Ocean of Emotion is a track from Songs With Venissa, a new 6 song EP from Afro-futurist producer “djpe” and Pew Award winning Cuban American jazz vocalist Venissa Sant. It is very difficult to pin this music down into a category. It defies compartmentalization. The best way to describe the sound is that of an avant garde, jazz-folk futurism. Though the songs develop in unpredictable ways, the excellent musiciansmanship is apparent throughout. djpe and Venissa managed to bring in some talented guest soloists who contribute trombone, flute trombone and saxophone playing into these songs. This is the kind of music that can’t be faked. I mean, either you can play the flute or you can’t. These people are the real deal.

Some songs, like Ocean of Emotion start off gently, with Venissa’s phonogenic, soothing, spoken word-like vocals leading the way, as the track slowly adds elements, building into a complex piece of musical machinery until before you know it you’ve got something you can dance to. With other songs, such as The Edges, are action packed from the opening bell and retain the same level of energy for the duration of the recording. If I Could Write You a Letter probably has the grooviest musical backing on the album. It gives off a trippy, kind of Halloween party vibe. My favorite song on the album, is My Schwinn, partly because it features some great lyrical depth, but also because I had a Schwinn bicycle when I was a kid. In fact I feel somewhat guilty that I didn’t appreciate it. Being a bratty 80’s kid, I always wanted something like a dirtbike or BMX. I didn’t recognize the superiority of the Sparkly Schwinn’s aesthetic and the comfort of the banana seat until I got much older.

Anyway, Songs With Venissa is a nifty little EP. It’s one of those albums that will receive instant critical acclaim and recognition for it’s artful mastery from anyone who stumbles onto it. In a just world these recordings would be broadcast to the masses. We don’t live in that just of a world, but if you’re reading this at least you’ll know how good these songs are.

For more info:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/songs-with-venissa-ep/1419715080
https://soundcloud.com/djpe-1