambitious songwriter and producer, his face is concealed behind a red ski mask. But the simple covers adorned with the mask have little artistic similarity to the some masked rappers they might evoke. In 2021, his career took off with the self-produced single Dos Uvas, featuring a 90s-inspired beat complemented by warm guitars and shimmering synthesizers. His soulful voice, comfortable in falsetto, effortlessly catapults us into a realm where the late 60s coexist with the drum machines of the 90s, complementing each other. Amidst the 2021 COVID-19 pandemic, Pale Jay was already working as a musician for the online market and now ventured into his new project with the second single, Shameful Game, described by him as “soulful, dusty and straight from the heart.” In the same year, his debut EP, The Celestial Suite, was released, presenting itself in a manner akin to an old cassette rediscovered in an attic after decades of oblivion, turning out to be a jackpot. Subsequently, the remix of the track Donny In Valdez featured the voice of rapper Erick the Architect, showcasing Pale Jay as a promising producer in the style of legends like Madlib and J Dilla: versatile, rooted in tradition, and nostalgic.

Harmonies from a Dream

With Bewilderment, the mask-wearing musician announced his debut album for August 2023 – the title quite aptly describes the emotional state in which Pale Jay found himself during the recordings. In his label home, Karma Chief Records, the Californian delves into the tracks about the estrangement from his own family, which gradually occurred over the years. Communication difficulties, arguments, and the search for identity – all of these are mirrored in the self-produced songs of the newcomer, immortalized in the familiar soul style on warm beats. Little masterpieces like Dreaming In Slow Motion showcase the falsetto lover from partially orchestral perspectives, and the album’s namesake immerses itself in vocal harmonies echoing as if from a dream. Here and there, Afrobeat and disco influences come into play, and the lyrics paint romantic scenarios, revealing a vulnerable songwriter. The identity of this new indie discovery remains somewhat open – it does pique curiosity, but it plays a minor role. Pale Jay’s music is too laden with meaning, too hypnotic for that.