Jenova 7 - Dusted Jazz Vol. 3 (2019)

Order Vinyl: jenova7.com

Boston beat-maker Jenova 7 returns to Cold Busted for the crucial cut collection Dusted Jazz Vol. 3. A crate-digging vinyl junkie and film school graduate, inspired by the heyday of ‘90s trip-hop — and artists like DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, and Portishead — Jenova 7 forged his own sound, eventually ending up on DJ Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz 8. After taking a stylistic departure with the funky sci-fi themed album A Cosmic Safari, his collaboration with Russia’s Eddie Shinn, Jenova 7 issues the long-awaited third volume of Dusted Jazz, following the first two volumes on Dusted Wax Kingdom. He is also a member of trip-hop trio Wax Triptych (with Mononome and Mr. Moods). 

The cuts transmit a hazy and jazzy flow throughout, featuring chalky mid-tempo breakbeats and funky beamed-in-from-the-70s atmospheres and flavors. You can almost see a sun-drenched, scratchy super-8 film accompanying “5 Pointz Theme,” an immensely cool cut paying homage to a city’s graffiti center. “You Dig?”, which originally appeared on IWYMI Volume Nine, continues the vibe, delivering squelchy vintage synth, chunky piano, and a lovely guitar interlude. And “Static,” featuring the lovely vocals of K8 Marcos, reveals Jenova 7’s range — it’s a delicious, breezy trip-hop tune that wouldn’t be out of place alongside the likes of Zero 7. 

Dusted Jazz Vol. 3 is a treasure from top to bottom, and Jenova 7 joins the ranks of his influences with this accomplished and multi-faceted release.