Canadian artist Jozem is a singer-songwriter, producer and all round musical talent that uses his complete set of abilities to take full control of his sound and deliver his sonic vision exactly as he sees it through his own creative lens. The Toronto-based – via Kenya and Rwanda – musician creates an undeniably original blend of alternative R&B with electronic touches to craft a sound that pushes the boundary to new territories.
With a string of well-received singles under his belt, he now shares his most ambitious release yet with his debut album titled it came to me in a dream. The ten track record sees the artist lay down his utterly captivating exploration of music with the album title aptly nodding to an immersive audio journey through a dream world.
Commenting on the record, Jozem shares, “it came to me in a dream is a soundscape of the last decade of my life. It is a window into my soul. It touches on my dreams, my fears, my goals and aspirations. It covers pivotal moments in my life, such as reconnecting with the country that birthed me, and that which raised me, as I continue my yearning for something that feels like home, spiritually and physically.”
Full of atmosphere from gently washy instrumentation and background sample sounds, experimental beats drive rhythms as his vivid tapestries of arrangement weave amongst his layered vocal lines. Using his voice at times as the defining element and at others as an instrument itself, with it came to me in a dream, Jozem rips up the rule book of songwriting and production to create something otherworldly and completely new.
“It touches on themes of emancipation of self as I examine my relationship with myself and those that I love, my relationship with my spirituality, my sexuality and my music, as I learn more about how I want to love and be loved. It is about facing my fears, facing the demons that haunt me at night, truly having a conversation with myself and ultimately working towards being my most authentic self whilst finding my purpose in this life,” he adds.
From album opener “Breathe” to closing track “Youth”, the artist takes the listener on an invigorating sonic trip through constantly evolving soundscapes. Bending from soulful melodic-focused vocal tracks such as “Dreams” to the dark and memorable single “Foreign” Jozem draws you in with every note on a debut album that surprises, charms and leaves you already anticipating his next work.
Listen to it came to me in a dream below
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