Administrateur des artistes : Rainer Thelonius Balthasar Straschill
Site web : http://moinlabs.de
Date d'inscription : 20 juillet 2007
This album leaves a very mixed impression with me. There are things which shine outrightly, others which appear out of place and boring.
The tunes on the album appear as a mixture of (mostly programmed?) drums, electric bass, keys (mostly electric piano), some sax lead voices and a granish of synth and arpeggiator textures, electronic percussive noises and electronic percussion.
There are things which are musical, clever, capturing - the combination of a simple, yet deceptive drum beat, combined with a counterpoint of programmed percussion, changing synth arpeggios, and an outstanding use of the bass guitar (does the artist play bass as his main instrument?). Then there are sax and keyboard leads which...well, basically, suck.
With that combination, I simply don't know where to put this album. The disturbing (in a negative way) solo breaks make it unusable as some lounge music, which the rest of the art (including great sonic production) would otherwise hint at. Then again, as a "more than lounge" (electronic) jazz record, the absence of capturing melodies and lead breaks makes it a no-go.
With that, even the nice cover art can't really save the show...as I said, I'm torn apart by this album, hence the rating of "dead center".
Basically, Miles Davis' explorations in the seventies started it all: that phenomenon called "NuJazz", and in the days where due to lack of musical creativity, every style of music got the prefix "Nu" and some hiphop influences added, it's easy to forget which great musician rooted that desaster.
The Kolektyw Etopiryna finally silently slips some new approach under that ill-fated moniker - and their approach to "NuJazz" is not exactly new, either, it rather is a fusion of various jazz styles from the past - including NuJazz (whatever that exactly means).
There's the all-important Davis salute in "Jazz Emulator", presented in two versions (with funny version numbering - will music in the 21st century all have version numbers like software?). A deceptively simple groove forms the basis for some non-harmonic explorations on organ and trumpet, before we move into a completely genre-atypical silent part.
The odd combinations continue on the next track - a really quiet and subtle affair, more in the realm of early Art Ensemble of Chicago work, starting off with beautiful (improvised) double bass/piano interplay, before odd electronic noises and glitchy loops take it to the present.
There's lots of bebop influences, too, reminding in its drums/bass/two horns lineup of some early Ornette Coleman work, all in all, there's a lot of great influences to be discovered.
The greatest thing that can be said about this album is that it's not what you'd expect of a "NuJazz" album at all! Rather, it's an interesting, beautiful, if somewhat challenging collage of jazz - highly recommended
"Has Wayne Horvitz moved to electric piano?". That was my first thought when listening to the opening bars of "King Louie". In my ears, a clear reminiscence of his quartet "Zony Mash" - and that, for one, is not a bad thing.
On the (well recorded) album, I'm missing however both that kind of original statement, and a clear definition of where the music takes you. The great playing by all the instrumentalists, the sometimes capturing melodies and interesting solos simply don't make an interesting statement of an arbitrary collection of pieces of fusion jazz and lounge muzak.
Still, I like it somewhat. Mixed fellings on that release. But not something I'd put into my CD collection.
Kurz nach der einleitenden synkopierten Version von "Hot Butter - Popcorn" zeigt die Streßseuche gleich, wo der Hammer hängt - nämlich im Land von Ensembles wie Ruins, Boredoms und ein bisserl Fugazi (also hauptsächlich in Japan?).
Daß das Ganze tontechnisch nicht so der Brüller ist, möcht' ich hier mal garnicht ankreiden - sowas muß scheiße (im Sinne von trashig) klingen! Und zwischendrin benehmen sich die Künstler tatsächlich auch mal ein paar Sekunden wieder...
Schöne Sache, indes vermiß' für eine Band, die jetzt nicht vollkommen experimentell-schräg ist so ein bisserl ne Mitgröhlnummer.
Aber eine Gaudi isses trotzdem!
Progressive metal in the tradition of groups like Dream Theater and Symphony X, but with their own unique touch. Beautiful compositions, a good "album concept" (meaning it's more than a collection of songs) and skillful playing complete this outstanding work.
I'm waiting for the next album!
"The Jazz Farm" to me is an album of contemporary jazz in the bebop tradition with a lot of 70ies influences, and it's interesting that it reminds me mostly of those jazz guitarists in the vein of Ralph Towner (and his Oregon outfit), Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell.
Beautiful playing, nice compositions, indeed the major point of critizism is the sub-par miking of the saxophones, which stands out especially disturbing on the sax/guitar duet tunes like Porta D'Arce, Attimi and Le Fiabe da Brno.
I'm somewhat curious - is the band leader the guitarist or the sax player?
Metal in the holy tradition of Sepultura, with perhaps a tiny touch of Biohazard thrown in.
This is definitely metal to listen to and bang your head at a nice party, drinking beer with other drunk headbangers! Thanks, you guys!
If only for the "Power of the Power"... track, this is an album to get! This is the legacy of acts like SOD, Manowar, Hammerfall...great fun, nice playing (though could be improved, especially the ensemble sound), great vocals!
The only point of critizism (and that one a grave one) is that there's not really that much diversity in that album..."well, there's not that much diversity in the decade-long span of AC/DC works" you may add, but that's just my personal taste...
An album definitely above the level normally encountered on jamendo. This is your normal dub/jungle groove, nice sounds, nice songwriting.
What I'm missing is that edge that sets it apart from what every dub album has to offer - those capturing lyrics, that challenging groove...some nice listening, but nothing more. Also for a dub album, the bass content is really lacking.
As others mentioned, this is the legacy of artists like old Maiden and Priest. I hear some Helloween touch in the vocals.
Nice, eighties-style metal with some contemporarily-inspired guitar work, all together form metal as it was supposed to be.
What I don't get is the name of the artist...
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