DJ Kicks: Jayda G (!K7 40th Anniversary Edition)

Jayda Gs first commercially released mix follows nearly a decade of standout sets for Boiler Room, Discwoman, Resident Advisor, and more -- not to mention a Grammy nomination for her single Both of Us, a 2020 home stereo dance party staple. Like many of her sets, her DJ-Kicks volume warms up with post-disco and jazz-funk favorites, beginning with Britfunk group Light of the Worlds London Town, in honor of the city she relocated to in 2019. Aged in Harmonys sublime Youre a Melody, a Detroit crate-digger classic from the late 70s, makes an appearance in front of funk and Afrobeat tracks by artists new (Glass Beams, Kokoroko) and old (Atmosfear, Universal Togetherness Band), as the blending becomes more fluid and continuous. The mix switches to purely electronic tracks with Gerry Reads 90s Prostitution Racket, a scuffed-up house version of Fonda Raes Touch Me (All Night Long), and after a Carl Craig remix of a 1993 track by Naomi Daniel (Jays mother), a stretch of the mix is devoted to previously unheard goodies by friends and associates. DJ Borings Gardenia adds twitchy breakbeats to very early-90s-sounding sax-driven house, and things get a bit more tense and dreamy with In 10,000 Places by Jennifer Loveless. A darkly psychedelic break-driven track by HAAi gives way to Jaydas own All I Need, a gorgeous, wistful vocal house tune that instantly ranks among her best songs. Her frequent collaborator Fred Again..s Diana (You Dont Even Know) mixes tougher tribal house drums with smooth keyboards and sighing vocals, and the mix rides out with a stretch of soulful house tracks, including an early FIT Siegel single. Finally, Jayda ends the set with a brief comedown, using a downtempo DJ Koze track with Simon & Garfunkel-esque harmonies by Ada before putting it to bed with Benny Sings Summerlude. Like all of her sets, Jaydas DJ-Kicks reflects her personality, emphasizing memorable tracks that can often be sung along to, and forming a bridge between highlights of the past and memories to come in the future. ~ Paul Simpson

男前なプレイに加え、そのエキゾティックなルックスも手伝って、熱視線を集める女性DJが人気ミックス・シリーズに登場。序盤は新旧のメロウなソウル～ファンク・チューンからカルト・ディスコ曲まで、自身のルーツを辿りながらグルーヴを構成。初期ハウスへのオマージュ溢れる自身の先行シングル"All I Need"でストーリーはピークへ。終盤のソフトなランディングまでスムースな展開で文句ナシの好内容。
bounce (C)野村有正