'Paths' will lead you on a sonic journey unlike any other
Photo by @tylerhillphoto
Releasing on G Jones' own Illusory Records, Paths is finally upon us. The experimental bass god's second full length album is a powerful and worthy follow up to his 2018 debut album The Ineffable Truth. This 11 track masterpiece will take you on an extraordinary sonic journey down a path you've never been before.
G Jones has always been a legend in his own lane. His freshman album The Ineffable Truth, which was deemed one of Billboard's top 10 electronic albums in 2018, broke barriers and continues to impact the electronic music scene to this day. Now, 5 years later, G Jones does it again with Paths.
Often times when an artist drops a project, listeners and writers jump on comparing the new to the preceding work. A lot of times, this is a solid way to reflect on the artists' development. However in the case of G Jones, trying to size up Paths to The Ineffable Truth doesn't really work in my opinion. Both albums are unique in so many ways, and each shows such a different side of him and his project that it wouldn't be fair to compare the two.
Paths' opening track Familar Frontiers sets the tone for the rest of the album. It's emotional, intricate and sends you off to embark on the auditory expedition that's to come.
Too Far Gone starts off this expedition on bubbly, upbeat note. It lifts you up and effortlessly bounces you into Which Way, the first single that was released from the album. This trippy track embodies Paths with the opening line "can you tell me please, which way should I go?"
The fourth song, Glowing Experiences, has distinctive trap elements layered with a dreamy undertone. You'll notice this dreamlike feeling to be a recurring theme in many of the songs on Paths, especially in the following track Perpetual Bloom. This is definitely one of the more ambient tunes on the album, pulling heavily on the emotional side of this project.
Photo by @tylerhillphoto
Liminality was the second single released from of Paths back in August. It's glitchy and mind bending, perfectly encapsulating just how insane G Jones' sound design really is.
The next track, Maybe, is one of the most brilliant songs on the album in my opinion. It teeters back and forth between light and heavy with an expansive array of textures. A consistent melody is carried in different forms through the whole song, making it one of those tunes you'll be humming in your head for the foreseeable future.
With an elegant piano theme, In My Room mixes sentimental and classical elements with G Jones' futuristic soundscape. It floats you further down a dreamlike path into Dancing On the Edge. This track continues to emphasize the raw feelings poured into this project. It's the type of song that will have you crying with the biggest smile on your face, tugging at all the heartstrings.
Remnant, which dropped in mid September, was the final single off Paths to be released. It's a little more melodic than some of the other songs, and gently moves us along to finish our journey with Long Walk Home. This closing song brings us back to Earth from a trip down all the different auditory paths we traveled through this album.
Paths effortlessly pulls us across boundaries into an unprecedented sonic dimension. It completely picks you up and spits you back out into reality.
Blending elements of trap, breakbeat, IDM, ambient and experimental music, no one does it quite like G Jones.
Photo by @ericananmalay
Not only has he graced our ears with this album, but G Jones has also been working on a whole new visual world for his live performance of Paths.
"I’ve been working on the Paths Live show all year, remixing and reformatting songs from Paths as well as the rest of my catalog for live performance," G Jones said. "I've also been doing multi-day IRL work sessions with my team of visual collaborators, building this new show from scratch."
If you've ever seen a G Jones set, you know that the visual experience he brings is often quite unlike any other. His signature black and white theme is iconic to say the least. Hearing he has developed a whole new catalogue of art for these shows is beyond exciting.
"I can hardly contain my excitement about it all. I’ve been discovering so many new ways to perform my songs in a live context, and really believe that the audiovisual aspect of the show will be far beyond anything we’ve done before," he expressed.
With that being said, another huge part of arguably one of the biggest tours in electronic music this year is the ridiculously stacked supporting lineup. With names like Imanu, Ivy Lab, Lord Genmu, Jon Casey, Sayer and every other artist listed, these shows will be overflowing with insane talent. Not to mention, the don Eprom will be debuting his Syntheism live set at select locations, including two SoCal shows hosted by Insomniac's Bassrush.
Heard from G Jones himself, we can expect to see everything from live acid lines and breakbeat chopping, to granular synthesis and live piano. Kicking off this weekend at none other than Red Rocks Amphitheatre, this tour is sure to be something very special.
"I’m feeling extremely grateful for my core visuals team: Shinichiro Fujita, Alec Donkin, Jayson Esguerra, Mike Kluge, and Lauren Marrone, who are all working so hard to help me hone and execute these ideas. Getting to debut Paths Live at Red Rocks is an actual dream come true for me, and I want to say a deeply heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported my music and attended my shows over the years for making this dream a reality."
- G Jones
To experience the new world of G Jones, grab your tour tickets here and stream Paths now on all platforms!
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