Today [20th October], Jeshi has released his first project in almost a year and a half. He presents to you “The Great Stink”. The six track project shows both consistency and ambition. Ever since his first release Jeshi has wowed listeners with his ability to bring wide ranging and vast issues into the perceivable.
The artful cacophony of ‘Inside Out’ blurs into the grungy love song ‘Head Height’, where Jeshi takes a melodic turn. Each track finds a loose connection to the title of the project and spins it into something new and Jeshi-esq.
Jeshi’s 21st century observations are borderline obsessive in their astute detail, every mention roots you further in his vivid world. This never becomes a crutch, the mention of The Beatles in ‘Spirit Level’ is one of the few specifics of the entire song and leaves the listener feeling like they’re untethered, spiralling through his thoughts.
Ending with a crescendoing guitar solo, ‘Spirit Level’ yearns for balance and peace. To end the project Jeshi finds a sombre beauty in frustration.
In contrast to his debut album which featured numerous producers and was recorded across the country; ‘The Great Stink’ sees continuity reign, with the same producers and creatives across every aspect of it, Max Frith & Cajm on production (with additional credits by Fredwave) & creative direction by Francis Plummer.
The most recent & second single from ‘The Great Stink’, “Paid Partnership” is about the rise of the online wheeler-dealer that’s seen teen retail kingpins emerge as some of the true victors of the internet age.
The project is named after the summer of 1858 in London, in which the hot weather exacerbated the smell of human waste present on the banks of the River Thames. Cholera was running rife through the streets affecting the poorest Londoners and the press attention galvanised around the moniker “The Great Stink”. A very real historical event that serves as the metaphorical backdrop to Jeshi’s first full-length project in almost a year and a half. Jeshi uses the mythos of a near forgotten event in British history to bring his own world to light.
Premiered by Clara Amfo, “Paid Partnership”, followed on from the first single of the project “Air Raid” which saw a conceptual video featuring a suit of armour clad knight go on an East London “Knight Out” with Jeshi, which was directed by Francis Plummer.
Jeshi explains the thought behind the EP: “The Great Stink is a metaphor for all this stinky shit going on in my day-to-day life in London, we wanted to make an EP that really feels like that. Entirely produced by longtime collaborators and friends Max Frith and Cajm with help from Fredwave and Jonah we recorded and worked on this in this haunted feeling air bnb in the middle of nowhere in Wales.”
“The Great Stink” Tracklist:
- Air Raid
- Inside Out
- Head Height
- Bad Stomach
- Paid Partnership
- Spirit Level
Boasting a relentless work, with a touring schedule of an 80s rock band Jeshi has stunned festival crowds at Glastonbury, Project 6, We Love Green, Outbreak, Reeperbahn Fest, Dour, Midi, Latitude, Luzern Live, Sundown & Warehouse Projet’s Repercussions. He also managed to fit in playing his first headline show in Tokyo and time to front campaigns with Nike Air Max and Dr. Martens. On top of that Jeshi secured his second Top Boy soundtrack feature with ‘Killing Me Slowly” appearing on the final season, opening Episode 2. Cementing his impending global domination fans can look forward to enjoying ‘Protein V2 ft. Obongjayar & WESTSIDE BOOGIE’ while playing the new EAFC 24 game.
More on Jeshi:
Since his critically acclaimed EP ‘Bad Taste’, Jeshi has been creating an enviable legacy of work. Arriving in May of 2023, Jeshi shared his ‘era-defining’ debut album ‘Universal Credit’ with the world. Incredibly multidimensional, ‘Universal Credit’ was searing, personal, relatable & humorous. Wowing critics and fans alike it had an undeniable impact.
Jeshi has also collaborated with some of the hottest names in music including Sad Night Dynamite, Celeste, Jim-e Stack, Westside Boogie, Ray Laurel, Obongjayar & Vegyn. His music has secured support from fashion, music and culture press alike, including: Hypebeast, Metal Magazine, Dazed, The Guardian, 10 Magazine, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Face, i-D, Huck, Line Of Best Fit, MixMag, DIY, The Independent, Complex UK, The Fader, British GQ, British Vogue, MixMag, Clash Magazine & Pitchfork. Fresh off the success of his debut record Jeshi picked up a coveted AIM Award for best music video for ‘3210’ and a nomination for best rap album at the DJ Mag Awards. Jeshi recently added a Music Video Awards nomination, for fan favorite “Bad Day At The Office (live film)” directed by Ethan & Tom, to his fast growing list of achievements.