Willie Isz - Georgiavania

After several years, Lex Records continues to put out crazy, unexpected artwork with their releases. This album is no exception. Georgiavania by Willie Isz is a collaborative project between Philadelphia-based producer/MC Jneiro Jarel and Georgia-based Good Mob-associate Khujo. The album is similar in style to what Jneiro did with the Shape of Broad Minds album, but adds much more southern influence to his psychedelic, atmospheric beats. Judging from some reactions I've seen, the album may be an acquired taste. But it will grow on you, at least if you're a fan of either Jneiro or Khujo's previous work.



The strange cover art, illustrating the mysterious 51st state of Georgiavania, was illustrated by James Jarvis. The CD's packaging folds out into the full illustration (above). The art isn't something I expected for the album, but that's what makes it great. It fits well with the bizarre instrumentation.



James Jarvis is a British artist who is known for his unique characters and vinyl toys, including "King Ken". After having his designs distributed by other brands, he co-founded AMOS in 2002 to distribute his products. In April he released a great animated short-film, Onward (below), with the support of Nike, inspired by his obsession with jogging. It features the music of "folktronica" artist Caribou (previously known as Manitoba).



James Jarvis
Willie Isz
Jneiro Jarel
Khujo Goodie