Jacques Greene: "What U R"

Amidst a wave of rising young electronic producers, a scene so wide it encompasses artists as diverse as James Blake, Nicolas Jaar, and xxxy, it’s difficult not to be excited by the prospect of Montrealer Jacques Greene. Still only in his very early twenties, Greene has quickly made a name for himself these past few months by releasing a steady stream of memorable singles, and also notably reworking tracks by both Radiohead and the Weeknd, a feat made even more impressive by the fact that Greene has both times achieved that rarity amongst remixes: crafting something as listenable as the original.

Oozing a sensuality borrowed from obvious R’n‘B appreciation, “What U R” hardly needs the “Ooh, so sexual / That’s what you are” lyric prominent in the Amerie sample, the song itself so arrestingly exuding such hedonistic sentiment that the impression is of the words being relayed as much to a mirror as they are to an audience. However, toying with sexuality as a thematic concept frequently falls into the familiar traps of cliché and irreverence, and it is this traversing of such a thin line that Greene handles so deftly. In the hands of lesser producers, it is easy to imagine this track loosening and splitting at the seams with its bubbling ardor; instead, Greene tightens up, underpinning the track with an unchanging shuffling rhythm and beep/blip background, rejecting a crude portrayal in favour of the intensity and familiarity that consistency builds.

When the vocals and melody burn themselves out, the drumbeat lingers temporarily, almost unsure of its own presence, suspended and anticipatory of where or what it could lead to next. It feels like it is almost deliberately poised to lead straight into the following track (which, given the club atmosphere these songs are likely intended for, is not altogether surprising) and yet an itching desire to move on and make something immediately fresh is also apparent, as if another idea occurred during the creation process. This seems compatible with the self-portrait Greene is gradually painting, of a man at home continually generating novel ideas. While he continues to make tracks like “What U R” look so effortless, nothing but a blank canvas stands before him: these are just the background brushstrokes.