DJ-Kicks: Jessy Lanza

Since releasing her debut album, 2013’s *Pull My Hair Back*, Jessy Lanza has developed a singular style that draws on vintage freestyle, lo-fi synth-pop, and cutting-edge electronic music, rounded out by her breathy, alluring vocals. After three albums spent focusing her vision to a fine point, she zooms way out on her *DJ-Kicks* mix, placing her own songs—like the fluttering trap of “Seven 55,” featuring Loraine James—in a wider club-music context. There’s no missing Lanza’s fingerprints, in part because she occasionally picks up the mic to sing over the mix, even when the records aren’t hers. But the set casts a far wider stylistic net than her albums do, taking in shuddering acid house (DJ Spookie’s “Twilite”), sparkling Afropop (Jim C. Nedd’s “Maleka”), minimal techno (Secret Werewolf’s “Yage”), and more. The first half tends to ride a rolling, house-oriented groove; GRAIN’s “Untitled B2” (a 2002 cult classic from an alter ego of Magnetic Man member Artwork) tips things in a bassier direction, kicking off a stretch of UK funky, garage, electro, and footwork, all of it seamlessly mixed with both grace and character—no easy feat when corralling a range of styles this wide. She wraps things up with a stroke of pure genius: The Raining Heart’s “Raining Heart,” a 1986 slice of synthy slow-jam R&B—straight out of Germany, of all places—that sounds like she’s rescued it from the cassette deck of an ’80s Impala. It’s a reminder that when Lanza’s at the wheel, the vibe remains soulful, no matter what.

It’s with this genre-bending approach that Jessy Lanza presents her entry for the DJ-Kicks series – a sprawling, club-indebted odyssey that draws you in closer and closer with each listen. Recorded this summer, the mix is an incisive snapshot of her emotional landscape during the past 18 months. In 2020, with nothing but a van, a few personal belongings and her musical gear, Lanza and her partner relocated from New York City to the Bay Area to ride out the pandemic. A change of scenery, buoyed by the slower pace of their new home, gave her a fresh perspective during a worldwide screeching halt. Surrounded by Silicon Valley and the cult of wellness, Lanza drew inspiration from the synthetic grips of uncanny valley to create a striking cover that speaks to our curious times. “The artwork is inspired by seeing beauty product ads on the side of a bus. I thought it would be fun to play with the visual language of wellness. It’s funny to me how easily people accept the world of wellness products as a remedy or solution. The emphasis is on the temporal. I see this obsession with the temporal as an on- ramp to detach and disassociate from reality, from oneself and also from the people around us. It’s interesting to observe how this plays out in modern relationships as well.” Lanza has made a name for herself. “Making DJ-Kicks personal to me was important, like putting my vocals overtop and doing all the FX processing,” she says. “Getting my voice in there helped make the mix feel finished.” Jessy Lanza’s DJ-Kicks mix also arrives as a divine stroke of timing. As the world slowly starts to re-open, it’s a portal into the ecstatic energy of the dancefloor; an emblem of genuine healing – both personal and communal – that transports listeners to a state of pure euphoria. “I made this mix to connect the dots,” she beams. “The songs I included are ones that people respond to everywhere regardless of where in the world I’m DJing. I made this in pursuit of the bleary 4 AM feeling; the moment when you hear sweet soul-burner vocals with drum patterns that won’t let you go home. There always has to be melody – whether it’s vocal or rhythmic, there has to be something catchy, something joyful and ultimately something that will connect with the listener.”

Balancing contemporary house and techno with detours into footwork, gqom, and more, the Canadian musician’s mix reveals the range of influences behind her own singular brand of synth pop.

Jessy Lanza dons the DJ Kicks label for a set that's infectious as it is beneficial

Discover DJ-Kicks by Jessy Lanza released in 2021. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.