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(Hyperdub)Lanza’s enticing jumble of electronic experimentalism and R&B moves closer to the mainstream on her third album – you sense Janet Jackson would approve
Last week, Jessy Lanza livestreamed a performance-slash-DJ set. Nothing unusual in that, of course. You currently can’t move for artists, producers and DJs whipping out their cameras and video encoders, either to promote their new releases or earn a few quid in lieu of lost revenue. And yet, amid a sea of similar online events, Lanza stood out. She performed in the back of what looked like a people carrier. Its boot opened to reveal the Canadian producer sitting cross-legged, surrounded by electronic equipment and two disco lights, the latter the kind of thing you buy from Argos for a six-year-old’s birthday party. Thin clouds of dry ice wafted forth, which failed to add an air of atmospheric mystery: it looked like Lanza was suffering from both engine trouble and faulty air-con. She played pounding footwork, deep house, a ferocious example of Bristol producer Addison Groove’s take on Chicago juke and sang a few songs from her third album, All the Time, their sweetness at odds with the pounding minimalism of her other musical selections. Then she shut the boot. Livestream over. Continue reading...