Jameszoo – “Flake” (Singles Going Steady)

Emmanuel Elone: Leave it to Brainfeeder Records to come out with some amazing experimental music. Washy, West Coast funk-inspired synths wing back and forth while various random effects, snares, and notes drip onto the track momentarily before being wiped away by the next sound. Towards the end, though, all of the music dies out, only to be resurrected by a soft piano melody that fades “Flake” into oblivion. Jameszoo proves himself on this song to be as eccentric as Flying Lotus and as groovy as Thundercat, a feat that makes him worthy of being an artist under Brainfeeder Records. [8/10]

Chris Ingalls: At first, it almost sounds like one of Frank Zappa’s insane Synclavier experiments, and if that’s all it was, I’d be totally cool with that. But then a funky keyboard riff sets in, and all of a sudden it’s like Stevie Wonder on a massive LSD trip. Endlessly experimental, the sonic shifts are constantly jarring; once you get used to one avenue, Jameszoo makes a hard turn and you’re on your way to another neighborhood. I have no idea what this song is best suited for, but if you just put on headphones and let it wash over you, a great time is guaranteed. [8/10]

Pryor Stroud: “Flake” begins with an animal scurrying through wires; the squeaks of some frightened rodent are audible for a moment or two, but then are drowned out by the sonic flotsam of an overcomplicated Rube Goldberg machine falling apart as it fulfills its purpose. This purpose? To ignite the song’s primary substance: after eighty seconds, a wobbly, synthetic bass spits out a tripping-over-itself melodic motif that morphs and vacillates intractably throughout the duration of the rest of the track. Jameszoo himself describes his approach as “naive computer jazz,” and he’s not too far off the mark; improvisatory, curious, and unmannered like the most free-form jazz track, “Flake” also sounds like the result of an old, stranded-in-the-garage Macintosh booted up and asked to perform a new trick for the first time in years. [6/10]

Chad Miller: Feels like it’s kind of floundering around at first, and while that doesn’t really change completely, the gorgeous melodies that insert themselves into the piece pull everything around them like a gravitational force. It’s a really cool effect, and every piece of the puzzle finally seems like an equally thoughtful submission. [8/10]

Jameszoo‘s debut album Fool releases May 13th through Brainfeeder.

SCORE: 7.50