Up-and-coming indie artist Monark Ishere brings listeners into a fading dream state with a haunting single called “JAY JOYCIE.” This single folds experimental hip-hop into blurry alt-pop layers, looking more like a mood than a track, which serves as an intimate, looping, rhythmical confession.
“JAY JOYCIE” is rich in atmosphere. Rounding out a muted pulse beat, the looping beat barely unfolds like a heartbeat. On top of that, Ishere’s vocals rise up tenderly confessional and very much human. They are disengaged from the idea of dominating the rhythm and instead drift in and out of being like distant memories. The lyrics are recited with a delicate openness of spirit that puts the listener almost too close to a tale we can’t help to piece together but are desperate to hear more about.
The production is polished but raw textures layered in a way that gives the song depth without losing its nighttime quality. There’s a light tension throughout, as if each note is heavy with what isn’t said. “JAY JOYCIE” isn’t focused on hooks or choruses; it highlights a feeling in time that becomes sound. If you’re looking for music that is more about mood than motion, then “JAY JOYCIE” is a beautiful and hazy entry point into Monark Ishere’s realm, a place of the ambivalent connection between emotion and sound.