| Jay Ray | |
| Birth Name: | Joni Säde |
| Origin: | Salo, Finland |
| Years Active: | 2010–present |
| Occupation: | Singer, songwriter, music producer |
| Instrument: | Guitar |
| Label: | ColdFire Records |
Joni Säde (born 15 June, 1986), known professionally as Jay Ray, is a Finnish singer, songwriter and music producer based in Salo, Finland.[1] He is widely recognized for his unique blend of electro-cinematic rock and metal which fuses elements from diverse genres of music.[2]
Jay Ray's interest in music was developed during his teenage years, leading him to dedicate extensive hours to the exploration of various music production software. Simultaneously, he started to take guitar lessons. In the early 2000s, Jay Ray founded the band Inhale with his friends.[3] During their initial phase, the group predominantly focused on covering songs from renowned bands such as Metallica and Blink 182. However, as time elapsed, they gradually incorporated original compositions into their repertoire.[4]
In the year 2010, Jay Ray's dedication to the musical arts experienced a notable intensification, and his artistic inclinations underwent a transformation, embracing a fusion of metal and electronic influences. Despite the commendable progress of his band Inhale, Jay Ray experienced a profound sense of misalignment within the group, prompting him to make the decision of pursuing a solo career.
In 2011, as part of his initial foray into solo pursuit, Jay Ray actively engaged in various remix competitions, a venture that proved to be highly successful. Notably, during the Serj Tankian Competition, where Serj Tankian personally selected him as the winner. Jay Ray is known for infusing his remixes with his own vocal performances.
In 2012, Jay Ray released his debut single, Crucial Fracture, marking a pivotal moment in his solo career. Subsequently, in the buildup to his studio album, Jay Ray also released a series of additional singles and collaboration tracks. During these years, he collaborated with several prominent European musicians such as The Dread, Sapphires, Paul Udarov, Dead Silence Hides My Cries, Fredi Fate, Entropy Zero and others. In 2015, Jay Ray collaborated with Mikko Kouki and released the music video for his single "You Were There", the single received positive reviews from multiple news outlets.[5]
Jay Ray's inaugural studio album, Self-Resonance, was officially released on September 23, 2017. The album's compositions, including tracks such as "King Vultures", "The Great Art of Living", "137" and "Crucial Fracture" have garnered notable prominence as they have been featured within the video game Wreckfest developed by the Finnish game studio Bugbear Entertainment.[6] Another single from the album is "Striven", a song showcasing the collaborative efforts of Jay Ray and the esteemed vocalist Marko Saaresto of the renowned Finnish rock band Poets of the Fall.[7] Self-Resonance received favorable reviews from various Finnish and other European music news websites.[8] [9]
Following the release of his album, Jay Ray subsequently released two singles, The Edge and Flame of Fate in 2018, in collaboration with the Belarusian musician Entropy Zero. Notably, these compositions were primarily created for the mobile racing game Demolition Derby 3.[10] In the year 2020, Jay Ray's single titled 137 was released and it featured in a commercial for Laughing Man Coffee featuring acclaimed personalities Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds.[11] [12] In the year 2021, Jay Ray collaborated with Paul Udarov, resulting in the release of their single titled Heartless. Later in the year 2021, Jay Ray collaborated with Jimmie Strimell and released the single titled Cold Light.[13]
| Year | Title | Artist | Type | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | I Can't Wait | Remix | Metal Remix by Jay Ray | ||
| 2011 | Live The Life | J.Scott G | Remix | Metal Remix by Jay Ray | |
| 2011 | Eleven Miles | The Dread | Single | featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2011 | See Through Me | The Dread | Single | featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2012 | Figure It Out | Serj Tankian | Remix | Metal Remix by Jay Ray | |
| 2012 | Your Body | Remix | Metal Remix by Jay Ray | ||
| 2012 | Carriers | Sapphires | Single | featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2012 | Lost Chance | Paul Udarov & Jay Ray | Single | radio edit, featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2012 | Crucial Fracture | Jay Ray | Single | – | |
| 2013 | The Helping Hand | Dead Silence Hides My Cries | Single | chorus vocals, featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2013 | My Inspiration | Dead Silence Hides My Cries | Single | outro vocals, featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2013 | Mä En Oo Niinku Sä | Fredi Fate | Single | featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2014 | Anna Mun Elää | Mc Mane & Jay Ray | Single | featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2014 | The Great Art of Living | Jay Ray | Single | – | |
| 2014 | The Great Art of Living | Jay Ray | Music videos | – | |
| 2014 | In The End | Cover songs | Vocal Cover by Jay Ray | ||
| 2015 | Lost Chance | Paul Udarov & Jay Ray | Single | featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2015 | You Were There | Jay Ray | Single | – | |
| 2015 | Promo EP | Jay Ray | Albums | – | |
| 2015 | Lost Chance | Paul Udarov & Jay Ray | Music videos | – | |
| 2015 | You Were There | Jay Ray | Music videos | – | |
| 2015 | Fallen | Cover songs | Vocal Cover by Jay Ray | ||
| 2017 | 137 | Jay Ray | Single | – | |
| 2017 | Striven | Jay Ray | Single | featuring Marko Saaresto | |
| 2017 | Self-Resonance | Jay Ray | Albums | debut album | |
| 2017 | 137 | Jay Ray | Music videos | – | |
| 2017 | Striven | Jay Ray | Music videos | featuring Marko Saaresto | |
| 2017 | Left of You | Jay Ray | Music videos | – | |
| 2017 | My December | Cover songs | Vocal Cover by Jay Ray | ||
| 2017 | Numb | Cover songs | Vocal Cover by Jay Ray | ||
| 2018 | The Edge | Entropy Zero | Single | featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2018 | Flame of Fate | Entropy Zero | Single | featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2018 | King Vultures | Jay Ray | Music videos | – | |
| 2018 | The Edge | Entropy Zero | Music videos | featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2021 | Heartless | Paul Udarov & Jay Ray | Single | featuring Jay Ray | |
| 2021 | Cold Light | Jay Ray | Music videos | featuring Jimmie Strimell | |
| 2022 | Cold Light | Jay Ray | Single | featuring Jimmie Strimell |