Producers of house and other forms of electronic music often approach tracks with a maximal mindset. They layer synths and chop vocals to smithereens, programming percussion into robot marching bands playing at impossible intervals.
This is not true of Jayda G. She uses sounds sparingly, almost like she might run out. Instead of an impenetrable wall of wobbling sound, she wows us with the perfect layering of tones: a buttery bass line, an air-chomping hi-hat, some mesospheric vocal that heats up your cheeks, and the rigid but swaggerful kick and snare fencing it all in.
When Jayda met up with us at ADE Studios to record for Essential Rhythms, she played on pianos, bass, and drums in her inimitable style. She’s accompanied by DX7, a JV1080, and some other things with similar sonics. It all went through a one-of-a-kind Phillips console for added character. The loops and one-shots from that performance became one of our favorite packs on Originals, and can serve as the foundation for many kinds of music, from minimalist to maximalist.