Jacoby Davani (JSDAVANI) is a multi-media artist and multi-instrumentalist specializing in experimental arts and music, known for his prolific 2023 releases including “imaginary vowels,” “Again Begin,” “Sam Y Nona,” and the art-pop album “FTCHRS,” dedicated to a late friend, culminating in his 2024 time-capsule project, “Son of Man of Chair.” On his latest project, “The Melancholiac II”, he further pushes the boundaries of experimental sound design, inventing a new style of his own — keep reading for my thoughts!
The 20 track magnum opus calls us to the curtains with the opener, “Heartdrops” — a track that’s so filled with texture, it makes use of these gritty, aggressive sonic textures to paint a beautiful melodic picture of its own; and in conjunction with the strings and the pads that make up its wide, expansive atmosphere, the track quickly evolves into a concept piece; a holding, if you will, for Jacoby’s heavily processed, tape-machine like vocals to take the centre stage. All in all, what an opener to the album!
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Riding high on the bar set by the opener on “The Melancholiac II”, “Feeling is shared”, the second track, explores slightly darker, more aggressive soundscapes than the original, swapping the downright unsettling for something that’s a leg up in the ominous department. With its shakers for percussion and the long drawn-out vocal textures, this track manages to transport the listener into a long winding hallway with dim, flickering lights; while the atmosphere in the back remains delightfully hard to precisely decode. Mysterious much an allure, I’d say.
As we journey on through the album and reach the halfway point with “_:00 AM”, we’re introduced to retro synths that take the form of pads, and 90s sounding drum synths to pulse through the whole track, we’re also never once let go from thinking of the sonic textures that “The Melancholiac II” is firmly based on. Taking on a bit more uptempo an avatar on this one, the atmosphere remains just as potent with the vocal pads and the swirling, meandering textures that would allure and hypnotise, firmly, any listener.
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Some other standout tracks from “The Melancholiac II” include the masterpiece “JUST Another pinch: too little/too much”, which serves as an interlude with its brief run time, while experimenting in simplistic chords and synth patterns to ground the listener from the energy built over the preceding tracks; and “The Calm Before: the end of it all”, that, with its steely, cold sound, manages to bring the listener to the edge of their seats. We bring “The Melancholiac II” to a close with the track “A Beginning/Ending: Rinse/Repeat”, a fitting close to the album.
All in all, “The Melancholiac II”, by JSDavani: A masterclass in synth design and sound experimentation. With textures otherworldly, an execution purposeful and just the right blend of sounds that remotely sound like Earth, well, safe to say, this one is a knock out of the park. Take a listen to the track here!
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