15. JJ "NEW WORK"

here's a great track from Swedish synth-pop duo jj {Elin Kastlander et Joakim Benon}, the track is called New Work, it's from their latest mixtape "kills" (2010).

"When we were 17, the sky was always tangerine."

these are my favourite lyrics at the moment, so dreamy, a perfect mantra for lost youth! the lyrics in New Work have actually been taken from Swedish indie-rock band Broder Daniel's Work et When We Were Winning, but like any good cover/remix jj totally transform the original 'angsty' material, deconstruct, mash it up, et create a catchy-as-hell dreamy synth pop anthem, which they aptly name New Work.

Kastlander's voice moans lackadaisically as the track opens: "I wake up everyday, feeling the same way, gotta go to work", you can almost hear her thinking, should i call in sick again! New Work washes over you, it's like daydreaming in the shower, eyes closed, water running down your face, blissed out, your mind elsewhere, anywhere but the thought of work. New Work totally captures this feeling, it segues from the agonizing thought of work to wistful reminiscences of youthful, carefree times.

the piano sample has been lifted from Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind, it creates a catchy hook et gives the song a whimsical feel, but it also sounds like an alarm clocking going off, a reminder to wake up et get ready for work.

there is a real sense of time dragging, the chopped and screwed beats, slow everything down, gives it an oppressive weight, reverses, winds back, stops, stutters, syllables are drawn out et repeated, re-emphasized, brilliantly evoking the lack of enthusiasm, the soul crushing thought of working 9-5 everyday. the track then opens out into a hazy, washed out daydream, Kastlander's voice lightens, becomes blissful, her lyrics take flight et swirl around us, as she reminisces about her youth, the music fades in et out, stops, starts, as if she is fighting to hold on to these precious memories, she doesn't want to let go of the euphoric feeling, she tries to lose herself in the music, the hazy, wonky synths et stuttering beats dissolve her. the cover image says it all!

New Work ends with a self-reflexive dialogue sample that puts a sobering et critical perspective on jj's 'post-modern' approach to remixing their "favourite" {et "least favourite"} artists.


MP3: NEW WORK

jj "kills" mixtape/album is still currently available for free download from the Sincerely Yours site, found here, along with numerous other jj related stuff.