Thomass Jackson - Forbidden Words
DJ and producer Thomass Jackson is an artist who doesn't shy away from the weird, the silly, or the humorously esoteric. The Argentinian producer has captured a strong fan base by mixing heavy electronic beats with calypso rhythms and an emphasis on the absurd. Whether it be choking acidic barn burners or more considered sundowning electronica, TJ brings a little bit of personality to every record he touches.
TJ's latest endeavour, Forbidden Words, is an intensely powerful melding of hardcore-sampled drums and freakish alien synthesisers that combine into a strangely pleasing, oddly nostalgic dance-floor trip. From top to bottom, this record pulled me towards Saturated sunshine mixed with a hearty slathering of old animation. Forbidden Words is drenched in a playful curiosity, characterised by children's Saturday-morning cartoons. From the outset, the title track evokes an inquisitiveness mixed with a light-hearted sense of mystery that comes with the main lead, a sense that's fucked with vivid colour palettes in my mind, similar to the Classics like Wacky Races, Inspector Gadget, and, of course, Scooby Doo. It's not often you get intriguing interactions that either remove the dystopian aspects or don't take it seriously.
TJ also introduces unusual recording techniques, such as in 'Cosmin', where a plethora of vibrating voices blend together into a singular modulating mass of noise. It's not overbearing, though, if anything, it gives an odd sense of harmonious community. Think of the minions or the seagulls from Finding Nemo, and you're almost there. That's before this track punches back into its game with wobbly, leftfield rhythms, eventually stitching this track into a multi-genre stomper. TJ hits with pumping kick drums and an abrasive bassline, adding another level of oddity to an excitable track. Jackson takes a slight deviation, rather than drawing inspiration from classic 90s and 2000s electro dance. There are shades of Chemical Brothers and Mint Royal with a wave into both the baseline and its relaxed yet hip-hop-adjacent, punchy drum grooves. The difference-maker on 'Long Socks', though, is the unwavering addiction to the weird, with wiggling and uncouth atmospheres meandering relatively freely, only kept in check by a heavily effected Talk box.
The whole experience is weird and wonderful. There's a curious mix of pop art and realism smeared together into this effortlessly cool, modern tech-house revival record. However, very importantly, he's not trying to be definitively cool or tech house revivalist. With more output like Forbidden Words, expect to see Thomass Jackson popping up on your artists' ones-to-watch lists, slipping into endless tracklists, and being used all over promotional material in their future.
Label: Human Endeavour (2026)
Thomass Jackson - Forbidden Words
