Jevon Jackson is one of Chicago house music’s stalwarts, a fixture at lofts, basement parties, clubs, raves and everything in between for decades. After his outstanding Fade / Turnin’ EP on Mazi’s Fresh Meat Records, he drops another classy, classic-sounding house EP on Vizual, the imprint and all-around brand belonging to fellow Chicago OG Joshua Iz. The label is making a strong resurgence, having closed out 2025 with an outstanding compilation Natural Selection: The Best of Iz & Diz featuring the cream of releases put together over 30 years by the longtime Chicago house DJ and production duo.
Jevon Jackson shows some range on the Halsted & Lake EP, with four originals and a couple of remixes that really shine. Of particular note for deep heads is “Making Rachel Dance,” with soft pads, that steady ’90s electrical current and three slow, melancholy chords. It’s not a complicated formula — you can name a dozen classic tracks built on this blueprint — but it’s difficult to get it right. Jevon Jackson gets it right. A pair of stellar remixes also stand out. You could cut this in half, right here, and have a phenomenal record.
Instead: “Shift” is, appropriately enough, a shift to a buzzy, more energetic sound. “A Fucking Mess” is a dope DJ tool with layered vocals selected more for their sound than their meaning rolling hypnotically over stainless steel percussion. “InCorporReal” turns the vibe up with a nodding, tribal stomp. There’s a tendency toward overproduction these days, where people with stuttering attention spans imagine party people get bored if something new isn’t leaping out of the speakers and screaming at them every few seconds. You can tell a producer’s paid their dues with a track like this. It’s not “stripped down,” it’s just right.
⚪️ Halsted & Lake Tracklisting
Jevon Jackson: Halsted & Lake EP (Vizual Records / digital)
1. Making Rachel Dance (7:36)
2. Shift (7:55)
3. A Fucking Mess (16:16)
4. InCorpoReal (6:58)
5. Making Rachel Dance (Joshua Iz Vizual Mix) (8:12)
⚪️ Disclosure Statement
This record was submitted as a promo.
⚪️ Previous Coverage
❇ Features: Joshua Iz: The 5 Magazine Interview (2011)
✳ New Music: Joshua Iz drops 2am heat on Know The Truth (2021)
✳ New Music: Jevon Jackson signs a two track EP to Chicago’s Fresh Meat Records (2025)
❇ Features: Luke McKeehan on 20 Years of Nordic Trax (2018)
5 Mag Issue 225
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elevate: First published in 5 Mag Issue #225 featuring Nico Lahs, Dam Swindle cover mix, 100 releases on Heist, Point Winona Sound Labs and more. Become a member for $2/month and get every issue in your inbox right now…
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