- When I first heard Will DiMaggio's music, back in 2012, he was making twitchy, broken beats as Jaw Jam. His signature style was tilted, jazzy keys and sliced-up R&B vocals dancing around drums with a hard swing, like if Todd Edwards tried to make IDM. Tracks like 2013's "The Truth" were au courant and impeccably produced, influenced by the delicate bass music of Mount Kimbie or Jacques Greene. But that sound came and went. Many of its proponents moved on to other experiments, while some producers never found their footing again. Jaw Jam stopped releasing music altogether—maybe because he was finishing college, but maybe because he went in search of a new sound.
Three years later, he's back with a new style and a new crew. Fusion (Broadcast Mix), a single-sided 12-inch released by Future Times, is DiMaggio's first record under his given name. It still has the nit-picky programming and dense musicality of his Jaw Jam tracks, but now it feels funky instead of spastic. Since moving back to New York last year, he's been hanging around oddball house heads like Anthony Naples, Huerco S and J. Albert, producers hugely influenced by '70s and '80s disco and funk. You can hear those kinds of records rubbing off on "Fusion," with its squiggly synth noodles and simple, infectious groove. The tune is a great re-introduction to DiMaggio's music, and holds its own without the support of a B-side.
TracklistA Fusion (Broadcast Mix)