jsin
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jsin

Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2019 | SELF

Toronto, Ontario, Canada | SELF
Established on Jan, 2019
Band Rock Alternative

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"jsin 'Born' CD Review"

Do you live for the lost art of the guitar solo? Do you search out hot licks and screeching catgut, moving from song to song like a junkie looking for another hit from the whammy bar? jsin’s Born just may be the tonic to cure your ills, the album you’ve been waiting for. Born is packed to the gills with gritty guitars that will warm the hearts of metal heads and classic rockers alike. Toronto native jsin bills himself as “Rock Music incarnate,” a large claim for a new artist to make. The phrase “Rock Music” is a fairly wide brush to paint with, though; that genre spans an incredible diversity of music. Instead of Rock Music, jsin, and Born, is Guitar Music, paying tribute to bygone rock and roll, fetishizing the electric six-string that is the lifeblood of modern music.

Take, for example, the album’s opening (and title) track “Born.” The song starts with a quiet beep, subtly pulsing out the beginning of the album. Soon, though, gritty guitar swells join the percussion, building to a chunking riff that will get even the most casual listener’s head bumping. jsin sings the opening lines with an edge reminiscent of Axl Rose and Ozzy Osbourne, but the song clearly pivots around the freewheeling and powerful guitars that crash between verses.

On the album’s third track, “Inside,” those guitars start the party, fighting against each other until they resolve into a buzzy riff that sets the song on fire. jsin’s voice has the same edge that Guns ‘N Roses sports, that tendency for high notes to resolve to a near shriek. He keeps it out of the red for the most part, choosing instead to focus on wordplay: “Enigmatic, symptomatic, automatic disclosure/all you need to do is keep your composure.” When his verses are dynamic, the music is so good it’s infectious. When it gets overly repetitive, it seems like jsin is treading water.

Occasionally on Born, jsin takes a break from the metal rock to slow things down. On “Never Gonna Be The Same,” the instruments are turned down and spaced out, letting jsin’s voice hog the spotlight. It’s a nice breather on an album that is mostly high octane, but jsin’s voice isn’t completely up to the task. The album’s production compresses his vocals too much, confining him to a thin range that doesn’t let him open up fully. As a result, songs that beg for a full-throated scream only show off a somewhat reserved coo. Where the guitars are on the money, fully turned up and cranking, the vocals are sometimes lacking.

“Something To Say” comes closest to really letting go, where the vocals and guitars don’t hold anything back. jsin doesn’t sound reserved in the least, getting into the emotional spirit of the song. The pieces come together nicely on the track, which overcomes repetition to be one of Born’s best.

On “You,” screeching licks give way to echoing drums and Eastern-style evoked by the sitar. Again, however, jsin’s exposed voice sounds over affected. His attempts at emotion push the edge of melodrama, never quite cracking into that saccharine land, but certainly coming too close for comfort. It’s a nice texture, but seems like an abandoned idea to take the music in another direction.

When jsin sticks to what he does best, he hits the target, crafting songs that showcase his musicianship while paying tribute to rockers past. When he forgets those pillars and slows the pace too much, he misses the mark, falling closer to Creed-ish alt-rock that sounds hollow. Boost the bass, revise the repetitive verses, and keep the energy high throughout, and Born is a banger from front to back. Until then, the rub lies in the riffs.


Review by Chris Barth
Rating: 3 Stars (out of 5)
- ReviewYou.com


"jsin: Redefining Rock"

by: Sheniz Mohammed

He is effortlessly cool. Wearing an unbuttoned shirt, two necklaces with OM and Guns n’ Roses emblems, funky sunglasses and a thin striped scarf, the man already has his look down. A self-proclaimed rocker, jsin is sipping coffee and telling me about his latest EP. Lucky enough to have gotten an advance copy, I’m already familiar with the jsin sound.

The EP is a diverse collection of tracks that have a raw, edgy sound. “Inside”, a Prince inspired track, is a sexy upbeat song that really displays jsin’s vocal range. “You Never Know” is an ode to a family member that unexpectedly passed away, and has a melancholic bittersweet vibe. jsin’s first song, “You”, is not on the EP, but is definitely worth a listen (or two, or three…or a hundred). The fact that “You” is the first song jsin wrote is an indication of his musical potential. His voice is rich and mature, nuanced with a bluesy, raspy tone that brings the lyrics to life.

jsin writes his all of his own music and lyrics, and his personal motto is “keep it real” (not the cliché, the actual meaning of the phrase). He doesn’t believe in using gimmicks and cheap tactics to further his musical career- he simply believes in what he does. He quips, “When friends asked me what I would say about myself for this interview, I said, ‘I’ll say the same thing I always say’”

jsin grew up in Montreal, surrounding himself with rock music from a young age. On his walks home from school, he’d pass by the used cd store and sift through cds until he found ones he liked. He’d play guitar in school, and listened attentively to his favourite musicians to learn what makes their musical style unique. His biggest influence, by far, has been Guns N’ Roses, “My ultimate dream would be to open for Guns N’Roses, at Wembley Stadium.” After all, it was a Guns n’ Roses song that helped him realize his passion for singing.

A Mathematics major at the University of Waterloo, jsin kept singing as a hobby- until he performed at a local open mic event in a local bar. “There were some really horrible acts. I thought, if they can get up there and sing, I should.” So he did. Singing “Patience” by- you guessed it, Guns N’Roses, he received more positive feedback than he expected. “The best compliment I can get is when people tell me, ‘You look like you’re really into it’” He creates music for himself first, and if people don’t like it, too bad. “At the end of the day, if I can’t face myself in the mirror, there’s something wrong there.”

Although jsin lives and works in Toronto, he still misses his former glory days in Montreal. “There’s more of a scene there…you go anywhere and there’s something going on” Reflecting on his recent trip to London, England, he shares one of his insights, “It’s as if art is part of the European consciousness…its everywhere. Canada is a young country. We don’t have that yet.” So what’s missing in the music industry today? “Well it’s a question of what is being promoted and what isn’t. In terms of the rock scene, there’s not a lot of variety, a lot of bands sound the same.” The South Asian arts scene is also starting to open up, “I performed at a South Asian festival, and I had older people coming up to me and appreciating what I do.” He hopes that he can open people’s eyes by performing unconventional music at South Asian events.


A self-professed control freak, j-sin emphasizes the importance of having a good producer,” Vikas (Kohli) understands my musical language. If I can’t describe it in words, I use mathematical theory. We get each other. He gives me the creative freedom I need.”

It’s obvious that jsin has carefully thought out his musical career- from his image, to his sound, to his artistic philosophy. He sums up his creative philosophy, “Just be honest with yourself, and about yourself.” With such a strong foundation, there’s no doubt that jsin will make waves in the years to come.

To hear jsin’s music, visit: www.jsinisrockmusic.com
- South Asian Living


"Local Musician 'jsin' Rocks Tattoo Rock Parlour"

If there were ever an artist who thrives off of the fringes of musical definition, it is jsin. Although his primary influences are known to be derived from musical genres that would typically fall under the Rock category, there is a strong undertone of ambiguity that pervades his music. Produced by Vikas Kohli of Fat Labs Studios, the Montreal/Toronto native’s debut album titled “Born� takes you through a smorgasbord of heavy riffs, electrifying melodies, and vocals that are reminiscent of a young Axl Rose; all of this, wrapped up in a package that has undertones of Rock, Electronica, Pop and Trip Hop. The album is anything but typical millennium rock, yet it manages to stay clear of the overused “mashup� label. You get the immediate sense that jsin is not your everyday rock musician, but more of a shape-shifting messenger; a true artiste as the French would say. For his latest gig at Tattoo Rock Parlour in Toronto’s fringy Queen West, there was no intro. He stepped on stage, laden in dark jeans and a stiff collar jacket that looked like it was taken from the futuristic set of Bladerunner. Coupled with his tied back hair and slightly kempt beard, you get the immediate sense that jsin’s overall style is a personification of his music; undefined. Without hesitation, he grabbed the microphone and drew the venue into a frenzy by throwing himself into his riff laden title track, “Born�. For an artist who only decided to pursue his musical dreams less than two years ago, jsin’s stage presence paints a deceiving picture. His smooth snake-like movement across the floor is reminiscent of a Jim Morrisson, while his connection with the audience is a throwback to the early days of Gn’R. With the voltage in the atmosphere set to high, jsin slowed down the pace by taking an interlude to describe what a man thinks during his most intimate moments with a woman:

“You know when there is a girl in the room or a girl around you, your palms get a bit sweaty…there’s a lot of tension in the air and you realize life isn’t all that difficult, things just get a little hard sometimes.�

This was an atypical dose of humour from an otherwise quiet and mysterious persona. Cleverly, he transitioned his conversation with the audience into the adrenaline fueled track “Inside�; a journey into man’s carnal desires, delivered through the raw, unbolting energy of hard rock. With the hook dispensed through a sharp falsetto, the venue was thrown back to the rock music of generations past. The heart pounding track ground to a chilling halt as jsin took a moment to sip his water. He seized the opportunity to introduce his band, most notably his sexy female percussionist Faiza, who pounded the drums with intoxicating fervor throughout the beginning of the show. After twisting through the radio friendly “You Never Know� and the trippy electronic beats of “Minions of the Moon�, jsin closed off the set by covering the classic GNR gem, “Rocket Queen�. This was a bold tribute to the band that shaped his early musical influence and inspired him to become an artist in his own right. While this may have been a cover, jsin clearly made the track his own without losing the integrity of the original masterpiece; the mark of a true artist. Completely spent, he left the stage and headed to the bar to cool off; just another night for this unique up and comer.

-Kaery Lall - www.southasianlife.com


Discography

EP
Surrender (2020)

Photos

Bio

To win, you must give in.

jsin learned that the hard way. Now the restlessly creative vocalist, songwriter and actor shares that truth — and the journey that led to it — on his eclectic, personal EP Surrender.

"These songs speak to the process of surrendering to what is, instead of trying to control things," he says. "Every song is me expressing that I have to let myself be, let myself exist, not just let my thought processes or my ego drive my actions."

The six-track set fuses cutting-edge sonics with classic songcraft to forge a sound that slices through genres, eras and influences. Whether your playlist stars GN’R, NiN, Michael Jackson, U2 or Radiohead, Surrender will speak to you.

So will jsin's direct, sincere lyrics. "I hope people hear this and think, 'Things aren't so bad, but I'm going to acknowledge how I'm feeling right now and not let it get in my way of getting what I want.' "

 

Band Members