Reviews: AbJo
Abjo is an electronic-soul pioneer based out of San Diego that creates new and exciting music. His use of drums, snares, piano, and synthesizers creates a unique and pleasing style of music that puts listeners in a mellow, cool mood. For people wanting to just chill out, Abjo’s music is
the perfect way to relax.
“Obrigado,” the title track of his November 2011 mix-tape, starts out with heavy tribal drum beats which are soon joined by electric piano, percussion, and other ingenious instrumentation. The song has a jazzy, laid-back feel to it. It’s pleasing to the ear, and puts one at ease. “Barumba” is another relaxing song with a pleasant beat and great use of horns and drums. The song gets a little repetitive and tedious towards the end, but benefits by only being about two minutes long. A slower tempo song offered by Abjo, “Nale’s Song,” has a Middle Eastern feel to it. It is a breezy song that one can listen to and imagine relaxing by the pool at a posh hotel in the middle of Dubai. The instrumentation is great, and it puts the listener in a mellow state of mind.
Abjo offers up a unique style of music that isn’t heard very often in the mainstream. The lush, rich sounds of his songs; the layers of instrumentation and simple yet elegant compositions make great pieces to listen to. The songs are calm, serene, and make you feel good. Words are not needed in these songs– the instruments tell a story all on their own.
