When Kyle contacted me requesting a review for his latest release ‘Just Hangin’, it was an honour to say the least, and that was before listening to the album. Kyle currently runs the independent record label ‘Tranquil Road Records’, which is host to some of my favourite artists.

After hitting play, Kyle (aka Kyle J E) quickly entered my TOP 5 with tracks that made me stop what I was doing in order to absorb everything I was hearing.

As the title and artwork suggests, this album presents the listener with an invitation to ‘hang out’, away from the chaos of modern life, whilst you swing in a hammock of soothing melodies and grooves. It is an audible experience that gives you the opportunity to ‘hang back’, and just observe life as if it were music itself (perhaps it is…). So, what does it sound like to be ‘Just Hangin’ with Kyle J E?

Well, Kyle described the overall sound as, “a mesh of jazz hop and chill hop with some neo-soul flavour mixed in.” He said, “The finished project was something that I never could have envisioned when it started to form but is something I am proud of creating.” I think he has every right to be proud, and I would go so far as to say that ‘Just Hangin’ (released through Golfshoe Music) is not just a mixture of genres, but a refreshing re-imagination of what ‘chilled’ beats can be. The tracks are smooth, funky and jazzy thanks to the choice and combination of instruments, which when expressed together created memorable and satisfying auditory moments.

I want to jump straight into one of my favourite tracks, which for me was the second single, ‘Say It’ featuring another Golfshoe Music artist, Gabe Guthrie. Kyle said that Gabe “added some funky guitar to the track, ‘Say It’, as well as for the title track of the album.” I had this song on repeat for days. There are moments in the track when the sound of that funky guitar flitters in quick succession (you’ll know which bit I’m talking about when you hear it) and it sounds sublime.

Obviously, as with all of the tracks, there is a combination of instruments playing harmoniously together, and in the case of ‘Say It’, it was also the neo-soul keys and atmospheric pads which set the tone, and the grand piano towards the end that really just gave me goosebumps… in the best way possible.

Since we’re on the singles, the first single ‘Breezy’ also features another artist and friend of Kyle’s: Breether, who co-produced and contributed relaxing, and at times, spacey guitar riffs. It’s a beautiful example of what I imagine to be musicians and friends playing for fun.

There is a sense of ebb and flow throughout the album. The music moves as it grows and slows, before fading out and becoming something new again. If I was to describe how this album feels in as few words as possible, I would say that it is FULL of LIFE.

Other favourites included ‘Chocolate Hummus’, firstly because I liked the idea and wanted to taste it, and secondly for the tracks playful characteristics. Then, the last track, appropriately named, ‘Closure’… possibly the final chord in a progression that could easily transition back to the first track. I particularly liked the drums on this one with rolling toms and subtle changes in rhythm, which made for an uplifting whilst simultaneously gentle conclusion.

This is Kyle’s first full album, yet these 8 tracks have, at least for me, raised the bar for chillhoppers everywhere, and no wonder… when writing about this release he explained how the last few years for him had been building up to this album through constantly creating, learning, and forging his sound through experimentation, and perhaps most importantly, hours of practice.

I’d recommend listening to this album when it’s early, as the night fades and the morning light of another day begins to enter your world. On one occasion I happened to wake up at 4am, and with not being able to get back to sleep I decided to put this album on repeat. Hanging out at 4am with this album is a magical experience. Afterwards it made me think about how musicians are like drug dealers… hear me out.

We’ve all heard the cliche of music being a drug, but I think it might be one of those times when the cliche is true because sound resonates with our emotions and alters our moods and thoughts, which sounds like a drug to me. The main difference though (and an important one) is that this drug is earned through the commitment and determination of the artists.

Anyway, that might sound like I’ve gone off on a tangent but Kyle J E said himself that he “tried to capture the feeling of just vibing out and enjoying the present moment for this album.”

Music is the drug that has, and will continue to change the world for the better… and ‘Just Hangin’ does it exquisitely.