Yeah, it’s a religious thing, Rev. “Long Wave Sermon” emanated over airwaves on September 26, 2018, via Que4 Radio on ChiCityLives with Mike Rice. Jordan Reyes was handed the steering wheel, and he drove the church bus into the side of a mountain. Metaphorically, of course. Everybody just THOUGHT they were going to church when they hopped in, but sinners gotta sin, yeah? Crash boom, soul doom. We all shrug. We’ve been warned before.
Reyes has too, I imagine, which is why he prefers the profane to the sacred, even when he dresses it up at times like holy protestations. Building his songs from looped vocals, there’s always somewhat of a chanted quality at play, but the lyrics roll around in the dirt and grime, reverberating with us heathens and acting as a call to misbehave. But it’s not all pagan ritual, as Reyes honestly and intelligently tackles subjects like obsession, addiction, religion, and mental illness, all while pushing forward his idea of experimental music. And, believe it or not, just like Bobby McFerrin, Reyes can craft an honest-to-God earworm out of his vocal tracking, albeit with a hint of industrial sneer.
All tunes are created and performed live, one take. It’s an amazing performance, and Reyes gives it his all. There’s also a fascinating 17-minute interview with the host following the performance. Really great stuff.
--Ryan
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