After a leaked album, months of apparent inactivity, and rumours of collaborations, now the enigmatic London-based producer Jai Paul has added another layer of intrigue with an Instagram picture of himself alongside his brother AK Paul and R&B star Miguel in the studio.
The producer, who is signed to XL Recordings, has had a quiet 2014 after he turned heads with a leaked album appearing on Bandcamp in April 2013 before it was swiftly taken down. Paul followed up with the only tweet he’s ever sent confirming the album was not an official release.
Despite that, it caught the attention of fans and apparently Miguel, who met up with Paul and AK while touring in the UK. The prospect of Paul, whose productions range from low-slung R&B to bass-driven garage, teaming up with Miguel, who has an off-kilter take on soul, is exciting. But don’t hold your breath waiting for a collaboration to see the light of day: as fans of Jai Paul already know, it could be months or possibly years before you hear anything else from him. Indeed, it was Miguel who posted the picture.
The post follows confirmation by XL’s in-house producer, Rodaidh McDonald, that Paul has been working on new material, though he did not elaborate on a release date for the album. “We finished it, whether he wants to put it out or not I don’t know,” he told Dazed and Confused. “It’s just a very long process for him, I guess, He’s been working on [his album] for years.”
During the months of silence from Jai, AK Paul has picked up much of the slack with a series of releases and production credits for the likes of Jessie Ware, Big Boi and Sam Smith. His own music, meanwhile, differs from his brother’s, with hints of west coast hip-hop mixed with electronica as showcased on his collaborations So Good with Nao and You with Jones.
