Toronto's LJones cites Nujabes as the artist that got him into producing beats in his liner notes for Soul Below. Even before reading this, my first impression of LJones' production style was to compare it to the late Japanese producer. Nujabes passing at the age of 36 in '10 is a heartbreaking story, much like losing Dilla at the height of his fame, but to have a producer like LJones respectfully carry on the lineage makes the absence easier to cope with.
Soul Below is a compilation of beats LJones crafted on the MPC between '09 and '11. The collection maps LJones' quest for his sound. It's deeply rooted in Nujabes' school of thought, jazzy melodies over thumping boom-bap drums. LJones might still be searching for a sound unique to himself, but in the meantime he's learning the trade from the proper teachers.
Download Soul Below here.
