For Jake Leventhal, perception in the music world is damn near everything. How does the average fan perceive their favorite artist? How does that artist perceive themself? Is it possible the industry could improve both?
The word holds a special precedence in Leventhal’s life. So, when it came time to pick a name for his budding record label in early 2022, he landed on a natural fit: Perception Records.
But music is about more than what’s on the surface for Leventhal. He is trying to challenge peoples’ perception of what a label can be. This drive came after a near-fatal bout with COVID in 2020, which transformed music into a place of solace for the Denver-based entrepreneur and musician who records under the name Jay.Greens.
“It will never be just about the artist. It’s about the human being behind the art as well,” Leventhal says. “I’ve lived this shit. We become commodities. It’s dehumanizing. There’s ways to provide resources to artists so that they’re not left on their own to cope.”
To that end, Leventhal makes wellness resources accessible to every artist at Perception Records. He recently signed a deal with Borer Newman, a specialized mental health service for all sectors of the music industry, which provides support for artists and staff.
“For songwriters, we live so much of what we write,” says Perception artist Tony Haslett, a.k.a. G. Finesse, a veteran emcee from Columbus, Ohio. “And half the time we’re going crazy. You just can’t treat music like an assembly line. So when you have a label that understands that, while we are musicians, there’s so much going on in our lives, it makes you feel comfortable.”
But making artists feel supported is only part of the mission at Perception Records. There’s a reason Leventhal cares so much, and it starts and ends with the most crucial element: the music.
‘A million little pockets of musical brilliance’
The multi-talented Leventhal, donning a beanie and impeccable mustache, sits behind a desk in the corner of a cozy, tapestry-laden room in his Denver basement. It doesn’t take long for him to wax poetic about his community.
“There’s a reason I fell in love with music the way I did,” he says. “I’m born and raised in Denver.”
Leventhal’s Front Range roots run deep. He split his adolescence between the dimly lit concert halls of Broadway and the towering sandstone of Red Rocks Amphitheatre. It was in these spaces where Leventhal became a student of the game.
“The city has so many types of music, and they all function somewhat separately,” he says. “I’d check out the house scene, and the jazz scene, then the jam scene, and the funk scene, and recognize the million little pockets of musical brilliance.”
Bringing together those disparate corners of the local music scene was an early cornerstone of Leventhal’s mission with Perception. It’s a big part of what prompted Haslett (G. Finesse) — who’d developed a bond with Leventhal over the previous few years when the pair were housemates in Denver — to sign with the label.
“Jake could talk hip-hop with me, or soul, or jazz, all of it,” says Haslett, whose unique brand of socially conscious rap draws equally from soul and funk traditions. “I realized this is somebody I could connect with on a musical level. Plus he saw the vision of what I was trying to accomplish.”
Another artist drawn to Leventhal’s omnivorous musical appetite was Salt Lake City’s Luka Nezi, blending psych-rock and electronic music under the moniker Murmurs, whose debut single will be released via Perception Records in February.
“I asked Jake if he thought my music would fit on the label,” Nezi says. “He said the whole thing with Perception was to have all types of genres — to not fit into one box.”
Perception’s genre-scrambling approach may have been an enticing sell for artists like Nezi and Haslett. But the talented team behind the boards — like Josh Fairman, a member of Denver’s Sunsquabi and Midnight.Blue, as well as a producer and engineer — is a big part of what keeps them sticking around.
“I always recorded in a room by myself,” says Nezi, whose first time in a recording studio was last summer. “They’ve taught me so much about producing. Most of the stuff had never even occurred to me. I’ve really learned how to strip my songs back and really clean my sound up.”
Leventhal sees this cocktail of collaboration and versatility as a blueprint for success. But Perception’s real value comes back to Leventhal’s commitment to artists’ mental well-being, in and out of the studio.
“I feel obligated to take care of these people. I feel a calling to do so,” Leventhal says. “I feel like it’s why I’m here on this earth.
Three Perception Records artists to watch in 2023
Midnight.Blue
Perception Records’ marquee band is a collaborative project that began in spring of 2020. The lineup features vocalist Lyle Divinsky (formerly of The Motet), keyboardist Ian Gilley (Recess), guitarist Jake “Jay.Greens” Leventhal (Perception Records), bassist Josh Fairman (Sunsquabi), and members of the legendary local jam band Lettuce, including Adam Deitch on drums and Eric “Benny” Bloom on trumpet.
Their debut album, Breathe, released in August 2022, walks a line between neo-soul, hip-hop and R&B. It’s smooth and easy-going, combining 30 years of experience with exciting new faces. Halle Tomlison and G. Finesse appear on the album as well. Tomlinson’s angelic, wispy vocals stand out on numerous tracks (most notably “Illumination”), and G. Finesse mends complex lyricism to a cadence that flows over soft instrumentation on “20/20.”
DJ Williams
Perception’s newest addition, signed to the roster last month, comes to Denver by way of Richmond, Virginia — and has chops for miles. The guitarist and singer-songwriter founded the Richmond-based DJ Williams Projekt, as well as Denver’s own soul outfit, Shots Fired. He has shared the stage with names like John Legend, John Oates, Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick and more. A lethal combination of melody and versatility, Williams will certainly be a welcome addition to the growing stable of artists at Perception Records.
G. Finesse
Don’t let the limited streaming catalog fool you — G. Finesse is a grizzled vet. The hard-nosed Columbus native’s socially conscious, razor-sharp lyricism has been elevated since joining Perception Records, and with his unforgettable voice and cadence, the sky’s the limit for one of the label’s original signees. “We Gon’ Make It” is a soulful, fluid tune, his feature on “20/20” by labelmate Midnight.Blue is a crash course on his ability to flow with ease, and “Keep the Fame” joins airtight bars with melodies by Kim Dawson.
Upcoming releases from Perception Records
Jan. 19 — “Lights Out” — LVNDR.SOUND
Jan. 26 — “No Games” — G. Finesse
Feb. 9 — Lavender (LP) — LVNDR.SOUND
Feb. 23 — “Just The Same” — Murmurs
