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Album of the Month: Waajeed ‘Memoirs of Hi-Tech Jazz’

Waajeed captures the joys, struggles and sounds of his home city of Detroit on his Tresor debut

The first album from Detroit stalwart Waajeed (aka Robert O’Bryant) on Tresor is, we’re told in the press release, best experienced in the car, thanks partly to a run time that ties-in with a round-trip drive between two places of importance to the producer: Underground Music Academy (the education hub founded by Waajeed) and Belle Isle Park, both in the producer’s home city.

It’s one of many touches giving the impression Waajeed is a man who maps things out, meticulously. Everything on the album has been carefully crafted with intent, from musical reference points to the broader picture it paints

The album’s biggest intention, though, is to highlight an ongoing struggle taking place, that of “revolutionary efforts against oppressive hegemonies in Detroit, and in Black locales around the world.” Knowing this as you listen clearly adds another level to what’s already a multi-layered record, as does the declaration that this is an album which “celebrates Black leisure and play”. Again, it’s a record created with specific aims that go beyond ‘just’ filling Detroit dancefloors. Saying that, ‘Memoirs of Hi-Tech Jazz’ will indeed pack-out the dancefloors, because it’s a gem. Sonically, this is a big, intricate record, with Waajeed paying tribute to Detroit’s techno and jazz heritage throughout, wrapping up both elements in a warm house framework. As such, it should appeal to both techno fans and jazz heads, as well as those craving uplifting four-four.

All of which makes sense, given the producer’s CV. Though known for his roots in Detroit house (which are always present on ‘Memoirs’), Waajeed is never one to sit still. He’s worked with hip-hop heavyweight J Dilla, techno dons Carl Craig and Underground Resistance, and founded the eclectic Dirt Tech Reck label, to name but a few projects.

This range is masterfully displayed on ‘Motor City Madness’ (the album’s first single), which somehow seamlessly melds a pulsing house beat with acidic synths and saxophone flourishes, ending with a rhythmic techno march, and all the while moving through an orchestral-like arrangement. The finished track could be dropped in a sweaty basement club or performed live at a jazz gig, each without really raising eyebrows.

Similarly, ‘Snake Eyes’ begins on a floating, funky riff, before Waajeed suddenly adds bubbling synths that threaten to erupt into full-fat techno, which the saxophone (courtesy of acclaimed Detroit saxophonist De’Sean Jones) then duly answers. It is, quite literally, hi-tech jazz.

By now, it should be clear that Detroit’s pulse is the album’s lifeblood. The city’s landscapes and its history (very much including the troubles and upheaval faced by those living there across the years) have heavily informed how Waajeed put together ‘Memoirs’ and the resulting sound. Detroit’s parks, roads, cars, industry, music and people are present in every song, again speaking to the principles on which the album is built.

But although the record is inextricably tied to Detroit’s history, it doesn’t look solely to the past. ‘Memoirs’ is also thoroughly contemporary, shown by an audible progression as the album plays. Beginning with references to Detroit sounds of decades gone by, later tracks like ‘Right Now’ and ‘Keep It Coming’ pick up the pace and devote more focus to rhythm, all given Waajeed’s distinctive house treatment.

So, although it’s no doubt best heard through a crystal-clear sound system while gliding through the streets of Detroit, it also sounds pretty damn good simply when blasted through tinny laptop speakers, which is always a good sign. Crucially, it’s also a welcome reminder that music with a message doesn’t have to sound a certain way – and it can be overflowing with pristine grooves.