Introduction
Part of what makes JPEGMAFIA the brilliant creative that he is is that he is able to bring his own talent and authenticity to collaborative projects. Case and point, JPEGMAFIA’s newest release alongside EDM producer Flume; “We Live In A Society,” a 4-track EP that focuses on capturing the artistic visions of both artists. While experimental and funky, there is a lot of importance in projects such as this when it comes to JEPGMAFIA’s evolution as an artist.
The Album
“Track 1” is almost entirely a skit or dialogue track. The track features JPEGMAFIA and Flume sitting in a session trying to work on tracks for the collaboration. While comedic and abrasive, “Track 1” sets the mood for the EP by introducing the wild production style, and the energy that JPEGMAFIA brings into a creative space. The last two minutes of “Track 1” are the actual substance of the song, a relatively catchy beat that does not reappear later. “Is It Real” seems to contain elements of hyperpop and EDM, the beats have a bit more structure and energy to them. Featured artist Ravyn Lenae brings some great vocals to the track, in between JPEGMAFIA’s autotuned vocals. “AI Girlfriend” is a lot more experimental than the other three tracks on the album, and there are some interesting effects done with percussion machines and JPEGMAFIA’s vocals. “The Ocean is Fake” is probably the most important track in the entire EP. The production and ad-libs that can be heard in the foreground of the beat make a sort of distorted digital beat. The last minute and a half of the track introduces JPEGMAFIA’s vocals without any major autotune or voice-changing tech.
“I loved this album, ” said Adrian Mercado. “I loved the ambiance of the album, I feel like the sounds and effects that are used fill a lot of space.”
Why Does “WLIAS” Matter?
“I feel that I enjoyed [that] JPEGMAFIA tried something new, ” said Mercado. “I really enjoyed him trying something new and using his voice a little bit more.”
JPEGMAFIA has been making music since he was a teenager, so another EP doesn’t seem like a big deal for long-time fans. However, it cannot be overlooked just how far his style and technique have evolved. JPEGMAFIA has largely been an artist who focuses on his own work and perfects his own style. His collaboration with Flume indicates a desire to expand horizons and to make new kinds of art. While loud and experimental, his music has never really qualified as EDM, so this is a new genre of music for him to delve into. His varying vocal performances show an interest in expanding his range as a vocalist. EPs, and hopefully one day, albums like “WLIAS” are demonstrating an evolution in JPEGMAFIA’s artistry. Even given his experience and taste, he learns and evolves from every new experience.
