Tim Heintz
Searching The Heart

The coming together of Jeff Mills and Jean-Phi Dary came from a collaborative project with the late great Tony Allen and created chemistry instantly. Both being cognizant of the skilled innate improvisation that was happening in small jam sessions, they conceived the concept for their collaborative project: The Paradox. They believed that this uncompromising freedom and the manifestation of new ideas allowed them to reach a higher level of spiritual consciousness within their work. Recorded in real-time; these compositions reflect captured spontaneous actions which concede honesty and truth.

A deep groove runs central throughout Xinxin's self-titled debut record. The band is always in conversation, emphatically exploring the space around the pocket as the songs slowly bloom. In more ecstatic numbers like 'Star Spell' or the lightly-serrated lead single 'Trust,' the group still finds room to stretch out and tastefully flex. The dense, almost hidden complexity of the music is always in service to the emotional content of the music and lyrics and the light, fleet-footed mix highlights each player's articulate, nuanced voice in the conversation. Xinxin is a quartet comprised of Janize Ablaza (Guitar, Vocals), Stephen Reed (Drums), Carlos Elias (Bass) and Jonah Huang (Keys). The group began as Janize's solo beat and songwriting project, ignited by her dissatisfaction with performing other artists' material in academic and public settings. The band's collective artistry combined makes for a jazzy, 90s-R&B-indebted sound that captures the feelings of exploration, discovery, and freedom found in childhood. Xinxin is well-known in their stomping grounds and those who see them live usually become cult fans. Limited edition pressing of 250.