Started in 2017 with a creative suggestion from his then-manager RUN DMT, Justin Augustus Fay, also known as J. Augustus aka Saint Jae, completed the project in 2021 and is now releasing his first non-drum and bass release on his imprint Quaziscience Recordings XX catalog line.
J. Augustus has created a masterful 7-song audio biography titled TUNED IN, and he has raised the bar to unimaginable heights. TUNED IN reveals J's ambitions for the future, and it's not all drum and bass, as so many people associate J. with.
In a recent interview with BLANG from Bell Ringer Records Podcast J. gave some insight, "Starting this record label was never just about DnB. I've been producing hip hop for longer and both genres are equal parts of who I am and after many drum and bass releases, I figured I'd show what I'm best at and surprise everyone with the drop of TUNED IN".
The EP's first track, "PHAT", has a nonquantized intro that is seductive and feels intoxicating, with the breaks percussive swing serving as the focal point. Imagine DJ Krush "4109" meets Damion Marley "Welcome To Jam Rock". With the horns and musical accompaniment reverbed into a massive space sitting over a gritty, unforgiving drum that you must carefully nod your head to. To top it off, the low end is super booming, with the sub-jumping octaves with the trumpets. Put your trust in J. to bring the noise to nod your head to. "PHAT" quickly establishes the epic beat-maker vibe that will take you on his journey.
"SPOOK TIGHT" arrives just in time for the fall season. With its eerie vocal pads and Halloween vibes, J creates a truly spooky atmosphere with deeply versed fx that seem to drip down from above onto a squashed and compressed drum break reminiscent of the early days of hip hop. Sharp piano keys and a solid overdriven upright bass complement a throwback vibe and show deep respect to the producers that came before him.
"CHILDREN'S CHOIR" appears to be a focal point of the EP's shift in direction, as it features an automated and gated choir that is fully verbed and kept beautifully as an acapella. Throughout the tune's deep 808 bass hits, the theme is a heavenly choir pad of glorious children's voices. It feels like magic as this song seems to keep rising onward and upward to a place unexpected by the vocal in the next song.
"SO DEE" introduces you to the voice of J. Augustus himself as you hear, "So you want me to rap?", then another voice replies, "Can you rap with that?". Here we see the comical side of J. Augustus and his use of a mandolin lead and a kazoo stab versed and delayed to fade into the depths of the song. Clean subs round out the witty dialog back and forth as it works into the title track, "Simple Plan".
"Tuned In" seems to be the purpose and peak up to this point of the EP. We can hear his musicality with his instrumentation and vocals, all of which push the message of remaining peaceful and loving towards one another. This tune feels like love as the horns and pads all come together to form "a breeze" as J. encourages everyone to "keep it easy and stay breezy".
"OK!" feels like the washing away of everything that is holding us back. A distant beautiful voice is held back by clever use of white noise and filtering. As the filters turn off the immense power and vibes of rebirth, this composition rises from the ashes like a Phoenix. It truly conveys to the listener that everything will be as stated in the title... "OK!"
To recap the body of work, "XAN XAN," a floaty gem of minimal trip-hop, is meant to show that perhaps the anxiety J. has dealt with his entire life can be washed away. "Xan XAN" is J. Augustus' formula for purging the soul of anxiousness and static.
Listen, buy and enjoy! 
BIO FOR: J. Augustus
Once a teenager with his head always in a sketchbook, Justin soon began playing in a 3 man band in small town Texas coffee shops. This classically-trained violist, self-taught pianist and street artist has since toured the country emceeing, DJing, producing, remixing your favorite tracks, while filling the city streets with his art.
J.Augustus has now been a staple of the live music scene in Austin, Texas since the late 1990's during which he could never let his passion for spectacular color go. He continued to keep his love of art alive with a spray can in one hand and an MPC in the other. Live performances over the last decade and beyond have cemented his raw talent and ability to connect with his audiences into a formidable force, bringing his own originality to the table in everything he does.
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