Jimi Jules has always had an omnivorous appetite when it comes to music.
Hailing from a family of Swiss musicians, he played the tuba growing up, before fully immersing himself in pop culture.
Developing a thirst for melody, his wide-open approach took him into both jazz improvisation and electronic production.
Capable of sitting in with a bebop group and holding his own at Watergate Club, Jimi Jules has established himself as a unique character within club culture.
New album ‘+’ seeks to bring the multitudinous threads of his imagination together, a boundary-less exploration of form and emotional insight.
Clash hooked up with Jimi Jules to discuss his musical bedrock in Foundations.
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Kalabrese – ‘Independent Dancer’
Kalabrese is definitely the artist that has inspired me the most, and although we live in the same city, It took me a while to find out about him. I remember lying on the bed with my pregnant girlfriend, listening to his second album ‘Independent Dancer’ on repeat and thinking, that’s how easy it can be!
The way it’s produced and the way it sounds. It’s the perfect combination of different rhythms, weird synths, acoustic instruments, catchy vocals with deep lyrics that question life. It’s so happy and sad, so free, so warm and honest. I just love every second of it.
For me, it’s a timeless masterpiece of the modern electronic scene, and it fits as a soundtrack to every second of my life. I listen to it in my car, while washing the dishes or playing warm-ups in clubs. It alway fits.
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Aphex Twin – ‘Come To Daddy’
I’ll never forget hearing Aphex Twin for the first time. I was watching MTV at my grandparents’ place when the ‘Come To Daddy’ video came on. I was disturbed and fascinated at the same time.
The way this record sounded was completely new to me, and I’d never heard anything like it. I bought this album with my pocket money and listened to it a million times. When I hear ‘Funny Little Man’ I can hear that he’s inspired many artists, from Ricardo Villalobos to Thom Yorke.
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Soulwax – ‘Nite Versions’
Back when I was a teenager, I spent a lot of time listening to records in my friend Dominik aka Prince Boogie’s basement. We’d search for music to play out loud at the weekend, checking new promos and scouring blogs or random music-website-stores.
When he showed me ‘Nite Versions’ by Soulwax for the first time I fell in love with it instantly. It’s so edgy and catchy at the same time, and I like the way it is produced. It’s a fusion of dancefloor bangers, deep bass and rock melodies, but all executed in the most unique and honest way. Seeing them live as a band or the two brothers as DJs (2manyDJs) was always a lot of fun. I never missed them when they played in Switzerland.
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Freddie Hubbard – ‘Straight Life’
‘Straight Life’ is a very good example of how cool jazz can be. The record was produced more than 50 years ago but it still sounds super fresh to me.
This album contains just three, albeit extended tunes on it, but they are so on point. I remember my trumpet teacher showing me this record and I was totally blown away by its elegance, power, and dirtiness. It’s just so cool and raw. In my opinion ‘Mr. Clean’ song is one of the best jazz songs ever made, and I’ve been listening to it for more than 20 years.
Of course there are plenty of influential jazz trumpeters like Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove and John Hustle, but I had to stick to one.
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Joy Division – ‘Unknown Pleasures’
I discovered this as a kid looking at the covers of my uncle’s record collection and it immediately stole my heart. I love the fusion between warm drum sounds and cold guitar riffs, the synth layers and the unconventional voice of Ian Curtis singing about sadness.
This was probably the first album where I recognised a different way of modern production. Each track contains a lot of reverb, distortion and delay, and I like the minimalistic approach of the album along with its punky “I don’t give a fuck” attitude. It’s perfect for a gathering of old friends with a few beers and songs like ‘Transmission’ or ‘I Remember Nothing’ have touched and inspired me in so many ways.
It also reminds me a bit of Kalabrese. Goosebumps!
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‘+’ is out now.
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