'Force Multiplier' by Rena Jones & KiloWatts

'Force Multiplier' is the new collaborative project from the immeasurably talented minds of Rena Jones and KiloWatts.

With neither artist a stranger to collaboration - and each having amassed an incredible body of work throughout their music-making years - 'Force Multiplier' sets the stage for entirely new and inspired compositions allowing both artists to revel within the scintillating possibilities that their union lends itself to.

Credited throughout 'Force Multiplier' for violin, viola, cello, digital percussion, vocals, Glockenspiel and Rhodes, amongst several other instruments, Rena Jones' creativity and boundless talents seem to know little restriction as she constantly embraces new challenges and opportunities to continually create.  Based in Portland, Oregon, Jones' musical adventures have long been rooted within the concept of exploration which help to spearhead her no rules and genre-defying approach that see her assume complete control of her music - from writing to production and even as an independent label owner for Cartesian Binary Recordings and Pok Pok Records.

And joining Jones for this go-round is the equally versatile Jamie "KiloWatts" Watts in a union that was perfectly teased early in 2022 with the KiloWatts remix of Rena Jones' 'Titian Sleeps'.  Taking the electronica-tinged chamber original from Jones' 'Allegories' album (2021), Watts plunges the track deeper within a broader electronica soundscape that was frankly just too good not to even attempt to explore the burgeoning duo's dynamic further.  Much like his 'Force Multiplier' cohort, Watts' own career has echoed that notion of seeking out new challenges and like-minded collaborators and over the course of his own many years within the industry, the KiloWatts brand has left an indelible imprint across an extensive range of releases.

 

Over the course of the five tracks on 'Force Multiplier', everything from the writing to the production to the instrumentation is split right down the middle with Jones and Watts handling the entire workload themselves.  And the results are sensational.  A glorious meeting-of-the-minds sees Rena Jones' haunting yet sublime strings and instrumentation afforded an exquisite sonic playground with the downtempo electronic ambience that proves to compliment each aspect perfectly.  Theirs is a project that revels in lush textures and intricate compositions that result in a deeply intimate and engaging experience.

In line with the concept of exploration as addressed earlier, it does seem to serve as a prevailing theme for both Rena Jones and Jamie Watts' music to date and while I would fully expect their respective searches to continue for both artists' music going forward, I would also suggest that through this project, Jones and Watts have each discovered something incredibly special within each other.