IJALE returns with his latest single ‘XXL’, his first since signing with Untitled Group’s tastemaker label Daily Nightly Records. The playfully bodacious ‘XXL’ comes off the back of his independently released debut EP earlier this year, featuring triple j approved singles ‘Hotlines’ & ‘Coffee Cups’. Since then IJALE (aka Jerry Agbinya) has been cooped up in Melbourne lockdown refining his sound.
A crowd favourite from his pre-covid live shows, ‘XXL’ features shimmering keys & crispy boom bap drums that give it the timelessness of a classic Madlib instrumental. IJALE’s flow on the other hand, dripping in swag & confidence, with off the cuff lyrics that encapsulate his mindset, content with his choices & easing into a well earned confidence.
“The song is basically me talking my shit, feeling confident, about life, about my choices, about my path and the people I had around me at the time,” says IJALE of the release. “It’s about not needing hella followers or heaps of cash to be on top of your game.’
With a new label signing, recent Unearthed feature artist profile and a mixtape on its way in 2021, IJALE is most definitely on top of his game.
BIO
Melbourne producer, vocalist & performer, IJALE, is a self-contained master of his sound. A keen music fan & avid creator, he blends a myriad of Afrocentric sounds & western influences that reflect his Nigerian heritage, Australian upbringing & the multifaceted taste of an open-minded listener of the internet age. These concoctions vary in sound from piece to piece, but are usually punctuated by hints of African percussion, infectious basslines and layered electronic textures, all of which pay direct homage to the hallmark genres of black creativity including Jazz, Soul, RnB, and of course Hip-Hop.
Jerry Agbinya, aka IJALE, began releasing music in 2017 but has been busy honing and perfecting his songwriting and production skills for years. The name IJALE is Jerry’s middle name and the name of his dad’s eldest brother who recently passed away. He chose this name to release music under as “a way to make the culture and my heritage front and centre of my music.”
Following a brief break from his previous project Spirals, IJALE hit the ground running with support shows alongside Winston Surfshirt, Raiza Biza and Phondupe. In January of 2020, IJALE hosted his first show and played alongside some of Melbourne’s most promising up and comers including Jordan Dennis, Nasty Mars, Rara Zulu & more.
PRAISE FOR IJALE:
“Smart and sophisticated, but it still has a sting in its tail” – Richard Kingsmill, triple j
“IJALE is the true definition of a hidden gem” EARMILK
“He’s out here doing the lord’s work and he’s doing it with finesse and flow” – Tommy Faith, triple j Unearthed
“IJALE is proving he is one artist worth keeping both eyes firmly planted on” Purple Sneakers
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