Jason Forrest
Shamelessly Exciting (Sonig)

Last year Jason Forrest (aka Donna Summer) made heads turn with his third album and first release on Sonig, The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash, a musical rollercoaster ripping through genres like an amphetamine crazed hobo. It received rave reviews from a respected array of international press; a remarkable accomplishment for such an odd and ambitious mix of high-speed disco and breakcore with a 70’s swagger. In addition, Res magazine awarded it’s Clip of the Year to the video for “Steppin’ Off” (directed by Jon Watts), leading Watts to secure a contract with Fatboy Slim for two further videos and a host of A-list clients.

But the question remains -- can Jason Forrest top this success with his upcoming release, Shamelessly Exciting? A few beats into the album and you’re left with no doubt -- yes, he can and he does it in style! Cascades of pieces taken from virtually every form of rock (progressive/hard/soft/punk/blues) pour down more heavily than in previous releases. Even more intense is the shattering of sounds and samples -- every single one of them vying for the listener’s attention. Forrest sets off fireworks of ideas and references exuding enormous energy on the way, filling every possible nook with a rocking good time.

An overview of Shamelessly Exciting begins with “Walls Of The City Shake”, a fist-pumping anthem of maximum intensity featuring David Grubbs on piano. Forrest refines his conceptual cut-and-paste aesthetics in “My 36 Favorite Punk Songs” on which you can literally hear Forrest’s 36 favorite punk songs, cut up and mixed to 2:20 minutes. Then he flips to something more appropriate for 70’s AM radio with “Dreaming And Remembering” and “Skyrocket Saturday” -- both tributes to forgotten pop heroes and one hit wonders. “War Photographer” gets down to a funky blend of big beats and a kicking brass band while “Evil Doesn’t Exist Anymore” is a massive blues-fueled masterpiece where Forrest collaborates with Norwegian experimental artist, Maja Ratke. Yet the biggest surprise on the album is “Nightclothes and Headphones” featuring Matador recording artist and renowned country singer Laura Cantrell. This beautiful and completely disarming pop song further proves just how versatile and unpredictable Forrest really is.

Jason Forrest is not ashamed of being a fan and he uses every kind of music, even those tunes once described as “bad taste”, as his resource. Poaching in these fertile hunting grounds with competence, boldness and knowledge, yet retaining a seriousness and refined sense of depth, Forrest guarantees lasting euphoria in an otherwise disillusioned industry.

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