It would be hard to say that, in the realm of T.C., we don’t occasionally dig into the funk-filled reservoirs of afrobeat. Recently, this has meant the somewhat controversial Budos Band & Kokolo, but this extends to many other bands, from Afrodizz to Fela Kuti with his Koola Lobitos Band. Usually, the genre implies a community affair, with bands that feature ever-growing numbers of people, horns & soul. But, as sometimes will happen, a band comes out of left-field so hard that we are left confused.
Project Jenny, Project Jan is one of those bands.
Put in their new LP, XOXOXOXOXO, and hit play. You’ll be confronted with “Dia De Los Ninos”, a song built upon a typical afrobeat rhythm, Spanish lyrics, a heavy chorus & a horn section that punctuates the beat perfectly. Your first reaction will probably be similar to mine and you’ll be pretty impressed by the party sound the track inspires.
“But!” I implore you. Listen closer & know this: there is no band, in the traditional sense here. Yes, we have a vocalist (Jeremy Haines) but all the music is due to the work of one samplin’ electronic virtuoso, Sammy Rubin. So, we don’t have a Jan, don’t have a Jenny, don’t have any instruments… And, somehow, we are left with one of the funniest, most bizarre tongue-in-cheek white-boys do afrobeat dance funk albums I have ever heard.
And it just gets weirder. The second track features suspiciously plucked strings over tin can rhythms. “Baby’s” begins with the sound of a computer dying before busting out with Fruity Loops style beats & Jeremy’s raps. “Games” is a funky hip-hop track dedicated to, you guessed it, games, with the lyrics referencing everything from Clue & Battleship to Super Mario & Gran Turismo. I don’t know what we got here but it sure is all over the place.
What it is is probably the funnest album I have heard in a while. On almost every track, I couldn’t help but grin - either from the ridiculous lyrics or the sweetness of the Project’s beats. Seriously, this album is worth a few spins just to hear the extent to which these guys will push the envelope.
As such, I must commend the band. When I first heard that it was just a dude with a computer alongside a vocalist… I had no idea it could come together so well. But, somehow, they have managed to bring it all home & I can just imagine that it would be a riot to see ‘em live.
work on yer dance:
Project Jenny, Project Jan - Dia De Los Ninos.
Project Jenny, Project Jan - 320.
Project Jenny, Project Jan - Train Track.
Project Jenny, Project Jan have a digital home. XOXOXOXOXO drops on August 14th from Might Records and can be preordered from Amazon.
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