The Return of Jai Paul
In 2013, Jai Paul was said to have changed pop music with just two songs. Then, he disappeared for six years. Now, he’s back.
Written by Kasey Clarke
Photo courtesy of DAZED
Reclusive artist Jai Paul has finally announced his return to music. On June 1, Paul told his fans through Twitter that he has worked on new music and will share it soon. This comes after a six year hiatus of his career, during which he maintained no online presence and was rarely photographed.
In his announcement, Paul also provided a link to his webpage, a murky-looking site on which users can search for posters, merch, and songs. The webpage provided a platform for the release of two new singles, and promotion of The Paul Institute, the label Jai Paul has created with his brother, A.K. Paul.
Jai Paul in a rare photograph with brother A.K. Paul (left) and Miguel (middle).
Photo courtesy of Pitchfork
is previous two singles, “BTSTU” and “Jasmine,” received attention on many popular music blogs, so much so that his first single, “BTSTU,” was even sampled by Drake and Beyonce in their songs “Dreams Money Can Buy” and “End of Time,” respectively.
Despite positive reviews and widespread anticipation for more music, Paul stepped back from his growing career following a leak of his album. The album, 04-13 leak(Bait Ones), was uploaded to Bandcamp in April 2013. There was speculation online that the leak was a publicity stunt on the part of Paul and his label, but both Paul and XL Records denied it.
On his website, Paul’s once-leaked album is now officially available for download. Within the album’s download, Paul included a letter to fans explaining what had happened on his side of the leak.
“I believe these particular versions of tracks may have come from a burned CD that got misplaced,” he says in the letter. This differs from the widely accepted rumor that Paul’s personal laptop was stolen as a means to leak the demos.
Paul also shared his feelings around the album’s unwanted release. “It was very difficult to deal with,” Paul says. “The immediate, overriding feeling was one of complete shock. I felt numb.”
He goes on to explain that the released version of 04-13 leak (Bait Ones) on his website is somewhat altered, due to clearance problems, but the vocals and mixing on tracks are still unfinished.
However, the letter also looks to the future. The two new singles he released, “Do You Love Her Now” and “He” were unreleased tracks that Paul worked on between 2007 and 2013. He decided to finish and release them as a part of his new beginning.
Altering between smooth and gritty, the two singles make Paul sound like the cooler, older brother of The 1975 or an R&B version of Animal Collective. The singles echo his old releases in many respects. From what we know, they were written around the same time as “BTSTU” and “Jasmine.” However, productionally, they have a smoother, more minimal quality. Paul typically uses synth layers and fuzzy baselines to drown out his vocals, but on “Do You Love Her Now,” vocals drive the melody. While his expansive and sometimes crowded sound inspired new styles of production, the more minimalist sound significantly veers from his widely-influential style.
In addition to new music, the letter focuses on the future of the Paul Institute.
“Founding the Paul Institute has also been an important step for me in terms of putting stuff out there again and getting back to what I love,” Paul says. “I wanted to create a positive environment that artists could be supported in and stand together through some of the pressures that can make this industry difficult to navigate.”
Jai Paul photographed in Property Week for the development of the Paul Institute. This was the first time the artist was pictured in years.
Photo courtesy of Property Week
The Paul Institute was founded in 2016. The initial website continued to feed the mystery around Paul, as users had to become institute members in order to gain access to certain releases. The only information that the website had was a contact form for artists who wanted to work with the brothers.
Since its inception, the Paul Institute has signed four artists; Ruthven, HIRA, REINEN, and Fabiana Palladino, in addition to releasing music by A.K. Paul. Each artist has an individual sound, but they all hinge on the synth-pop funk hybrids and unique production mixes Paul is known for.
Although we have heard from the artists Paul mentors as well as his two new b-sides, we have yet to hear completely new music from Paul himself, as his most recent singles were originally created in 2007. The demos we do have sound pretty fresh after many years, so Paul could easily pick back up from where he left off in 2013, or he could create an entirely new sound. Either way, his influence on production and underground music is undeniable.