Javonntte has one of the more interesting origin stories in house music. When he was young he took music lessons from Miles Davis, he was a tour dancer for Aretha Franklin for years, had a stint as a drug dealer and a spell in prison and was eventually spared a further custodial sentence on the proviso that he devote his time to music. He’s since worked with Amp Fiddler, Blake Baxter, DJ Romain etc. and has perfected his house sound, a Detroit-flavored confection of warm keys and rounded chord washes juxtaposed against razor edged percussion and bouncing low end.

Records like his latest on MotorCity Wine “Abstract Love” — uneventful, familiar, very well done — are in many ways the lifeblood of house music. It’s made up of a reliable template of light, head-nodding percussion, slapping kick and clap and wordless vocal samples over a looped key note. And from just a few elements, a whole is created that is greater than the sum of its parts. The magic is all in the production — fat, thick, up close — and in the arrangement: dropping the keys in, dropping the kick out, creating progression and dance floor dynamics via the simple process of removal and addition. “Abstract Love”‘s arrangement sounds like it could have been mixed live on a desk. Real house music.

Javonntte: Abstract Love (MotorCity Wine / 7″ vinyl / Digital)
1. Javonntte: Abstract Love (05:20)

⚪️ Disclosure Statement: This record was not submitted as a promo.

#ReDiscovery: This was originally published in 5 Mag Issue #197 featuring Billie Ray Martin, Eternal Student, Lady Blackbird and more. Support 5 Mag by becoming a member for as little as $1 per issue and get every issue in your inbox right away!