J. Lamotta and BudaMunk recently released the first two singles from their highly anticipated collaborative project titled Searching Skies - "Eyes To The Skies" and "Put It Aside". Both songs showcased the chemistry between the two musicians and give us a taste of what they can accomplish together.
The sustained success of J.Lamotta’s varied career from her solo releases Brand New Choice (2020) and Suzume (2019) to her features with Suff Daddy and Michael Moshonov has made the Berlin-based / Tel Aviv-born artist a growing international name. Joining forces with Tokyo-based producer-mastermind BudaMunk feels like a match made in heaven.
We won't lie - after the first 2 singles expectations are ace high for the LP and we were not disappointed. J. Buda and the team at Jakarta Records delivered nothing, but pure greatness. Today, just a few hours away from the official release, we're beyond happy to share with you a taste of the 10-track masterpiece titled Searching Skies.
Stream on all major platforms here.
The first track of the album, "Eyes To The Skies", is an airy neo-soul masterpiece. J.Lamotta's soft vocals harmonize perfectly with BudamMunk's ethereal instrumental and soon enough you'll know why this has been chosen as an opener. A majestic song that makes you feel like you're floating in the clouds.
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"Eyes to the Skies'' is a song that manages to sound both new and retro. It sounds like the kind of song you could hear on an alternative radio today, but at the same time it has a soulful resonance to it that will remind you of Aretha Franklin's work. This is a song about perseverance and hope - it sounds like something that would be playing in the background of a movie scene set in the 1940s during an after school session when the main character is practicing and dreaming of what they want their future to hold.
"Put It Aside" is the second single off Searching Skies. Lamotta's vocals are tender, lamenting on wondering what life has in store for us and how we can embrace whatever may come. BudaMunk instrumental shines more than ever - he is the perfect producer to compliment Lamotta's delicate vocals. He made a smooth, floating beat that carries you away with it until the very end of the song.
I am really enthralled with the how the instrumentals across the board allow Lamotta's canto to breathe. While it never feels intrusive, it is there, at every moment of the album, playing alongside her beautiful voice. The perfect balance between beat and voice. As a whole, Searching Skies is a perfect blend of soothing synths, angelic vocals and the occasional crescendo of hard staccato snare drums.
While this won't be a track-by-track review, I can't skip album's next composition - “Stay”, which feels like a dream-like lullaby, one you can easily find yourself listening to on repeat for days.
For those who love glitchy lo-fi beats, then I've got only two words - "Running Slow". The track merges jazz-meets-Neo-Soul aesthetics with BudaMunk's signature laid-back, off-beat hip-hop production style and it's made for those 420 afternoons.
If you're hopelessly falling in love, "When We Get There" might feel like your personal mantra. Both soothing/sensual and challenging, there's no way around that one question - "are you fully down?".
when we get there, better find a way, because we both care, I bet its easier said than done... gotta know if you're fully down
If I have to summarize the record in just a few words, that would be breath-taking. It's like you take the best of soulful neo-soul, give it a breath of fresh air, and create an experience that will live on for decades to come. The instrumentals are laid back yet driving - perfect to allow Lamotta's vocals to soar and to proclaim - there is a new soul queen in town!
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