So  this year my attitude was pretty bleh towards the solo male ‘vocalist’ putting out music. Although a lot of folks went banana’s for Trey Songs and Usher, my ears just weren’t feeling what was deemed by the commercial media as ‘most popular’.

However, my ears did stumble upon two male vocalists that most people probably never heard of but who I am digging immensely. They are Jai Paul out of London and Outputmessage from DC.

Respectively, both Output and Jai brought a distinct innovation to the sounds that they created and although chances are their music will probably never see the light of terrestrial radio (which in my opinion isn’t a bad thing at all), they both deserve to be recognized for  their ability to excellently go against the commercial music norm. Peep them out below.

Name: Jail Paul

Title: Artist/Producer

Repin’: London

Genre: Electro/Pop

Label: XL Recordings

Website: myspace.com/jaipaulmusic

Hot Track: “BTSTU”

Deets: Not much is known about the UK’s uber mysterious  Jail Paul. He quietly released ONE song via his Myspace page in the earlier part of 2010 – and that one song rapidly spread like an indie wildfire. The underground popularity of “BTSTU” led to a recent signing on XL Recordings, home to artists such as Adele, M.I.A., The xx, Beck, Gil Scott Heron and The White Stripes (to name an illustrious few). Jai has been hinting that he will finally drop new tunes in 2011 and from the sneak peeks I’ve come across, these new tunes are destined to be even hotter than “BTSTU”.

Name: Outputmessage (AKA Bernard Farley)

Title: Artist/Producer/DJ/Musician/Record Label Owner

Reppin’: DC (by way of Queens, NY)

Genre: Electro/Pop/Techno

Website: outputnoiserecords.com/outputmessage

Album/EP: Autonomous

Label: Ouput Noise Records

Hot Track: N.Y.R

Deets: Not too many producers can impressively transition into the role of ‘vocal artist’. But Outputmessage did so with an effortlessly ease – making him one of our favorite male vocalists in 2010. Autonomous is the name of his latest album, and it is a must-listen for any serious EDM fan. If you’re not an EDM fan just take one listen to “N.Y.R” and that will probably change immediately. It is a song that I consider to be electro/pop-perfection and Outputmessage proved that his music skills which looks great on paper – sounds even better in headphones.

Robyn – None of Dem (Outputmessage Remix)

Someone said that Robyn is what Lady Gaga wishes she could be. While I don’t completely agree with that statment, I do think that the Swedish songstress creates better lyrically pop songs than the raining queen of pop.

But enough about those two, let’s focus on DC’s own Outputmessage who comes through with yet another dope remix of Robyn’s None of Dem. Output flips the track making it a dancefloor banger (ironically) than the downtempo orignal. As he tells my homie Arjanwrites “Robyn’s lyrics complain about a club somewhere not being exciting enough for her, so I really wanted my remix to be something special and different.” And special it is. The remix is a floor filler and can I say better than the original?

Oh, and the track is fire. Robyn’s complaints about the club scene mimic me on a typical Friday night. (via Arjan Writes)

Washington, DC by way of Queens, NY electronic dance music producer Outputmessage is likely one of the more underrated EDM artists in the genre. The eight year veteran has received terrific acclaim both stateside and abroad for his musically dense but pop trending melodies awakening a sense of early 80s synth pop sounds. However, with his LP Autonomous, Outputmessage seems to have found the balance between masterful instrumentation and pure pop sensibility and has honed his sound into its most commercially viable form ever.

The album, which took two years to complete, is an earnest and personal account of the artist’s various lifelong struggles. The record serves as reflection, and completes as a positive resurgence of a damaged human soul in the face of harrowing human experiences. Love, suicide and other causes of emotional pain are handled on the release without any nod to letting the strife remain internal, instead each song serves as a release of tension, the album listening more like therapy than the exquisite minimal disco house trending dance tracks they seem on the surface.

The key to this release is the addition of vocals from the producer. Multi-talented as a musician, Outputmessage extends these talents to voice as his vocals on this most personal of releases. There are tracks here like “N.Y.R.,” the hook, “I asked you to stay but you decided to go,” when passed through a vocoder becomes far far far more haunting and hollow, the soul of the man that lost his friend echoing into the breaks, easily one of the signature sounds of the producer’s career and one with possibilities of legs in the mainstream. “Get Away” as well is stellar, pop vocals laid over strings and synths, as always, as is the standard and expectation of Outputmessage, an understated elegance in the expression.

When an artist takes the time to truly delve into the realm of the personal and has the innate gift of understanding how to produce their own reality into song and maximize the impact of the emotions, great things typically happen. This album from top to bottom is excellent. Tracks like “I Remember,” “Glintz” and “Undone” are all magical expositions of human passion in electro pop form. If in any way ever wondering whatever happened to the phenomenal and genre defining compositions of bands like New Order, they’re more than present and accounted for in Autonomous. The vocal and songwriting economy blended with the complex yet sonorous and now more than accessible pop rhythms makes this album one with tracks that are certain to be cornerstones of this year in electronic dance music.

DC’s Outputmessage has been quietly killing the EDM game for a hot minute now. With his tracks getting recognition worldwide (and his Dmerit collabo getting praise from LA’s iHeartComix among others), and his production getting even better over each release, its only a matter of time that this dude will become a breakout star. N.Y.R. is the third single from the upcoming LP, and includes remixes from Osborne, Dmerit, and my homie Will Eastman. Check it.

If you have lived under a rock for the past year, 2009 has taught the musical universe one key lesson. DC is up next. From the sounds of Wale, to the up and comers like Phil Ade and Don Juan, the Capital City is making giant moves. As well, in the dance music scene, the Couch Sessions has featured Steve Starks, Nacey and Will Eastman this year to much fanfare. However, arguably the most deserving of a close critical eye from those in the know in the musical vanguard, and hopefully a duo I’d love to nominate as Couch Sessions approved artists, Micah Vellian and Outputmessage, Dmerit.

Imagine Daft Punk dipped even further in sweet, soulful vintage disco funk. Imagine synths that reach for the moon, with basslines that are so deep that aim for the sixth circle of hell, creating an otherworldly groove that will delight even the most hardened musical heart. Dmerit, comprised of totally underrated DC producer Micah Vellian, and internationally recognized 80s synth pop remixer and DJ Outputmessage, have taken a love of French house, disco, soul, pop and funk, and synthesized it into this most confectionery of collaborations. The guys played a live PA set at Will Eastman’s 9th Anniversary of Blisspop party last Saturday as the openers, featuring Outputmessage with live synths and Micah Vellian laying down funktastic basslines, and like Kanye says on “Jesus Walks,” it was enough to “turn atheists into believers.” Simply phenomenal.

On Tuesday, the duo released their Stuck on You EP on iTunes, and the remix of the eponymous track by Phantom Revenge has already been featured on BBC1, and local DC legend DJ Stereo Faith stated, “Easily the hottest shit to come out of our city ever.”

Definitely take a listen, and get in on the ground floor. This train is leaving the station, and is moving fast.