JX4 & Jopa - Mount Akaishi REVIEW

I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting when I opened up Discord to find out that Jamie and Jopa, two good friends and colleagues of mine, put out an album together. This had gone completely under my nose for the last several months, and quite frankly, I was fucking pissed. But not pissed enough to refuse them a review, which I very much intend to deliver on.

Jamie, or JX4, is somebody who I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for approximately a year. Their music, up to this point, unreleased, is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. It combines elements of trap, electronica, trance, elements of psychedelia, and even some horrorcore. JX4’s work sounds kind of like mental illness–I mean that in a good way.

As for Jopa, I’ve known the guy for much longer, and we’ve even worked together. His production blends soul, classic hip-hop, and samples galore. He’s a Dilla-esque prodigy.

Jopa and JX4? Together? I just didn’t really know what I’d be getting. How could their disparate styles even mesh? What would they produce? Was JX4 gonna bring some vocals on top of Jopa’s production? And what the fuck was the cover? What the fuck was the title? Did these bitches get addicted to watching One Piece during my break from Discord?

Mount Akaishi is a difficult record to put into words. What I will say is that I think it’s the perfect album for the transition we’re all feeling between autumn and winter. It’s like a hot cup of tea being sipped on top of a snowy mountain. You watch a blanket of snow descend on a shimmering, cold village below. Lanterns are the only peak of light stabbing through the grey-brown void of November. The sun sets on the barely visible horizon.

You’re depressed. But somehow you’re at peace too.

All I can really say is that Mount Akaishi is exactly what I wanted from an album made by the seasonally depressed JX4 and the soulfully inclined Jopa.

8.3.