[Off Minor Recordings]

Being one half of Juju & Jordash, Jordan Czamanski (alias Jordash) is certainly no stranger to bold and devious interpretations of house music. As a matter of fact, it’s the least you’d expect from him, especially when he chooses to present his new label, Off Minor, with a solo debut as Jordan GCZ. But much to my surprise, the Crybaby J EP operates in more straightforward psychedelic territory than his usual output. The original “Crybaby J” begins with a straight-up beat whose roughness is eventually eroded by a washed-out, breezy atmosphere. It suggests another elongated deep-house track is to follow when Czamanski introduces an outrageously otherworldly, jammed-out synth line which instantaneously clarifies the song’s title. Thick clouds of keyboard chords and moaning vocal harmonies make for a dense and heady experience, surprisingly reminiscent of Kool & The Gang’s relaxing “Summer Madness.”

The “Dub Mix,” a little longer, leaves out the aforementioned synth solo and rather focuses on the low-end frequencies. Arpeggiated bass leads the way at first, but in the middle of the track, Jordan spices things up by adding a jazz-funk bass solo which turns out to be the focal point of the cut. The reverberating, murky mantra, “down, down, down” returns as other undulating sound snippets collide, refract and accumulate into a texture-rich background, full of panning and disorienting delays. Eventually dissolving into a kaleidoscopic music box, the “Dub Mix” provides the listeners even more to sink into than its predecessor. Even as he changes his modus operandi, Czamanski’s propensity for delightful details and surprises leaves a lasting impression on Crybaby J that firmly establishes him as a solo artist.