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VARIOUS ARTISTS - Jazzflora 2

JAZZFLORA VOL. 2 – SCANDINAVIAN ASPECTS OF JAZZ

TRACKLISTING

01. [RE:JAZZ] - LA MOUCHE LUMIÈRE (THE SOCIETY REMIX)
02. SOULAR SOUND ­ THINGS WE DO
03. HIRD ­ I LOVE YOU MY HOPE (DO RIGHT REMIX)
04. TEDDY ROK 7 ­ ASKAA!
05. PEKKA STRENG - PUUTARHASSA (IN THE GARDEN)
06. POVO ­ WE ARE POVO
07. JUKKA ESKOLA - BUTTERCUP
08. HIRD ­ MEMORIES FROM THE ROOM
09. THE FIVE CORNERS QUINTET ­ THREE CORNERS
10. WIBUTEE - - 1-800-SKAUEN
11. ÏONY ­ KIT WOLVEEN
12. EMBEE FT. REINIS ZARINS QUARTET - SHIBUYA

"With the Jazzflora project we aim to open your eyes to a Scandinavian movement in music built of young producers and labels grown up with the rhythms and structures of electronic music as well as the influences and history of jazz. Music created from a point where the two directions come together and redefining the term jazz. On volume one we introduced you to the likes of Koop, Hird and Povo. For this second volume we have dug even deeper in to the Scandinavian flora to find the most essential tracks from artists such as Soular Sound, ïony and Wibutee."
Dealers of Nordic Music

"If you literally use the term "modern", "JAZZFLORA" is a great modern jazz album. In other words, it is "modern jazz" in the 21st century. It is a developed jazz containing the result of exploration of beauty and realistic experiment. It should receive recognition as music of the new era."
Shuya Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive)


Comments track by track, written by Shuya Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive):

1. JAZZFLORA starts with LA MOUCHE from [RE:JAZZ] combining elegant combination of strings and piano. The minimal sound shows the artistic "edgy feeling" behind its purity. It shows the idyllic perspective with the effective use of the voice and smooth groove, which are characteristics in Scandinavia.

2. The jazzy track THINGS WE DO of SOULAR SOUND features melancholic vocal and it functions as not just dance music but supreme listening music. The missmatch of the nostalgic longing for jazz and house beat has been a trend in Scandinavia. Their good sense shows in the melody and chord progression.

3. The remix of well known track I LOVE YOU MY HOPE by Hird has been interpreted as funkier, broken beat-flavored-sound, but the arrangement of the horn is sensitive and still keeps the Scandinavian elegance in the sound. In the way of using very fine electric sound, you can see the great commitment of remixer John Kong.

4. The mysterious intro of ASKAA! by TEDDY ROK 7 that starts with the unison of piano and bass together with sound of Rim Shot and High hat. Trumpet solo follows the cool sound of vibraphone. The perfect structure that reminds us of the importance of composition and the arrangement taking advantage of the instrument is just amazing. They know how appealing it is to have a good melody in jazz.

5. The groovy track PUUTURHASSA by PEKKA STRENG in which you can listen to Fender Rhodes on top of Boogaloo flavoured sound. How charming the clean and whispering vocal is. It will probably attract fans of Scandinavian soft rock and pops. This track is symbolical in that Scandinavian jazz is appealing not just to the club scene but to the much wider scenes.

6. Finally releasing their first album, POVO is in top gear with the track WE ARE POVO. The band who helped Mad Mats¹ RAW FUSION RECORDS become recognized worldwide, has gained more listeners by boldly introducing jazz to house beats. Their sound has been played by top DJs in the US. The break-beats jazz-house is in this compilation.

7. JUKKA ESKOLA also attracted attention all of a sudden after the release of his solo album. The track BUTTERCUP which is more house-oriented than what he plays with his other band FIVE CORNERS QUINTET gets along very well with POVO. You can see the interpretation of jazz by the younger generation by listening to the drams, bass and track making that is heavily influenced by club scenes.

8. HIRD re-constructed the electric jazz by using the sampling source of the session by Hird and Sleep Walker at the club The Room in Shibuya ending up in the track MEMORIES FROM THE ROOM. It is a collaboration of the new era. Impulse of jazz and hip-hop. It is filled with energy of break beats and sound of house. Primitive and progressive!

9. THE FIVE CORNERS QUINTET has been seen as one of the most important projects in new jazz ­ not only in Europe but world wide. They revitalized the jazz music of the 60s and 70s such as Two Banks of Four and Sleep Walker, but they have been recognized as an artist who can also satisfy club listeners. The track THREE CORNERS which has heavy vibe in modern jazz are nostalgic but new.

10. This kind of experimental trial is a side of the new jazz. WIBUTEE¹s psychedelic -1-800-SKAUEN reminds us of the times when jazz was getting closer to progressive rock, but at the same time, it shows the possibilities in new jazz. If we interpret "jazz" as instrumental music that changes through times ­not just as a genre, this could be part of jazz music.

11. Jazz allows different interpretations by different artists. ÏONY¹s "KIT WOLVEEN", which shares something with techno, is clearly a dance music influenced by jazz, and it can bring attention of non-jazz listeners to jazz. The way the fender Rhodes is played clearly shows their affection toward jazz.

12. JAZZFLORA 2 finishes with a track called "SHIBUYA" by EMBEE. The way it uses the sound ­ low beat and sampling kind of sound - looks like expressing the feeling of young people in Tokyo who enjoy jazz and hip-hop equally. Jazz is not an old music but is still developing. Young people who love jazz create jazz with their feeling and play it. Even if you use a jazz instrument, you still get the influence of the on-going music trend. Jazz develops itself by respecting the tradition. The answer is in this track.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Jazzflora 2 is available through DNM, distributed by Creative Vibes

 

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