Jack J & Freak Heat Waves

When
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
8 p.m.
Cost: $22.20
Where
635 N Killingsworth Ct
Portland, OR 97217

Just a little over two years after the release of his debut album, Opening the Door, Jack J re-emerged with a new full-length album. On Blue Desert, the Australian-born Vancouver-based multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer wades deeper into the stylistically prismatic pool of his own creation: melancholy dub-funk, jangling psychedelia, moon-burnt sophisti-pop and stained glass folk mutations float freely together. 

Freak Heat Waves came back in 2023 with their fifth LP, Mondo Tempo. Released under Vancouver's Mood Hut label, Mondo Tempo is an exploration and indulgence of dancehall grooves, ambient textures, trance mantras, and MIDI smoothness. The Montreal and Victoria-based duo – comprised of Steve Lind and Thomas Di Ninno – created a record that is a sophisticated blend of post-punk, psych, dub, ambient, house, and techno. The album and the lead single “In a Moment Divine” were critical favorites featured on many year-end lists including Resident Advisor, Crack Magazine and Gorilla vs. Bear.