Rejoicer’s Spiritual Sleaze, second full length album
The follow-up to Energy Dreams (2018), Spiritual Sleaze, sees the Tel Aviv-based producer and Raw Tapes founder drawing on his spiritual practice for his new collection of songs. Throughout the album, Rejoicer draws on a wider range of influences than ever. He cites Sun Ra and Aphex Twin; Steve Reich and Dabrye; Alchemist and Arvo Pärt; Eric Satie and Wu Tang Clan; Ebo Taylor and Scientist as inspirations for Spiritual Sleaze. As well as music, Rejoicer’s environment is an influence: based in Tel Aviv, he is acutely aware of the contrast in his life, as he is able to live peacefully and creatively only fifty miles from the terrible and violent occupation in Gaza.
Spiritual Sleaze is dense with lush textures, laid-back beats and complex instrumentation that could equally be described as jazz, hip-hop, and ambient without ever being one of those things. The tension between melodic, easy-listening sounds and Rejoicer’s tendency towards improvisation inspired the album’s sound. Where Energy Dreams was “floaty”, Spiritual Sleaze is more “dirty and bouncy” while holding on to the earlier album’s dreamy, psychedelic vibe.