Unbound by genre and undoubtedly enigmatic, Jean Dawson continues to prove he’s a once in a generation visionary.
Whether it be uncharted sounds or immersive rollouts, his latest effort achieves both of these in one full swing. The CHAOS NOW* virtuoso’s two-pack, XCAPE (May 11), not only ignites a new era for Dawson, or “Phoenix,” but ushers in his most bold and ambitious body of work thus far.
As the introduction to his forthcoming trilogy — which will release in parts of two over the course of this year — XCAPE sees Jean take on the alter ego of “Phoneix,” materializing itself with a pair of fiery singles: “YOUTH+” and “DELUSIONAL WORLD CHAMPION.” Each track allows the San Diego-raised star to take his sound far off the beaten path, leading to more expressive freedom than ever before. Explorative, conceptual and confessionally profound, Dawson explained the significance and perspective that embodies Phoneix in his typical poetic candor.
“Phoenix is a boy on the fringe. He is described to write with the tenacity of Kurt Cobain and the subversive subjectivity of David Bowie. Using himself as a mirror for whoever decides to look at him because he is a product of the world rather than a product of perceived individuality. He is a manifestation of misunderstanding and unawareness. His ideas are flirtatious, asymmetric and brash outwardly contradicted by his own lack of personal identity. Phoenix is only as real as the listener listening.”
Jean Dawson on “Phoenix,” via release
“YOUTH+” sees him reignite with producer Ray Brady, who is most known for his work with Kilo Kish, Vince Staples and production credits on CHAOS NOW*. Brady’s distinct, futuristic and synth-fueled production brings a fresh palette to Dawson’s heavily rock-influenced repertoire — building a revitalized soundscape for Dawson to emerge as Phoenix. His vocals’ deep distortion is reminiscent of similar effects heard on Bad Sports, while two short verses allow for the production to shine.
Phoenix takes on a slightly different form for “DELUSIONAL WORLD CHAMPION,” pairing the poppy “YOUTH+” with a chaotic, cinematic cut. Recruiting a star-studded production group of Mk.Gee, Austin Corona, Wyatt Bernard, Chris Bass, and Matthew Benthall, Phoenix flows between reverb-heavy verses and emphatic hooks, once again leaving ample dead space for the instrumental to shine through.
Since officially releasing his beloved track “GHOST,” XCAPE is the first project since Dawson’s critically-acclaimed CHAOS NOW*. Along with the announcement of the trilogy, Dawson is also set to embark on a month-long headlining tour, “WHAT’S THE BIG F’ING DEAL TOUR,” which will span 20 dates this Fall. The tour kicks off on Sept. 24 in Santa Cruz, California and ends on Oct. 22 in Las Vegas.
Tickets will go on sale to the public on May 19 at 10 a.m. local time. Tickets are available for purchase HERE.
Check out XCAPE below!
