Musician's brimming with synergy in their cooperation, DOMi & JD BECK swerves their jazz talents in their debut project. While not bringing the tightest structure and melodies, for the time being, they compensate for pulling off a knack for collaboration and coordination that allow the grooves to slip through and the rhythms to spark away.
The musical chemistry between DOMi and JD BECK is something to behold, like 2 impressive composites merged to become a stunning whole. DOMi’s frenetic keyboard playing alongside JD BECK’s rapid drum work has led to them being recognized by figures in the music industry from the likes of Thundercat, Anderson Paak, and more. It’s a wonderful opportunity that allowed DOMi and JD BECK to play alongside other artists that only showcase their skillsets as musicians and performers, and soon extended further when they are now signed under Anderson Paak’s label, Apeshit.
And a couple of months later, DOMi and JD BECK then released their debut album. It mostly steps into their comfort zones in their jazz backgrounds for the most part but also delves into infusing with r&b and hip-hop when it does come up. The production for the most part is dry and full of clarity, a needed texture that emphasizes the performances of the two. And the record showcases just how in-sync and jovial these two are in every track that they create, making the album experience have its lasting charm.
On the soundscapes that they create, there are splashes of brilliance on coordination alone. ‘WHATUP’ introduces its listener to the record with liquid keys that play along with the brisk drum work and arpeggiated synths. ‘SMiLE’ lingers all of its mid-paced piano and drum progressions that never resolve, only to step aside and allow said piano and drum progressions to unleash a burst of energy just before it resorts back to its original pace. And ‘SNiFF’ with its serene piano chords, tip-tapping drum breaks, and bass arpeggios comes the softer synth piano that runs back and forth the melodies.
It’s not just them who are adding to the quality of the record, as there are some features that play along with DOMi and JD BECK’s pristine and frenetic world. ‘NOT TiGHT’ has a wonderful addition of Thundercat that plays along with the slippery drum rhythms, calming acoustics, and hypnotic piano textures that soon slide off into the piano and guitar to trade off glacial responses back and forth. ‘TWO SHRiMPS’ has Mac Demarco’s delicate vocals that help out make it feel laid back, coasting through serene backing vocals, key chords, and rapid drum fills that revolve around surreal lyrics of getting old. ‘TAKE A CHANCE’ involves Anderson .Paak communicate the themes of reconnection, where the backup vocals of DOMi and JD BECK, pleasant piano chords, and tasteful drum patterns help make the song to be a stunner that only gets better when the rhythm goes for a double time along with Anderson .Paak’s playful vocals. And ‘WHOA’ has Kurt Rosenwinkel providing his excellent electric guitar playing to help along with the pristine piano playing and the quick drum fills.
It’s clear that these two are excellent performers and musicians in their own right, but their flash does fall apart regarding the structure of the record and the melodic slip-ups this record has. The structure of the record starts strong with the first 6 tracks that only get rougher and rougher by the time it gets to ‘U DON’T HAVE TO ROB ME’, where the transitions until ‘PiLOT’ are quite rough. Not helped by those tracks on those points having varying rhythms and tones all throughout. And this issue also stems from the melodies that felt stiff. 'DUKE' felt like an interlude that doesn’t provide that much movement with the bass that shambles around the track. The vocal melodies peppered throughout ‘U DON’T HAVE TO ROB ME’ and ‘BOWLING’ sound staccato and hamfisted for their own good. But then there are the two songs where the melodies just come and go in an awkward way, one of them is ‘MOON’ with Herbie Hancock and the other is ‘PiLOT’ with Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, and Anderson .Paak. While the former has Herbie Hancock sing nicely with a vocoder to emphasize that distance connection of the lyrics, his melodies just glide through in a way that does not complement the smooth grooves. And while the latter has the three features land their flirty attitudes really nicely, the groove itself lays itself to a snooze. It might work well with the theme of the track, but it just felt uninteresting as a result.
But what is important to take notice of overall is the display of talent and potential that DOMi & JD BECK pulled off in the record, where the best moments do truly shine marvelously where their array of chords, rhythms, and coordination with themselves and with other people are pretty good. However, the worst sides do put blemishes on the record with its stiff melodies and haphazard album structure that only sees the rickety flaws in their compositions. The album title may represent the flaws of the record, DOMi & JD BECK’s synchronization and control, however, represent the opposite of that.
Favorite Tracks: TAKE A CHANCE, WHATUP, SMiLE, NOT TiGHT, TWO SHRiMPS, WHOA, SNiFF
Least Favorite Track: PiLOT