If This Is It

With his multi-layered and highly-accomplished third album If This Is It, DJ Seinfeld (Armand Jakobsson) has evolved into the artist he always wanted to be. The 12-track LP is an exploration of letting go, embracing the present, and turning “what ifs” into acceptance. “‘If This Is It’ is about reflecting on the past without dwelling in it, and finding harmony in restlessness,” Seinfeld commented. “Through writing it, I’ve tried to turn long-held anxieties into acceptance, and I hope listeners can take their own meaning from it”. 

The album’s themes are shaped by a tension between restlessness and contentment. From an early age Seinfeld struggled to fully settle into the present, often missing home while on family holidays. “It became a running theme with my parents, lamenting my inability to enjoy where we were” he adds, “Fast-forward to now, and that restlessness is still intact, especially with my job being what it is and travelling so often - I find myself always looking to go somewhere else, but whatever I’m looking for is never really there, and where I am is no good unless I’m able to leave…This realisation isn’t something new, but I’ve had issues accepting it. It’s a sense of anxiety in the present.”

That travelling has seen Jakobsson tour the globe; taking his acclaimed live show to massive crowds at The Warehouse Project and Printworks, playing regular DJ residencies at DC10 and Chicago’s beloved Smart Bar, iconic Boiler Room sets in New York, plus slots at Primavera, AVA, Lost Village, Coachella, EDC, Glastonbury and many more. 

While crafting his third album was a slower process than usual - he started work on it during the week his acclaimed 2021 album ‘Mirrors’ was released on Ninja Tune - Seinfeld relished having the time to work on it. “During that time, a million ideas turned into a few, a few turned into no ideas at all, and no ideas eventually turned into one. That idea was to have the album mark a time where my struggles of letting go; of accepting things as they are; of romanticising memories rather than enjoying the present, are accepted and addressed”. 

On soft opener ‘U Can’t Come Home’, TS Graye’s velvety vocal and dusty voicemail floats on swirling synths and keys like a cloud. ‘Quakin’ teases an intricate clubbier direction, before party-starting Confidence Man collaboration ‘The Right’ takes things straight to the dancefloor with a pop edge. The title track, featuring a poignant verse from spoken word artist Dan Whitlam, transforms from a piano-led poem into a nostalgic house groover.

‘Turning The Page’s rumbling synth drums take things in a heavier direction, while ‘Of Joy’ lands like a trance track from the early 2000s thanks to ARY’s emotive tone. On ‘The Wave’, just lil compliments the intriguingly paced production, while ‘In The Morning’ showcases Moyka’s range. ‘Everything U’ builds from a wistful start towards a club focus, before the cinematic ‘Something That I’ve Never Known’, which features vocals from SG Lewis, coasts over an Italo synth-wave beat. Things simmer to a close with the reflective ‘Our Mother’s Walk’, and a stirring, piano-led interpretation of the title track; the latter was inspired by an album playback during a road trip through America with his friends. “We were taking a break”, DJ Seinfeld says of ‘Lake Erie Mix’, describing the setting as peaceful and tranquil.

In many ways, the message of ‘If This Is It’ is incredibly fitting for right now.

A beacon of hope, light and acceptance in a world that can often feel overwhelming, the album title is both an acknowledgement that some things can’t be changed, and an encouragement to enjoy and appreciate life. “I’m really happy and proud of these songs,” DJ Seinfeld says humbly, adding that he’s excited to bring the album to life on stage and see how people translate the open-ended feelings channeled within the album.

1. U Can't Come Home (feat. TS Graye)
2. Quakin’
3. The Right
4. If This Is It (feat. Dan Whitlam)
5. Turning The Page
6. Of Joy (feat. ARY)
7. The Wave (feat. just lil)
8. In The Morning (feat. Moyka)
9. Everything U
10. Something That I've Never Known (with SG Lewis)
11. Our Mother’s Walk
12. If This Is It (Lake Erie Mix)