4. Jeff PhelpsMagnetic Eyes
I don’t think there is hardly anybody who knows about this guy. I always dig and look for all kinds of different music all the time, but from time to time, there’s always a great find – and this was one of those for me. From what I’ve heard and read, I think this guy was probably already making music in his own room for years before he released any music. There’s definitely a sort of a techno-pop element to it, and then there’s a very nerdy kind of ambience – and he was doing everything on his own. He’s African-American [and brings styles from his origins] into his work – imagine a DIY version of Prince. He was completely long-forgotten, but then somebody found his materials and put them together, maybe about three or four years ago. Not even as a reissue, just, like, the first sort of put together. He was [hugely] ahead of his time, because even when he was making those songs back in the early 1980s, in this modern era, it sounds more fitting now to what he accomplished back then. I just came across this completely underground and very ambiguous soul compilation album. I don’t remember the name of the label that it was being put out on, but definitely some label in the States. One of Jeff Phelps’ songs was on that album, and that’s how I discovered him and went to find out more.
