Album Review: Jason May Breaks Away From Expectations with New Album Unreleased

While I'm not particularly superstitious, I always believe that the things you do at the start of the year have the cosmic power to determine what the next 12 months will look like. That's why I am thrilled to start my 2026 album journey with a review of Jason May's Unreleased. An intimate confession that he chose to share with people in a very limited premise, uploading the release on Bandcamp and Soundcloud only. This whole thing feeds into the narrative that people have been fleeing major platforms and the (hopeful) direct-to-artist support movement.

Jason May is an electronic producer from Alicante, Spain, whose sound blends organic, electro-acoustic textures with downtempo grooves. After early acclaim with his JUZHIN project and years spent traveling and absorbing global influences, he re-emerged under his own name in 2022. The result is a mature, grounded sound where warm instrumentation meets confident, forward-moving rhythms. His sound reminds me of the lush, green energy of Bonobo, mixed with the mysticism of artists like Rohne and Emancipator, so I was naturally drawn to the sound of Unreleased. Spanning across 9 compositions, the album charts through the lo-fi downtempo territory with a lot of subtle, textural, and introspective elements designed to empower you on whatever lonesome journey you've embarked on this year.

I loved the message and mission of Jason. He shares, "I wanted to share a small, unofficial release of mine - something I consciously didn’t send to streaming platforms. It lives only on SoundCloud and Bandcamp and feels more like a personal document: a collection of unreleased tracks from this year. I gave myself the freedom to step away from formats, expectations, and release mechanics, and just focus on mood and detail." I believe it is that break away from norms and expectations that has given him this immense sense of freedom, which serves as a launch platform for the album.

Unreleased feels cohesive as a full listening experience, yet every track stands strong on its own, floating comfortably within the ethereal realm of downtempo electronica. I am having a serious issue picking my favourites, but if you really need a starting point, I would highly recommend "Solstice", "Elsewhen", and "Wane". These tracks operate on a whole new vibrational level, like this electronic forcefield that will wrap you and protect you from whatever negative thing is lurking around the corner.

Honestly, I couldn't be happier about finding this record. We need more artists like Jason May.