- Exotic Dance Records co-founder J. Albert has been busy. In the past two years, he's issued nearly ten records of smudgy, hardware-style house. You get the sense that the Ridgewood, Queens resident, real name Jiovanni Nadal, often gets home from work and sits dutifully at his machines, crafting loads of lo-fi house jams that find homes on labels like Black Opal and 1080p.
As polarizing as "outsider house" initially was, it's yielded emotive classics like Terekke's "Amaze" and Florian Kupfer's "Feelin." Nadal also reaches such heights on occasion: February's "Thank You For Believing In Me" was a distilled slice of dance floor joy. On Dance Slow, a collection of highlights from a 2015 cassette of the same name, the title track has a more contemplative vibe. But Nadal is again at his best, mixing a funky sample with pitched-down hats and blurry pads. It's a "smudge house" take on the '90s vocal tradition, with a diva who sounds distant and cartoonish. Nidal gives her a lovely counterpoint in the sedate piano that lolls in the hazy background.
The recording quality on "2AM" reflects this record's slapdash beginnings. The lo-fi, Luomo-style jam, which otherwise emphasizes Nadal's delicate touch on the keys, is hampered by palpable tape hiss. "My Passenger" craftily merges Chicago acid into a set of funky, UK garage-style chords, and its lack of sheen is charming. "Truth And Understanding" hammers home just how much Nadal's ear for samples sets him apart. The cut starts off with the moody synths and clanging hi-hats you'd expect, but only when he introduces a degraded funk sample does it really take off. On-point bass and a meandering, melodic lead—snatched off some dusty record—add color and whimsy to J. Albert's insular world.
TracklistA1 Dance Slow
A2 2AM
B1 My Passenger
B2 Truth & Understanding