Electronic outfit, Jaw Gems, is a Portland, Maine-based collective of young, experimental producers bringing beat-music—traditionally programmed and played on samplers—to a live band setting. On August 26, Jaw Gems will release their second album, HEATWEAVER via STS9’s 1320 Records.
This week Glide Magazine brought us an advance stream of the next single, "DaVinci," saying "Jaw Gems create music that is simultaneously polished like electronic music and also loose and flowing like jazz."
Speaking on “DaVinci,” the members of Jaw Gems say, “A lot of times songs will take root from a practice regiment or exercise, and the idea will develop as it is recorded and listened to again and again. ‘DaVinci’ was conceived in this way while studying a particular set of gospel changes, and repeatedly laying them over a simple scratch drum groove to iron out the harmony. We wanted to utilize the biting sound of the Farfisa compact organ combined with the twelve string guitar to achieve a kind of pleasantly alarming sound, while the P-bass [percussion bass] and synth leads gave the song a grimy hug.”
HEATWEAVER is 14-track collection creates a thickly-layered transcendental auditory world—a meticulously crafted album grounded in a modern electronic aesthetic. The abum melds neck-breaking hip-hop, bright synthesizers, and nostalgic atmospheres, while simultaneously touching on elements of psychedelic funk, neo-soul, and punk-rock. T3 of Dilla-founded Slum Village is even a fan himself, calling the album "mad fresh."
When Jaw Gems got their start in 2009 they began to explore sonic and rhythmic ideas that emphasize interlaced melodies and heavy grooves. First outfitted solely with dueling vintage synthesizers, a drummer, and an electric bassist, Jaw Gems has now incorporated a Roland sp404 and the Juno 106 Analog Synth, going on to employ the beat-repeating, sample-warping technologies of the present to help create their wall of sound.
Since the release of their debut album, Blades Plural, Jaw Gems has shared stages with icons such as STS9, Lettuce, and Daedelus. This Fall they'll take the stage with Lettuce again, joining them as direct support for an East Coast tour.
