26 Mar 09 Jordan: Epiphany

Jordan, a transcontinental duo, creates popular music that is, prima facie, multicultural. Spanish national Marcos Sueiro, from a small town in the hills outside Barcelona, met American Nicholas Markos as each of them worked on album projects in Chicago.

Jordan’s debut album. Epiphany, was meticulously constructed over the course of three years on a vintage 4-track cassette machine, due to budgetary and technological constraints. You’d never suspect the low-tech approach, though, after hearing the epic soundscapes and thunderous tones of this album. Sounds that you think are keyboards are actually guitars, and vice versa. “Marcos is a wizard; it’s simply unreal what he can do with a 1984 Ensoniq keyboard and a 4-track cassette machine,” marvels Nicholas. “He can make so much magic out of those old devices. You would never guess that this record was made the way it was. Marcos knows how to get the machines to bend to his will.”

Comparisons are frequently made to The Blue Nile, Ultravox, and other evocative, innovative groups. All of these are valid and flattering, though Jordan also draws on the compositional inspiration of The Who’s Quadrophenia and Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro.

It is masterful, epic synth-pop, but not retro. This is definitely not shtick–it is heartfelt, forward-thinking music, with sophisticated composition. Melodies appear and reappear, weaving through different songs to create a unified whole. Instrumental pieces provide context and transition for a distinctly coherent album.

You can check out a great review of the Epiphany record on Leonard’s Lair, a wonderful UK music-review site. And buy the music here:

• CD Baby (CD and MP3)
• Amazon MP3
• iTunes

Tags: albums, Epiphany, Jordan, releases