Ewan Jansen - Island Diary (2020)

Ewan Jansen, Perth artist, producer and founder of Red Ember Records, presents his second offering to Butter Sessions following the 2017 EP Best Intentions. The colourful LP from Jansen, Island Library, wraps up the end of the year at the label on a distinguished note -- courtesy of Jansen’s 20 years of experience in the Australian electronic landscape.

Island Library was recorded over the last 12 months as Jansen returned from a frantic European tour. He was granted a breather with the lockdown, which allowed Jansen the necessary time and space to properly produce his record. Using this period to create intuitively, Jansen refers to his time spent in lockdown as a “chance for discovery,” discernible throughout the record with his novel genre interpretations.

The refined character of Island Library is made clear with Jansen’s experiments in structure and tone, distancing his LP from the formulaic and conventional approach to classic house music.The LP’s opener Mussel Hustle is a nostalgic and shimmering composition with an infectious hook, evidence of Jansen’s versatility as a producer. Kooka utters fleeting minimal techno with vigorous drum programming and hardy synthwork. In contrast, Hot Rain hits like a cool change with its breezy and balmy melody. Proteus Vs Yoshimitsu channels YMO and other proto-electronic affiliates with futuristic sci-fi electro-pop. Jansen’s signature house sound reveals itself more so in the LPs finale Breadcrumbs, which carves out a joyful and yet refreshing passage of house music.

Jansen refers to Island Library as a “palette cleanser,” an apt sentiment. There’s something here for everyone. He has crafted a release to be taken in from start to finish, a treat for eager ears.