JEX OPOLIS レコード& CD

Review: The fourth release on the Good Timin' label is a four-tracker from Conga Radioia project helmed by Jex and his pal Roberto. With sun and synth echoing the first trio of Good Timin' joints, the Conga project pushes the palette into Burrell territory, thanks to Roberto's 20-year tenure as a DJ and producer in Toronto. the A-side features the flute and guitar-driven tropic-not-tropic of "Naturalmente" and the robotic, Hancock-meets-acid vibes of "Timekeeper." The flip stretches out with two versions of "Slumber Dance," which takes its cue from the Nu Groove years but balances the gritty beats with plenty of New Age glory.

Review: Bad Timin' kicks off its 2024 with a new offering from Jex Opolis that marks this young but esteemed label's fourth release. 'Pneumatic' is a full triple cosmic tech pumper with acid lines and synths spraying about the mix and 'Catalytic' then rides on a more smooth groove with wispy pads that have you gazing off into the future. 'Molecools' gets tight and snappy with some alluring old school vocal coos adding soul to the bright beats and last of all is 'Catalytic' (Converter mix) which rides on waves of deep space magic.

Review: If you dig analogue-rich retro-futurism which enthusiastically doffs a cap to vintage dance music of the '80s and '90s, there's a fair chance that you already own a clutch of 12" singles from Jex Opolis. If you don't, then this EP - the latest in his nostalgic house-focused 'Bad Timin' series - is a good place to start. There's plenty to set the pulse racing throughout, from the hypnotic synth loops, addictive bass and rolling beats of 'Know Yourself', to the dreamy and immersive bliss of jaunty closing cut 'Instant Motion', whose memorable lead line and sumptuous pads are both things of beauty. Sandwiched in between you'll find the buzzing riffs and glassy-eyed organ stabs of 'The Best Ever' and the gorgeous, sunrise-ready swell of '100 Electronic'.

Review: Jex Opolis launched the Bad Timin' imprint four years ago as an alternative to his better-known Good Timin' label, with the intention of using it to deliver tracks that were a little more rave era-influenced than his usual boogie and proto-house informed fare. This belated second volume slightly tweaks the blueprint, but mostly sticks to the script. Our picks of a very strong bunch are the warming, spacey deep house/early techno fusion of 'Scott Says' and the jaunty, intergalactic electro/breakbeat house hybrid 'Fought Experiment'. That said, the two mixes of 'Soft Guidance' - the rolling, breakbeat-driven vintage deep house of the 'Metamorphasex Mix' and the denser, trance-tinged house psychedelia of the 'Insominia Mix' - are also decidedly delicious.

Review: "First Stomp", a bubbly chunk of Clavinet-laden electrofunk/Balearic fusion with Latin influences and clear nods to proto-house, was one of the highlights of Jex Opolis's recent debut album, Ravines. Here it gets the remix treatment, with the producer himself delivering a pair of club-ready interpretations. On the A-side you'll find the dreamy but club-ready "NYC Dub", a swirling, dreamy and loved-up affair that makes greater use of the original's Latin chants as well as some fresh new cowbell rhythms. The B-side "Vocal UP Mix" is an altogether more radical transition, with Jex Opolis re-imagining the cut as a cheery chunk of Puerto Rican proto-house complete with Latin piano riffs and locked-in drum machine percussion.

Review: Following outings on Running Back and his own Good Timin' imprint (the latter as one half of Conga Radio), Jex Opolis was arguably one of the underground success stories of 2015. He's at his best when focusing on vintage drum machines and synthesizers, knocking out cuts that sit somewhere between proto-house, early Chicago deep house and melodious, AM radio-friendly boogie. He touches on all of those influences on this super-limited 12" for Good Timin', variously impressing with the sun-kissed beauty of "That's My Beach", the Moon B on anti-depressants brilliance of "Stay Cold", and the synth-heavy, house-flavoured dancefloor goodness of "Circle of Drums" and "Echo Harp".