Jona – Sidetracking / Aeon / AEONCD001D

ARTIST: Jona
ALBUM: Sidetracking
LABEL: Aeon
Aeon | AEONCD001D
GENRE: Techno
BITRATE: 320Kbps
ORIGINAL RELEASED 2016-03-11
SIZE: 129.53 MB

TOTAL TRACKS 10

‘Sidetracking’ is Jona’s highly inventive and musically diverse debut album
project for Alex Niggemann’s forward-thinking AEON label. The musical jigsaw
puzzle began with ‘Sidetracking – Part 1: Prologue’ (the first 2-track vinyl
instalment with remixes) in December 2015 and is completed in February
2016 with the release of a second vinyl instalment (featuring 6 more original
tracks) and the full 10-track album on CD format.
Created over the course of two highly creative years, the concept for ‘Sidetracking’
was for Jona to invite some of his musician and producer friends to
collaborate with him in the studio and compliment his album’s solo productions.
This inspired project features Varoslav (Rue de Plaisance, Paris), Usio
(Studio Barnhus), David K (Cocoon), Bolivian percussionist Daniel Aguilar,
Italian pianist Giovanni Verga, and Edinburgh-based producer The Reverse
Engineer.
Driven by his desire to explore new sound perspectives and ideas, Jona has
carefully forged his career path by consistently creating exciting and forward-
thinking music. His previous label outings: ‘Traffic’ on ‘Lost Tapes Volume
1’ (AEON010) and ‘Gemini EP’ (AEON016) have seen him fine-tune his
own unique sound. By incorporating a wide range of styles into his tracks,
Jona strives to break down unnecessary boundaries and explore new ideas
and ways to ignite that hallowed dancefloor flame. It is therefore no wonder
that his solo and collaborative creations for ‘Sidetracking’ have yielded such
stimulating aural delights.
‘Microcosm’ with its subtly mesmeric intro and snappy, swinging percussive
energy is the perfect introductory aural treat, before diving into a spiraling,
glitchy ambient ‘Descent Into The Abyss’. Varoslav (label boss at Rue De
Plaisance) is a Parisian of Czech origin who brings his ‘from the heart’ creative
energy to the gentle chiming chug of ‘Over And Out’, the album’s first
collaborative venture.
‘The Chase’ is a track whose style is heavily influenced by the jazz music that
Jona was so in love with during his formative years. Calling on the somewhat
mysterious Usio (whose ‘Kuwa Huru’ LP on Studio Barnhus should
be checked by everyone) to join him in a studio jam, has resulted in an utterly
compelling afro-beat influenced percussive groove, topped with swirling
funk-fuelled stabs and strings, mesmerising melodious piano, and a large
helping of pure, hip-swinging goodness.
The funk factor is turned up several notches when Bolivian percussionist
Daniel Aguilar unleashes his skills on ‘Drive’, the perfect accompaniment for
Jona’s stripped back, bass heavy groove creation. The filmic qualities and
ambient beauty of ‘Detachment’ show yet another side to Jona’s diverse
compositional palette, complimented perfectly with the delicate touch of Italian
pianist Giovanni Verga.
For Jona emotion is paramount, melody is important, and original material is
always better than a sample. In David K (Cocoon, Souvenir), he has found a
kindred creative spirit and their combined creative energy sparks with joyous
abandon on ‘Space Jungle’, setting the scene perfectly for Jona’s next bubbling
solo excursion ‘The Temple’.
The perfectly segued dublicious skank of ‘Transmission Breakdown’ sees
Jona’s experimental creative juices in full flow, as he teams up with Edinburgh-
based digital composer and sound artist Dave House (aka The Reverse
Engineer) for a delightfully hazy downtempo jam that flows perfectly
into ‘Hidden Away’, the album’s stunning, melancholic, sun-setting finale,
once again featuring the keyboard wizardry of Giovanni Verga.
The on-going blueprint for Alex Niggemann’s AEON label is to showcase
music and develop an ever-growing family of like-minded creative artists focused
on conjuring up the spirit of classic and timeless electronic music,
whilst always updating and creating new boundless possibilities. ‘Sidetracking’,
Jona’s debut artist album project, undoubtedly keeps