J Wright Presents was my original stage name when I began doing solo work. I played maybe five or six shows under that title, and released 1 ½ 7” singles, on the Bad Jazz record label. I then moved on to James Yorkston, of course. I’ve resurrected the J Wright Presents name here, as I wanted to make it clear to folk that this new album isn’t an album of acoustic songs. In fact, there’s almost no vocal on it whatsoever. What there is, is old drum machines, synths, a bit of piano, field recordings, sampled harmoniums made all squelchy, that sort of thing.

I guess it could be called an electronic album, that’s probably the most accurate term.
It began life years ago. Often, in my studio, I’ll let my mind wander and just press a few buttons to see what happens, and sometimes I’ll record that, build upon, make it into some kind of track. But these experiments, although they certainly help voice my solo albums (The Route to the Harmonium is full of such trickery, swirling around in the background), they’re never really used, otherwise. This is a compilation of them.

Influences come from all over, and the same influences that feed my usual work no doubt feed this, but I’ve zoomed in a little here, to other aspects of my interest. So, I’d say Wendy Carlos, The Drummers of Burundi, Lee Perry, Carl Stone, fAUST, that sort of thing, but with a nod too to more modern electronic music, of course. Although I have not their fancy gizmos or whizz kid skills.