Jamiroquai

Vinyl Discography (complete):

Biography:

Jay Kay has music in his blood. After watching his mother, jazz and vaudeville singer Karen Kay, perform on stages around the world as a young boy, it's no surprise that he was drawn to London's weirdo-groove scene in the late 1980s. As a teenager, he danced all night in the clubs of Ealing, West London. By 17, the lanky kid with his skateboard and undeniable penchant for crazy headwear was already making his own tracks, quickly landing his first contract with the influential dance label StreetSounds (Morgan Khan's label).

A few years later, in 1992, the now 22-year-old had merged his love of “funky music” with his growing concern for the planet, the latter expressed through a reference to the Iroquois (-iroquai) tribe: under the name Jamiroquai, he signed to Acid Jazz Records and released “When You Gonna Learn?”, a debut single, indeed an unmistakable, horn-driven socio-political statement that became a fixture in the months that followed. When the song was re-released shortly after by Sony Records, Jamiroquai had signed an eight-album contract (!). By then, Acid Jazz had become more than a label; it was a concept, a sound, and a movement, and the band’s “Buffalo Man” logo was ubiquitous. In short, it was the birth of a new musical icon.

With its intelligent hooks, its highly danceable grooves, and its utterly unique sound, the debut album "Emergency On Planet Earth" was already a sensation—and it arrived at just the right time, as the pop landscape was oversaturated with prefabricated plastic pop at the time. Kay's rapid scat vocals, the soul in his voice, the mix of sunny vibes and cool horns, and meandering bass—all of this conveyed an energy, a positivity that was practically everywhere you looked that summer, as "Too Young To Die," "Blow Your Mind," and "Emergency On Planet Earth" blared from countless cars…

Having already garnered attention with their debut album, Jamiroquai used their follow-up, “Return Of The Space Cowboy” (1994), which sold four million copies, to shift their focus from global grievances to inner-city conflicts: they now sounded slightly darker – and thus finally became the pioneers of “urban music” from the United Kingdom. Presented through a veil of drug use and frustration, they captured the restlessness spreading in the early nineties with “Just Another Story,” “Light Years,” and “The Kids,” while simultaneously offering ways out of the misery: “Half The Man,” “Stillness In Time,” “Space Cowboy” – these were sweetly rebellious designs, if you will. To this day, the British radio station Kiss FM has played “Space Cowboy” more than any other track, while other tracks from their second album have been gratefully exploited as sample sources by the likes of Tupac, Missy Elliott, and even Calvin Harris.

Emboldened by their success and even more confident than before—world domination was now within reach—Kay decided to turbocharge Jamiroquai for their third album, "Traveling Without Moving" (1996): Everything had to be bigger, more brutal. The grooves, the choruses, the dance moves, the hits, the videos, everything. Even the social commentary and the hats had to be much bigger. And the plan worked, because Jamiroquai truly reached the masses with the album #3, simultaneously delivering timeless songs, not to mention further career highlights and a whole host of awards.

They kicked off with "Virtual Insanity," an irresistible warning about genetic engineering, complete with a video that was just as successful as the song, featuring moving floors, moving sofas, and even more animated dance moves from Kay. A purple Lamborghini took center stage for the intergalactic boogie of "Cosmic Girl," followed by the horn-driven party anthems "Alright" and "High Times," which went on to sell a whopping 12 million copies.

Jamiroquai refined this foundation, the formula of interstellar grooves, feather-light arrangements, dance floor and disco references and a dose of conscientiousness and vision, with the albums “Synkronized” (1999), “A Funk Odyssey” (2001), “Dynamite” (2005) and “Rock Dust Light Star” (2010), which spawned a long line of hits: “Deeper Underground”, “Canned Heat”, “Little L”, “You Give Me Something”, “Love Foolosophy”, “Corner of the Earth”, “Feels Just Like It Should”, “Seven Days In Sunny June” or even “White Knuckle Ride”.

And now “Automaton”: Jamiroquai’s most focused, stringent—and, above all, most danceable—album since 2001’s “A Funk Odyssey.” You’ll find everything here: meticulously produced club tracks by 100%, ultra-precise beat layering, lush bass, space-invader synthesizers, disco strings, and, last but not least, massive, infectious hooks that echo more than a little of “Little L’s” catchiness. Tracks with unmistakable titles like “Shake It On,” “Superfresh,” “Hot Property,” and “Cloud 9” are designed to set dance floors ablaze—with choruses that make you not only want to dance but also sing along collectively.

"Something About You" and "Summer Girl," on the other hand, bring back the sunshine and the Riviera vibe, while "Nights Out In The Jungle" and "Dr. Buzz" also make way for a somber mood: The former is a hypnotic bass track inspired by Amy Winehouse, in which the singer dedicates himself to his own debauchery and previous escapades with celebrity photographers in the nineties. "Dr. Buzz," on the other hand, has a despairing edge, as it deals with the problem of unequal treatment of Americans of different races (a topic he had already addressed in "Emergency On Planet Earth").

If "Travelling Without Moving" was Jamiroquai in turbo mode, then "Automaton" is the hyperdrive version, as Jay Kay & Co. move into a completely different galaxy from the very beginning. They land there with the title track: a direct sequel to "Virtual Insanity," "Automaton" is a true cyber-funk all-rounder, featuring a robotic Kay with laser-beam synthesizers firing at digital reality, immediately followed by otherworldly harmonies and a post-apocalyptic video.

"It's about how artificial intelligence and technology in general are finding their way into the world," says Kay. "About how we as humans are slowly losing sight of the pleasant things, the simple, and simply beautiful aspects of our existence and our environment—including even interpersonal relationships. We're all becoming robots, 'automata.' We're all letting ourselves be controlled by our phones, by our computers. We're forgetting the world around us, indeed, all those beautiful, natural things that exist, those very simple things."

Jay Kay already touched on the future of our planet 25 years ago, but the way he tackles this primal Jamiroquai theme and looks to the future feels much more urgent and personal this time around. This may be due to personal changes: in the seven years since his last LP, he's become a father twice and now has two daughters. And when you ask him about the closing track, "Carla," a super-casual 70s shimmy full of light and love, dedicated to his eldest (whose birth also delayed this album a bit), the now 47-year-old former party animal suddenly becomes unusually reserved and almost shy.

This is quite an emotional song for me. It's very simple. It captures my deepest feelings. There's nothing overdone about it, it's just plain and simple, exactly how I wanted it. It was absolutely important to me that the song wouldn't sound too cloying—but simply put the joy it brings to music. Finding the right words wasn't that hard, but it wasn't easy either—after all, there were so many things I wanted to express with it. I think it's a really beautiful ending to this album. Then another thought makes him smile, and he adds, "... because, after all, nothing sharpens the mind quite like having children. Let's be honest."

Having children, having enough (free) time, missing the music (not so much the business itself), or simply not wanting to hear your name in past tense sentences all the time: It doesn't matter what exactly sparked this new chapter. Because more importantly, Jay Kay has ensured that Jamiroquai are in the best shape of their lives on "Automaton."

“Of course you want people to understand things,” he concludes, taking a turn to describe what drives him and his band even after 25 years. “You want to make something people can sing along to. So it’s about hits—but hits that don’t require you to sacrifice your own sound. I hate it when artists have great songs on their first album, but then by the third one they’re unrecognizable because they suddenly want to sound like all the other hip acts. And of course, it’s not always easy to do your own thing and stick to it. You have to nurture it, cultivate it, sometimes fight for it. And you have to maintain a balance—between what people like about this sound and new elements, so it stays exciting for you. This balance is why we still exist. And it’s also what makes this album. What I’m really trying to say is that when you hear stuff from us—you always know right away it’s me.”