Jason Wann is a multi-genre producer and DJ from the PDX area in the states who’s got a number of gigs on at once. His collab SINES with Leeds-based singer and performance artist Kitty Richardson is the most cohesive project out there and one that Brits may have heard of, but his other, more freestyle project, Blood Oyster, is where one will find all the wild, wonderous, 808-fueled machinations Wann’s mellifluous mind can come up with. In today’s case, that means a hefty album of dadaist remixes, videos and bootlegs he’s dubbed Mixxxtape.
As a staunch female and queer rights advocate, Wann intended for Blood Oyster to be a project which attempted to explore female sexuality from the female’s perspective whilst giving a two-finger salute to the patriarchy. The work in general is raunchy, chaotic and freestyle, with loads of throwback synth pop vibes and homages to the pioneers of electronic music. Debuting with 2021’s Let Booty Loose, an EP dedicated sex-positive sex workers, Wann’s released another two EPs and two albums since then. With names like Pussy Power, Slap & Tickle and, everyone’s favourite Bible verse, Ezekiel 23:20 (if you know, you know), Blood Oyster has clearly lived up to its name thus far. One of the albums, a 31-tracker called Greatest Hits, made headlines as Wann donated proceeds to Planned Parenthood in former Vice President Mike Pence’s name, as the notorious uterus-hater was trying to defund the vital non-profit at he time. If you’re looking for the ultimate male champion for women’s rights, he’s your guy.
On to MiXXXTape: released today in honour of the most important holiday on the musical calendar, 08/08, MiXXXTape another epic, with 33 tracks dedicated not only to the legendary Roland programmer that started it all, but to all of Wann’s favourite artists. Conceptually, it’s a response to the groundbreaking The Manual book by The KLF, posing Wann as a student learning from said manual how to write a number one song.
To celebrate 30 years of making records, I decided to make a mixtape of sorts. Inspired by such records as ‘Paul’s Boutique’ and taking principles from ‘The Manual’ written by the KLF I present to you 33 1/3 songs suitable for dancing, driving, or fucking. Enjoy!
Full of samples, spoofs and reworks, MiXXXTape presents itself as a sexed-up compendium of the best of pop and electronica through the ages, beginning at the beginning with an homage to Switched on Bach, ‘Kraftwerk Orange – Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary’ and following with another wink at Kraftwerk called ‘Kraf-TWERK – Dick Machine’. From there it’s a freestyle free-for-all where Wann takes the listener on a semi-ironic and semi-iconic ride through the evolution of electronica. Leaning heavily towards his love of female artists with ‘Jason Loves Kylie – Turn It Into Love’, ‘Kesha – Joyride (Jason Wann’s a Bitch)’ and ‘Jason Does Debbie – Shake Yr Love’, to name a few.
There are also countless bootleg remixes on MixxxTape, including some of the greats like Josh Wink’s ‘Higher State of Consciousness’ and Lords of Acid’s ‘I Sit on Acid’. Fun, funky and 808-fueled, this is a true model of a mixtape, hearkening back to the ecstatic chaos of block party days, when remixes were made for dancing and didn’t always need to make sense. As an artist devoted to keeping this sort of vibe alive, Wann also released his latest live album, Blood Oyster Double Live Gonzo! As a free offering, so if MiXXXTape isn’t ‘miXXXed’ enough, the groove chasers will be happy one way or another. A great way to celebrate 8/08.
MiXXXTape and the double live album are out now and can be streamed on Bandcamp. Check out Wann’s YouTube channel for more cheeky videos from MiXXXTape, including an hilarious take on the Knight Rider theme.