RELEASES
SUMMERSET. VOL II
"Summerset," the polysemic phrase coined by J. Paris describing the advent of change and the end of an era. It’s a bittersweet nostalgia evoked by the Summer Sun’s eve signifying the uncertainties in change and the insecurities of tomorrow. This time, the South Florida and New York-based nomad finds himself in San Francisco, recording the sequel to his series with greater assurance and deeper into his artistic journey, yet still striving to reach new heights in his sonic expression. “I can’t sit on my ass and relax when I have a generational story to create.” In the 4 years of since Paris has started his artistic journey, he’s found himself with multiple mixtapes, EPs, and a critically acclaimed album “Road to Elysium,” each pushing the boundaries of his sonic landscape. With this sequel to his well-received “Summerset, Vol. 1” EP, however, Paris adopts a different approach, peeling back the layers of what “boundary-pushing,” in artistic expression, can truly mean. Set in an unusually acoustic environment, “Summerset, Vol. 2” stands as a raw reflection of Paris’s life experiences and thoughts. It’s unfiltered, unadulterated, and authentic. Here, Paris masterfully displays the other side to the coin of what he does best in his artistry by not just creating elaborate sonic landscapes but also expressing traditionally well-gated sentiments and emotions in a way that is exceptionally resonant. As such, “Summerset, Vol. 2” continues the journey begun with “Summerset, Vol. 1,” delving even deeper into the themes of joy, pain, sadness, love, lust, trust, sacrifice, and betrayal.
THE ROAD TO ELYSIUM
“Elysium,” the place saved for those who have bestowed their best. Sons of the gods, righteous and heroic; admitted through Hades only to few. The path to such a place spares no grace to those who partake on the journey towards it, and yet, the reward for those who successfully overcome its tribulations are immeasurable. The Road to Elysium dissects the journey of J. Paris as he takes the path less traveled, through his darkest moments towards his own Elysium as he aspires towards greatness.
This first album by J. Paris works to capstone his journey through his first two EP’s and first two Mixtapes. A blend of unique sonic elements capturing a post-modern 80s-meets-trap soundscape; crossing genres from synthwave and house to rock and funk, and using a alternative R&B as its core, the piece aims to push the boundaries of artistic expression through wide-scoping intersectionality and yet; still remains familiar to the characteristic sound of Paris.
Dark. Eerie. Unsafe. Beautiful. Truly emblematic of the concept of Heaven…in Hell. Enter into a core-trembling journey towards Elysium.
SUMMERSET. VOL I
"Summerset," a polysemic phrase coined by J. Paris to not only colloquially describe the Summer Sun’s eve but also the advent of change and the end of an era. It signifies uncertainty in change, the end of familiarity, and the insecurities of tomorrow; however, it also represents as the possibilities of a new day and chapter. The Florida-based and Princeton-bound nomad recorded this project in Los Angeles where he came to mark the closure of his artistry as we know it and, perhaps, the start of even greater heights. “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” Over the past 2 years, Paris's growth has been undeniable as he has continued to follow his motto of "Don't get upset, get better," creating projects in parallel alignment with his progression at Princeton — first with his Freshman EP, "Elephant in the Room," moving to his Sophomore and Junior mixtapes "Apologies For Breaking Your Heart" and "NO SECOND CHANCES," and finally culminating in this second EP. Each time, Paris strived to make his successive works irrefutably better than their predecessors, and the fruition of his cumulative labor is more than evident. Not quite a senior project, this work of art acts as something in-between: a reflection of his growth and experience in the last 2 years and a push for what could be. With the goal of setting the stage for a signed and managed senior project, Paris uses this EP to describe the eve of this solo and independent foundational chapter of his life in music, mindset, and experience as he bets all his chips into this work as a capstone portfolio of his artistic potential
NO SECOND CHANCES
"The Weekday," "Aubrey Graham Cracker," "Bingo Next Door"...YA YA YA WE KNOW. “Apologies For Breaking Your Heart” was J. Paris’ first experiment dabbling in the industry and met with solid critical reception but it was just that—the story of his first experiment with love, heartbreak, and music. Now a more seasoned artist, “NO SECOND CHANCES” is the continuation of the Journey AFBYH started. In this particular work, our self-proclaimed “Prince of Synth” takes a more nuanced approach to his catalogue, drawing inspiration from elements of Rap & Hip-Hop, R&B, Dancehall, Drill, and Modern Pop music throughout the journey of the project. Utilizing a distinctive versatility and rawness encompassing multiple genres while staying true to the sound that sets him apart from his peers, Paris woefully but elegantly portrays the message of “f*ck you” in a way the appeals to listeners from all walks of musical inclinations. Reconciliations don’t always end happily ever after and in his Junior project, Paris keeps his main takeaways and message clear: after this, there will be NO. SECOND. CHANCES.
APOLOGIES FOR BREAKING YOUR HEART
“Apologies For Breaking Your Heart” presents itself as the first mixtape by J. Paris. Drawing inspiration from modern Rap and R&B influences including the likes of Tory Lanez, The Weeknd, and PARTYNEXTDOOR; J. Paris shows two sides to the story of love, heartbreak, and internal conflict. Detailing the aspects of breaking the hearts of others out of pain from his own heartbreak, the first cour of the project considers the intentional heartbreak he’s delivered to others and well as pain brought forth from pain while the second cour discusses his internal monologue, retribution for his actions, and eventual terms to apology. A wildly dynamic presentation, “Apologies For Breaking Your Heart” provides a unique first glimpse into the world of South Florida’s very own.
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
"The idea of this EP was to address an 'elephant in the room' in each of my songs –thoughts or feelings that I really had on my mind and wanted to let off. The beginning of this EP starts with that 'elephant' being the artist's infatuation and love for somebody as he gradually falls in to love and obsession between the songs 'Drowning' and 'No More Dreams.' 'Hold Me Down' marks the slight turn in the relationship as it starts to take a downturn and fall apart and the heartbreak is expressed in 'YoungBlood' as the breakup occurs. Finally, the artist must move on and expresses his final concerns about the relationship in Ain't No Way.' It's really a rollercoaster."