Oldje - Classmedia - Leya Desantis- Paul Jones ...

A reimagining of Oldje’s 2024 hit, this version strips back the heavy bass and replaces it with a live saxophone solo by Paul Jones. Jones’ tenor weaves in and out of the minimal beat, echoing the melancholy of Miles Davis’ “Blue in Green” while retaining Oldje’s lyrical focus on ambition and escape. The bridge—an instrumental call‑and‑response between the sax and a distorted, lo‑fi piano—feels like a late‑night jam in a downtown loft.

Production Highlights

A spoken‑word piece where Oldje reflects on the creative process behind the EP, layered over a field recording of NYC subway tracks. The track ends with a faint, looping sample of Leya humming a motif from “Neon Alley,” slowly fading into the distant rumble of the train—an auditory metaphor for the endless cycles of inspiration and hustle. Oldje - ClassMedia - Leya Desantis- Paul Jones ...

Production Highlights

| Artist | Notable Past Work | Signature Sound | |--------|-------------------|-----------------| | Oldje | “Midnight Ledger” (2022), “Paper Trails” (2024) | Lo‑fi drum loops, gritty spoken‑word verses, gritty NYC street‑vibes | | Class Media | Home to Aria Voxel, The Liminal, and the “Noise‑Ritual” series | Curatorial label focused on boundary‑pushing electronic and analog hybrids | | Leya Desantis | Debut EP “Silk & Static” (2023), featured on “Future R&B 2024” compilation | Ethereal falsetto, layered vocal textures, a hint of Mediterranean melisma | | Paul Jones | Albums with the “Blue Harbor Quartet,” session work for Kendrick Lamar & Kamasi Washington | Warm, expressive tenor sax, improvisational flair, cinematic phrasing | A reimagining of Oldje’s 2024 hit, this version

Oldje’s partnership with Class Media, Leya Desantis, and Paul Jones isn’t just a collaboration; it’s a conversation across generations—a gritty MC, a young R&B siren, and a seasoned jazz saxophonist all speaking the same language: storytelling through sound. While the EP’s runtime is short, each track feels fully formed, offering enough depth to warrant multiple listens.

What to take away?

Listen now on all streaming platforms, or dig a little deeper by purchasing the limited‑edition vinyl on Class Media’s store—complete with hand‑printed artwork that captures the neon‑lit alley aesthetic that inspired the EP.

The EP’s centerpiece, “Static Dreams,” is a three‑way conversation. Leya’s vocals float above a bed of analog synth arpeggios while Paul’s sax weaves in melodic counter‑points. Oldje’s verses are less rap‑centric here; he opts for a half‑spoken, half‑singing delivery that feels more like a poet reciting over a lullaby. The song’s structure mirrors a classic R‑R‑B ballad—verse, pre‑chorus, chorus, bridge—but the bridge erupts into a 12‑bar free‑jazz sax solo, complete with subtle tape hiss that adds an analog‑film feel. | Artist | Notable Past Work | Signature

Production Highlights

A four‑track, 21‑minute journey that fuses gritty boom‑bap drums, ambient synthscapes, and soulful vocal tapestries, ultimately reminding us that the future of soul is as much about space as it is about rhythm.