LA artist JJ Selects paints a picture of his artistry with his latest on his own imprint, the room in the back. The album, simply titled Selects 01, features ten tracks that map out the personal influences shaping his direction. Fluid in movement, JJ presents a wide ranging taste, shifting through different flavours and energies. An album designed for the long play.
Since launching the label in 2023, it has served as a platform to document his own journey in production, bringing together favourites and close collaborators along the way. Previous releases have featured the likes of Jay Tripwire on vinyl only format, while this more personal piece comes digitally, already available on Bandcamp.
On the premiere, we come in early in the selection with the third track. ‘Encounter’ is minimalistic at its core, centred by a slow burning groove, each element carefully placed. A patient bassline rolls it steady as fragments of chopped vocals and shadowy textures drift in and out. Tension builds subtly through shifting frequencies and short, delicate melodies, before opening into an extended break where pattering drums take the rhythm. Energy sharpens as the bassline drops, a tad more ferocious, before settling back into its refined, understated groove.
Across the LP, JJ moves between styles while maintaining a coherent thread. The opener ‘Breakdown’ leans into electro tinged breaks, setting a bold tone from the start. From there the journey dips into introspective territory, space and restraint taking the lead, before picking up again with the bouncier, more playful techno of ‘Jacks In’. ‘Neonism’ pushes things further into darker, late-night territory, exploring moodier textures and deeper atmospheres. Each track adds another layer to the story.
Selects 01 is possibly his biggest work to date, highlighting a breadth of flavours from start to end.
Buy the album on Bandcamp now.
More info on JJ Selects
Instagram | SoundCloud | Bandcamp
More info on the room in the back
Instagram | SoundCloud | Bandcamp
