John Frusciante Maya 2LP (Vinyl)

John Frusciante releases the first instrumental electronic album under his own name on Aaron Funk's Timesig label. The record is dedicated to his cat Maya who recently passed away, a fellow traveller in his otherwise solitary music making sessions. He says, "Maya was with me as I made music for 15 years, so I wanted to name it after her. She loved music, and with such a personal title, it didn't seem right to call myself Trickfinger, somehow, so it's by John Frusciante."

'Maya' is inspired by John's favorite music: '91 to'96 UK breakbeat hardcore and jungle. It's a varied and personal take with sophisticated, authentic production balanced against John's acute sense of melody, an inspired blending of machines and samples infused with a joyful energy.

John says his solo music has changed. "I don't have that interest in singing or writing lyrics like I used to. The natural thing when I'm by myself now, is to just make music like the stuff being released this year. I really love the back and forth with machines and the computer."

The fun he's having on 'Maya' is infectious.

Having honed electronic music's fiddlier, more technical aspects over the past half decade, here Frusciante relishes a new expressive freedom. Melodic flourishes - like the hypnotic scrambled scales of 'Usbrup Pensul', or the playful melee of basslines on 'Blind Aim' - give the album an unblemished glee that propels it forward with infectious abandon.

Emotionally, the tracks contain a powerful mixture of club ecstasy and wistful longing, coming close to the moods of mid-'90s darkside jungle, but pushing the beats a bit further...easily the artist's most successful electronic work.