Jon Bap
Join the joyous & fascinating world of Jon Bap; press photo courtesy of the artist.
Jon Bap emerged on various radars around 2014 with the release of his debut Let It Happen that would introduce the Buffalo artist’s own avant-productions with the ears of the inquisitive world. Presenting the premiere of the title track “Let It Happen” plus a listen to his single “Gooder Than Before/Forced” off the upcoming Let It Happen available May 27 from Fresh Selects; Bap delivers a cycle of sunny psychedelic saved tracks rescued from a crashed drive that otherwise would not have seen the light of day.
“Let It Happen” is something of an arty psych-jazz ode to the live and let live philosophy that observes the ongoing of things through the passenger side view of happenstance. The chords strum in what sounds like warped and winding waves, that effect you get when trying to play a gnarled vinyl from the 1970s that has been sitting in the back of a hope chest in someone’s overheated car trunk for over 40 years (that yields audio returns that are more than just a little bit of surface noise). Bap’s own lyrical delivery is saved but for a sporadic moments, that furthers the kind of hands-off feel of the entire track. “Let It Happen” feels like the outcome of a late night jam session spent strumming and overdubbing light percussion on top as a way to let the events of the day settle in a soothing style of calm. The spinning notes propel the track to somewhere else, as if blown softly about the whistling air of a summery spring breeze.
“Gooder Than Before/Forced” occupies that similar terrain of dusty found grooves re-discovered like a time capsule for audiences of the future, or an obscure one off of inspiration information that Shuggie Otis might have accidentally left on the cutting room floor. Jon Bap moves in and out of chord-cranked narratives, where feelings are expressed between states of received intuition and visions. Perspectives on things being better (or in this case, gooder) than they were previously takes an enlightened path, portraying goodness happening by way of random occurrence. Heard further in Jon’s plea to “let it come naturally,” Jon Bap encourages us to a world of holistic living where things are as they are according to forces and cycles of natural orders. Read our interview with Buffalo’s one and only Jon Bap now.
First of all, describe the kinds of thoughts and feelings that set the underlying stage for “Gooder Than Before” / “Forced”.
“Gooder Than before” is about realizing that happiness is only felt when one is in the moment, and only recognized when one is outside of that moment.
“Forced” is about getting over the realization that I was over complicating what it meant to enjoy creating art. I thought I had to “make the best thing” instead of purely enjoying my craft.
Interested in hearing about the Buffalo scene that is currently becoming the new Bushwick, or something what we understand (shout outs to Shawn of Lesionread!).
I actually don’t know much about Buffalo being the new Bushwick, I’m not really involved in the scene that much. I pretty much stay at home to make music every day…and only pop out once in a blue moon to do a show if someone asks me. But I’m not really that hip to whats going on. I do believe buffalo is up and coming though. And there are some dope artists sprouting.
Interested in hearing about the ideas and thoughts of happenstance that would contribute to the creation of Let It Happen for Fresh Selects.
Let It Happen was created for me and my girlfriend to listen to. It was made after I realized I was trying too hard to make the best album ever. I was really stuck on what the end result would be…and for about two years I was creating hella music and throwing it away because it wasn’t good enough. I ended up realizing I was taking all of the enjoyment out of creating music. So after two years of bull shitting, I decided to not care about possible reactions to my music, and just have fun making whatever I wanted. I made Let It Happen, released it on Soundcloud, then Kenny from Fresh Selects reached out and asked to re-release it. And here we are.
Describe what sorts of practices and methods and/or rituals that play a role in your own writing, recording, jamming, freestyles, etc.
Most of the songs on Let It Happen were written after I recorded a couple drum loops. I added chords to the drum loops. Then bass. Then whatever else. And then my girlfriend Marissa and I wrote the lyrics after listening to a lot of Alan Watts videos on YouTube. My music isn’t always made the same way though. Its just kinda whatever flows.
Jon Bap’s Let It Happen is available now from Fresh Selects.
