Irish artist Jimbo Jones, real name, Jamie Matthews, has announced his debut album The Heat Death of My Hometown, which is set to be released this Friday, the 26th of February. Taking to his Instagram account to announce the news, the Dublin artist said; “FINALLY, I can talk about this shit and get it off my chest!!! Next Friday (February 26th) the debut Jimbo Jones album “The Heat Death of My Hometown” comes out!”
The album is set to explore the deterioration of Dublin’s nightlife and culture as well as looking and the horrifying housing and homelessness crisis that is ripping through Ireland. Through the use of spoken word and electronic beats, Jimbo illustrates the gentrification and emigration of his hometown. It captures a chaotic vision of the world within Dublin’s city limits. He uses a range of spoken word devices, including a reading of James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man over a beat to show the evolution of Dublin life.
Speaking about the creation of the album, Jimbo said in an Instagram post; “The first track for this album was written a year and a half ago after leaving Ireland in the midst of chaos centred around housing crisis protests. Over that time I have been letting my thoughts and ideas fester and have formulated these notions into songs.”
“Only during lockdown was I able to compile and curate these tracks into a detailed narrative of a rapidly decaying Dublin City; the premise of this album. I wanted this project to reflect the feelings of isolation and separation experienced by both myself, and many of my peers, due to the the rampant gentrification and emigration that is prevalent in Ireland; particularly Dublin city. I hope that these ideas resonate with many of you, or at the very least, translate.”
The first track off the album, Who is Dubh Linn For? gives an insight into the decay of cultural spaces and constricted creative outlets in the capital city. Dublin has seen the closure of countless weekends markets and small businesses as well as nightclubs and cultural pubs such as the Bernard Shaw, all for the sake of gentrification as the Irish government seeks to fill the city with hotels. The song features samples from Emmet Kirwan and Una Mullally as well as recordings of sounds of the city, which fully takes you back to the streets of Dublin. The album will also feature samples from local creator Kojaque.
All proceeds from the album will be donated to CATU Ireland, a grassroots organisation that works as a union for communities and tenants such as; renters, council tenants, mortgage holders and people in emergency & precarious living situations.
The Heat Death of My Hometown will be out this Friday, the 26th of February. You can listen to the first track off the album Who is Dubh Linn For? on Jimbo Jones’ Soundcloud. The tracklist for the album is below.
Who is Dubh Linn For?
Almost Post Coital
Beware of Monkey Mind
The Many Body Problem
From This Position
Frain Bried
Fear of Cranes
DART
