By Mike O’Cull
Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and video director Patrik Jansson literally does it all for us on his new record Game Changer.
Jansson will drop the new set on October 28th, 2022 via Sneaky Foot Records. It’s a diverse and impressive release that does a fine job of showing just how many things Jansson excels at. Game Changer is a solo album in the truest sense of the term; Jansson wrote, produced, engineered, and played all the instruments on it with no outside help. He also frequently shifts genre and influence, drawing on his background in rock, metal, punk, pop, americana, reggae, blues, jazz, and fusion to keep the album inspiring and interesting.
Fans of everything from Jimi Hendrix and Black Sabbath to Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report will find tracks on Game Changer to make their headphones happy. Guest appearances by German Blues Award winner Tommy Schneller on saxophone and harmonica ace Jesper Larsson only add to Patrik’s flavor. The album was mixed and mastered by Martin Karlegård and Jansson at SubMob Studios in Stockholm.
Patrik Jansson is well-known as a founding member of the glam/punk band Maryslim, the inventors of ”Northern Rock” Hellsingland Underground, the glam/metal act Chris Laney ́s Legio, and the metal band Defueld. He’s one of Europe’s finest musicians and has toured The Continent extensively with his own blues/rock outfit The Patrik Jansson Band.
Watch “Know Where I Belong”
Like many other players, he made this new record in his home studio during the Covid lockdowns. He found the experience of making music with no constraints to be liberating and fulfilling. “This is the first time I have played all the instruments myself,” he said. “It was a great experience and it was great to have the time to really find the right feel and sound for each song. This album is 100% Patrik Jansson. It’s a mix of everything that I have played and listened to throughout my career. It’s dark, beautiful, melodic, rootsy, heavy and groovy. It’s music played with passion and I’m very proud of it.”
Jansson opens the record with the deeply soulful mid-tempo blues/rocker “I Still Want You.” It’s a killer track that builds up its intensity until it sounds like Hendrix with a horn section. PJ channels everything that was cool about 70s rock here and the more you hear it the further you get pulled into it. His vocals simmer and smoke with emotion and his guitar work adds fuel to the fire.
“A Wonder Of Nature” is a statement of true love and devotion rendered in a smooth funk/rock style. Jansson’s bass and drum skills serve him well here and he uses them to create a platform for everything else in the song. To his credit, neither this nor any other cut on Game Changer come off like a “one man band” session. Jansson is musician enough to sound like an actual band and not just a guy playing a bunch of instruments. He cops the proper feel on each instrument he handles and this makes everything presented here sound cohesive and whole.
Jesper Larsson adds some rocking harmonica to the back alley blaster “Feel Bad Boogie.” Jansson answers back with his own dirty slide guitar licks and emphatic vocals. His drumming here is absolutely cracking as well. The instrumental “Rays Of The Sun” has a vintage jam band vibe that will slowly envelope you and take you on its journey. Jansson’s rhythm and lead guitar parts are intricate and melodic, holding your attention until the floating harmonics that end the piece.
Just when you thought this was a record, Patrik blasts you with his reggae tune “Time To Make Some Changes.” He shifts his drum and bass styles completely for this song and makes it groove the way reggae music should. Other highlights on Game Changer include “Show Me Your Love Is Real” and “Hurts To See Her Go.”
Patrik Jansson is a masterful musician who clearly understands the big picture of the songs he writes and executes them with precision and grace. Get him into your rotation and hear for yourself.
Patrick Jansson website
Pre-order link for Game Changer
Excellent review! Been a fan of Patrick for a while but never realized how versatile he is. Hard to believe that he played all the major instruments! Guess even the COVID lockdown had its good points!
Not only is Patrik a fantastic musician, he is also a great guy, no airs and graces. This is a superb album and as said shows his musical talent to the max. This is a that deserves to be heard
Excellent album that is currently in my CD rotation. Its not often we get to hear music put together like this anymore. Solid jams throughout. I’ve not wanted to move the track along on my remote once since I began listening to it. He’s a very done to earth, approachable young man. I hope he gets to tour the upper midwest one day, we’ve a slew of nightclubs and blues hotspots that he and his sound would fit right in with!