Progressive metal band JIA has debuted a bass playthrough for the trio’s recently released first single, “Drift.”
Watch Jacob Umansky demonstrate his prowess at youtu.be/uA2WDOUkOhU.
Umansky said, “The things I try to accomplish when writing my bass parts for JIA are: Do my parts sound cohesive to what my band mates are creating sonically and musically? Am I serving the song? Many of my bass lines incorporate advanced techniques like tapping, double thumbing, and slapping. To me, the most important thing is that I give the listener something to grab on to. ‘Man, what is he doing back there?’ That is my goal when people listen to a JIAsong.”
JIA’s artistic vision is to create a singular voice that emerges from the deconstruction of various styles, ranging from metal to pop.
The result is a sound that is both modern and captivating.
While the band does fit nicely into the progressive metal genre, that is merely a starting point rather than a definition of the band’s style.
As “Drift” began to take shape, it was apparent to the band that the song was even more of a departure from previously recorded tracks, with an electronic element shining brightly through the song’s melodies and complex rhythms.
“‘Drift’ was one of the first songs that we wrote as a band,” the band said. “It reflects our diverse musical influences, ranging from metal to more popular idioms such as electronic music. That being said, we never think about style when we write, we just let the ideas flow.”
The “Drift” single, which features guest appearances by vocalist Casey Sabol (Periphery) and drummer Matt Garstka (Animals as Leaders), is available at wearejia.bandcamp.com/track/drift-feat-casey-sabol-matt-garstka.
The bi-coastal core of JIA – bassist Jacob Umansky, guitarist Ivan Chopik and keyboardist Alan Hankers - are based in New York and Los Angeles.
After years of writing, recording and touring together, the threesome officially formed JIA in early 2018.
Through long-distance collaboration amongst themselves and guest artists, JIA has spent the last year working on numerous songs, which they plan to release single by single over the coming months.
Photo: Ekaterina Gorbacheva
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