There are two sides to every story that ebb and flow on a continuum moving ever closer to equilibrium. Light changes to dark, failure into success … we are at war with the world; we are at war with ourselves. It is in the ever-present pull between opposite ends of the spectrum that art and creativity flourish. In letting go, we often find ourselves; this is Jagwar Twin.
The world is full of duality as we search for equilibrium – this search for balance and self-discovery powers Jagwar Twin, hence the album title Subject to Flooding. Just as one can be flooded with love and emotion, flooding can also bring destruction. In letting go and using one another as a mirror to grow, we often find ourselves. Motivated by a shared human spirit, Jagwar Twin melds a worldly-ensemble of alternative sounds. Roy English, the driving force behind Jagwar Twin, emerges as a spiritual monk warrior with a powerful voice and prophet-like poetry paired against a landscape of 60’s style guitars, gritty hip-hop break beats, and flipped MPC samples reminiscent of Dark Fantasy-era Kanye West. As a self-taught singer in high school, Roy was bullied for his vocal tone but early on realized that he could channel that negativity into self-exploration through music. A chance introduction to GRAMMY Award winning producer Jeff Bhasker [Kanye West, Harry Style] set Roy on the path to follow his dreams, but the ups and downs in the industry were ever-present. Jagwar Twin was eventually born when Roy hooked up with producer S1 [Kanye West, Lorde], and rock producer Linus, who brought a lifestyle and diet that consisted of Himalayan shillijit tar, fasting, saunas, ice baths and meditation during studio sessions all with the goal of removing ego from the process. This free environment led to a democratic production process which ultimately welcomed contributions from Jeff Bhasker, Travis Barker of blink-182 and more. The highly collaborative creative process reflects the greater idea behind Jagwar Twin – connecting our energies and spirits together can lead to something greater than initially imagined, a welcome message amongst the fragile state of the world emotionally, physically, environmentally and politically.
