jana rush: pariah

Back with the heat, Chicago native DJ Jana Rush kicks off Objects Limited's 2017 releases with her debut album Pariah. Jana Rush received attention for her mind-bending drum acrobatics on 2016's MPC 7635 EP, also released by Objects Limited. Jana started DJing aged just 13, releasing her first record on Dance Mania back in 1996, but having a hiatus from music between 2000-2013. With Pariah, she has created an album rooted in Chicago's footwork sound, but with a myriad of influences, such as jungle, acid, soul, jazz, and house, developing her sound on from MPC 7635. Pariah kicks off with "Midline Shift" whose breathy, clipped erotic vocals intertwine with a pulsing bass and dry 808 rims, creating a shimmering robotic effect. Moving on, the frantic "Beat Maze" confuses the mind with white noise rushes and interlocking snares. Changing the scene, "Divine" is sweetly soporific and charming, a beautiful, almost eerie track. The pace picks right back up with "??? ??", whose warbling jazz clarinets cut into a juke bounce. The stripped back beats of "Break It" give one room to breathe before the croaking bass and distorted acid of "No Fuks Given". "Old Skool" is exactly what you'd expect, its sample syncopated around a feverish rhythm throughout. Both "Rapid Fire" and "Acid Tech 2" are bangers, hitting you deep in that sweet spot. Jana brings it back down with "CPU"'s computer noises and sub-bass hits. "Chill Mode" gives time for reflection after all that fire, but it's no ambient track -- there's still that Chi-Town vibe. Pariah finishes with "Frenetic Snare" whose Amen breaks will have Brits thinking of jungle, but it's a different beast altogether.