Our ‘Track By Track’ guide sheds light on the stories behind some of our favourite artists’ music.
We’re always partial to a bit of future soul around these parts, so the cosmic soul/RnB, low-end weighted hip hop, and conscious jazz of Cosmic Link was something we gravitated to with ease.
The transatlantic duo of Florida-based Jay Myztroh and Bristol-based producer Ben Dubuisson dropped their debut album today with High Noon Music.
Taking inspiration from musical legends such as Erykah Badu, Prince, Alice Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, and Esperanza Spalding, the album’s soulful grooves transport you to the far reaches of the cosmos. At the same time, the thought-provoking lyrics engage listeners on a deeply subconscious level.
The overall theme of the album is summed up in the lyrics of the closing title track, “Our motion is perpetual/together we move/at the speed of life/ intertwined by our timelines/which coincide”.
They’ve been sharing a sneak peek of the album over the last few months with tunes like ‘Let It Go’, ‘Show U Love’, and the title track.
With the full album now here for us to delight in, Myztroh lifts the lid on the songs that make up the record. Check it out right now:
“Cosmic Link is about interconnectedness. All living things are products of the Cosmos, we are forever linked to it. We all share a source, a timeline, a planet, air, a sun etc. We are linked by simply being and doing the things beings do. The Cosmic Link between Ben and I culminated in songs that centred on our link with The Cosmos or our links in relationships.”
1. Let It Go
‘Let it Go’ is about releasing the things that no longer serve you in your life and highlights the fact that a decision is required. The things of your past only hold the power you allow them to have; deciding to let it go is a reclaiming of one’s power.
2. The Infinite
“I synthesize with The Most High in my time creating”: this song is about my dedication to a spiritual journey and exploring my connection to The Divine through creation. Each time creations are manifested, it extends my life.
3. Quiet Time
Meditation is one of the most used practices in my life; it has taught me that I am neither my mind or my thoughts. The ego is the automatic thought machine; it is influenced by all that we ingest. The chorus, “Likin’/swipin’/talkin’/typin’/get your quiet time too”, acknowledges how we are forced to participate in this world but it is it essential to take time to get still and just live.
4. Karma
In the past, I had always equated karma to the universal law of causality. While there is some truth to this, I’ve learned that effects of earlier causes manifest not only as happenings but also as, our compulsions/unconscious habits, desires, revulsions, etc. Karma, in fact, creates the ego, thereby shaping the lenses through which we see the world. In this song, Karma is a seductress whose hold and influences are too difficult to shake off.
5. Metaphysical
The way you live shapes the experience you have in life. Our lives are filled with decisions and this song highlights our responsibility for our own lives.
6. The Beat Goes
This song is the most abstract on the album. It examines how dichotomy is natural and how life goes through cycles of opposites as if the pendulum of a metronome swinging from one extreme to the other. All the while, the beat continues.
7. Cellphone
This beat is one that I’d been mulling over for at least a year, I loved it but got very little traction in writing. I explored two different themes but neither took hold. Then, as we closed in on the album deadline, I thought about writing a song that used a romantic context to explore our societal dependence on cell phones. I revisited the beats that Ben had already sent me and when I heard the intro, the phrase “I wish I could be your cellphone/Guarantee I hear your voice daily” came to mind. I was driving but grabbed a sheet of paper to jot a few rough lines. When I got home, I sat at the computer and finished writing the song line by line on the microphone. This is a favourite of mine.
8. Shoot – Remix
‘Shoot’ is a song that Ben and I have been holding onto for a while. Our first collaboration was the song ‘Metaphysical’ and this was the second. I’m playing on the idea of “shooting your shot” in regards to taking a chance but flipping metaphorically to the basketball court. This is a fun one on par with ‘Cellphone ‘in its wit. Each line is playfully flirtatious.
9. Show U Love
Side two of our record is grouped under the theme “Link” and as narrative, explores the evolution of a relationship. The first song of the side, ‘Cellphone’, expresses the desire to be close to someone, ‘Shoot’ is the introduction to the courting stage and ‘Show U Love’ is a request to take a step into a committed relationship. The speaker is addressing the fears that come with making the leap into a serious relationship, while assuring his partner that no matter what happens, he can assure her of his continued love.
10. A Gift Universal
The loving relationship continues to evolve. Our main character is now pleading that his lover wake up to see the depth of his feelings for her. The lyric “Our connection is a cosmic endowment baby, a gift universal” speaks to the idea that although love is universally available, it is a sacred and divinely appointed gift.
11. Reality
‘Realty’ highlights the impact our perception has on the world we know. Once we realize this, it is natural to question all that we experience. The speaker evolves within the self reflection of the song growing from “not knowing to seek/the truly unique” to having “…hands up to reach/celestial peaks.”
12. Cosmic Link
The theme of this song and the theme of the album is summed up in the following lyric “Our motion is perpetual/together we move/at the speed of life/ intertwined by our timelines/which coincide”. There is no separating the all from the source.
