J.E.M.S. – Collective Essence (EP Review)

The human condition is one filled with many loopholes and certainties, all at once. They say that nothing is a universal truth, but there are some universal truths out there, and it is perhaps up to us mortals to decode what is and what isn’t. Today’s review will revolve around an artist that aims to explore the human soul and the human condition through his fiery forage from the deserts of Southern California.

Meet J.E.M.S., also known as Jason David Cosio Jr. He is a multi-talented and unique artist, having composed, written, mixed and mastered his release, ‘Collective Essence’, all by himself. In a world where microtasks are outsourced and there often is a large, diverse team behind what can be an inferior piece of art, his body of work exemplifies the complete opposite of that- entirely self-sufficient and fully competent.

His tunes evoke a feeling of wonder, passion as well as discovery all at once, through the lens of the instruments of rock. Another thing that I find interesting is the focus on the instruments instead of layering vocals on top on all of these songs. I’ve often lamented on the limitations of logocentrism when it comes to understanding and expressing ideas through art. I think the lack of lyrics honestly opens a world of rich interpretation that is usually boxed with our own words. Let’s explore the gems in this album.

The first track, ‘Flotatious Gruven‘, starts off with a strong introduction with the main guitar and the percussion. The instruments are very well-mastered and panned in a great way. The special detail to panning makes it where you can experience each instrument in a ‘specialised’ manner, instead of having any essence of the sound drained out. It plays out like an introductory track, taking you on a wave of an almost psychedelic but not quite journey to a harsh, exploratory, and passionate sound. In fact, I think these three words capture the essence of the release itself.

The second track, ‘Surge’, comes in with a grittier twist and a faster tempo, as well as a more robust drum pattern. The electrifying and grueling melodies from the guitar go through highs and lows, just like the concept of a surge, before erupting into a typical break of a metal song while still keeping the track pure to its gritty, desert rock and psychedelic sound. I’d say this track is quite tantalizing and provocative, in all the nice ways. The build up to the solo is legendary, and the solo itself has more depth than one can even imagine, giving the track a peak and a tension that is compositionally significant- accented by the off beat of the drum itself. The mastering in this track reminds me of a lot of tracks in Nirvana’s ‘Bleach’ album. It has a nostalgia and a punk edge to it, all while straying the lines of the intersection of genres quite delicately.

The third track, ‘Trek’, does go on in a ‘staircase’-like fashion for its buildup, before going in a cadence very similar to ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ by The Stooges. It has a provocative edge to it, almost like a trance, but the delay in the midst of the pre-chorus’ melody etches the feel of pain and persistence interwoven with the rippling of the strings of the guitar. The melodies speak the intended stories of the songs for itself, without brandishing too much grandiosity or embellishment. It is straightforward, but packed with persistence and intent. The song is definitely one of the best in the album, especially with the use of ascending and descending melodies and modulating it with variation- keeping you drilled into the cadence of the trance of the track, without making you lose your train of thought. At some aspects of the track, the melody almost mimics the pelog scale, which I do find quite interesting. The guitarist does indeed use the art of compositional techniques to extend the track without losing potency.

The fourth track, ‘Swells’, starts off mellow in contrast to the other tracks. Once again, I have to appreciate the use of mastering, mixing and panning in this particular track- spaces are thematically added inbetween each instrument to give you a ‘three dimensional’ feel, instead of all of the instruments playing together in a flat space. This is definitely one of the most dynamic tracks in the album, if you were to visualise the nodes of the instrument tracks interacting with each other. The strings are delicate, yet rough in its polyphony and chords. The groove of the drum is also subtle, filled with anticipation and calmness all at once. I think the composition of this particular track is not only competent, but also beautiful in a way. Another highly recommended track from J.E.M.S. This song will have your brain tingling in various ways. One of the most ethereal segments of this track is the transition fading in at about 2:37, when effects and a wonderful use of panning as well as timbre paints a golden hum, a golden tune. It waves and wafts calmly.

Last but not least, the fifth track, ‘Spiral Out’, takes us back to the ethos of the album with a harsh and potent introduction through the use of multiple guitar tracks as well as the steadiness of the drums. The ‘circular’ pattern in which the notes of the guitar are played definitely mimic the intent of ‘spiraling out’, before extending its musical identity with emotionally charged melodies and harmonies. The bass in this track is quite significant, balancing out the harshness of the initial guitar track. I think this track is quite interesting to listen to. My only critique in this song is that after being spoiled with so much musical variability from the previous tracks, the composition of this track is pretty standard, but I think the harshness of the instruments and the bold timbre make up for what it lacks in uniqueness.

All in all, this album was pleasant to listen to. I am quite impressed with the fact that all of the instruments and the mastering for this album is done by solely one person. Usually, works that are on this standard are a multi-effort project, but in this case, the artist is technically proficient and talented enough to pull this off. There are nuances in this album beyond just compositional intent that indicate the eye for detail, such as specific panning and the tonality of certain instruments. As a first release, I think this is beyond competent and ethereal at some point. My only advice moving forward is to be more experimental, but otherwise, Collective Essence will take you through the essence that lingers through the human struggle and condition.

Score/Excellent: ‘Collective Essence’ is an album that will take you through the human struggle, soul and condition with a palpable sound echoing rock of the desert, with passion and an eye for detail. It will take you through a journey persistent enough to etch the album deep into your memory.

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