JEX OPOLIS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: The fourth release on the Good Timin' label is a four-tracker from Conga Radioia project helmed by Jex and his pal Roberto. With sun and synth echoing the first trio of Good Timin' joints, the Conga project pushes the palette into Burrell territory, thanks to Roberto's 20-year tenure as a DJ and producer in Toronto. the A-side features the flute and guitar-driven tropic-not-tropic of "Naturalmente" and the robotic, Hancock-meets-acid vibes of "Timekeeper." The flip stretches out with two versions of "Slumber Dance," which takes its cue from the Nu Groove years but balances the gritty beats with plenty of New Age glory.

Review: Canadian musician Jex Opolis has rebased almost exclusively on Good Timin' over the last decade. There have been three albums and countless singles of dazzling electronic disco dust and here comes another firing five tracks of the stuff. There is retro charm to the sci-fi pads of 'Listen To The Band' that make it immediately lovable. 'Net Worth' is heartbroken, r&b tinged lo-fi disco boogie, but you can't wallow for long as 'What Am I Gonna Dub?' once again takes off to the stars of see arps and squelchy bass. Add in the two final cuts which go slow and deep and more acidic and prickly and you have another brilliantly cosmic EP.

Review: After a six-month hiatus, synth-wielding proto-house and boogie badman Jex Opolis returns via a first ever appearance on well-regarded Dutch imprint Dekmantel. Interestingly, the Good Timin' boss has mixed things up a little here, seemingly drawing as much influence from mid-'80s European synth-pop as NYC electro and synth-powered electrofunk. A-side "Earth Boy" is particularly good, with Jex Opolis layering waves of sun-kissed electronics and cheery synth-pop melodies atop a rolling electro rhythm. Those after something altogether sleazier should check the two flipside versions of "Desolation", a throbbing affair that sits somewhere between Bobby O's forgotten productions for the Pet Shop Boys, UK Hi-NRG and life-affirming Italo-disco.

Review: Having started his career by making synth-heavy cuts inspired by proto-house, disco and NYC boogie, Jex Opolis has recently moved further towards Balearic territory. Human Emotion, the New York producer's final 12" of the year, smartly touches on all of these influences and more. "Human Emotion (TV Dub)" is loved-up, slick and groovy, with cut-up vocal samples rising above a dreamy, drum machine-dominated groove, while "Fifth Wind" layers saucer-eyed piano flourishes and head-in-the-clouds chords over a killer analogue bassline and near-horizontal rhythm track. Elsewhere, "Botanico" is a Fairlight-wielding chunk of Balearic instrumental synth-pop, "Infinity Room" sounds like Andreas Vollenweider jamming with Moon B, and closer "Human Emotion" is a low-slung, proto-house style treat.

Review: "First Stomp", a bubbly chunk of Clavinet-laden electrofunk/Balearic fusion with Latin influences and clear nods to proto-house, was one of the highlights of Jex Opolis's recent debut album, Ravines. Here it gets the remix treatment, with the producer himself delivering a pair of club-ready interpretations. On the A-side you'll find the dreamy but club-ready "NYC Dub", a swirling, dreamy and loved-up affair that makes greater use of the original's Latin chants as well as some fresh new cowbell rhythms. The B-side "Vocal UP Mix" is an altogether more radical transition, with Jex Opolis re-imagining the cut as a cheery chunk of Puerto Rican proto-house complete with Latin piano riffs and locked-in drum machine percussion.

Review: Following outings on Running Back and his own Good Timin' imprint (the latter as one half of Conga Radio), Jex Opolis was arguably one of the underground success stories of 2015. He's at his best when focusing on vintage drum machines and synthesizers, knocking out cuts that sit somewhere between proto-house, early Chicago deep house and melodious, AM radio-friendly boogie. He touches on all of those influences on this super-limited 12" for Good Timin', variously impressing with the sun-kissed beauty of "That's My Beach", the Moon B on anti-depressants brilliance of "Stay Cold", and the synth-heavy, house-flavoured dancefloor goodness of "Circle of Drums" and "Echo Harp".

Review: From DVAS to "DZE", Jex continues his solo adventures with this crystalline instrumental disco 12".Sumptuous lounge instrumentals soaked in juicy synths, each cut shimmers with just the right amount of jazzy narratives and layered arrangement. We lead with the piano-primed "DZE" which features legendary Italo pianist Steve Galante! The straight up synth boogie "Please Be Good To Me" follows and is developed further with the more dancefloor-focussed Norwegian sounding "Please Be Bad To Me". Beautiful.