Review: Familiar to labels like Smalltown Supersound and Ninja Tune, legendary Norwegian eight-piece Jaga Jazzist arrive on Brainfeeder with a deep dive into post-rock, jazz and psychedelic themes and synth wave influences. Presenting their first studio album since 2015's Starfire, Pyramid is the result of a reclusive two week recording session deep in the Swedish woodlands, resulting in the group's first ever self-produced record. With the 14-minute-long and classically jazz "Tomita" the crowning track on Pyramid, find some pumping night drives in "Apex" to the retro-active yet futuristic jazz-electro-funk of "The Shrine" or the spacey, new age synth and cosmic jazz in "Spiral Era".
Review: Although they have plied their trade in many different places over the years, Norwegian jazz mavericks Jaga Jazzist have in many ways always been synonymous with Ninja Tune, not least since The Stix woke the world up to the band back in 2002. After a two year gap since their Live With Britten Sinfonia LP, Lars Horntveth and his merry band of multi-instrumentalists return with a new collection that five sizable pieces. The glittering romanticism and expressive musicality of the Jazzist is still very much present, with the sprawling "Big City Music" displaying a noticeable kosmische leaning in its forthright propulsion. It's an approach that should satisfy long time fans as much as new recruits.
Review: Acclaimed Norwegian modern jazz ensemble Jaga Jazzist are keen to state that this new live album of theirs is anything but dull in the way the most live albums tend to be. They needn't have worried though because a) they know what they're doing and b) it's a recording of their much-celebrated Barbican shows with the Britten Sinfonia. None of the show's dynamics are lost in this format, instead the recording is almost like a new studio album in itself!
Review: Making their mark on Smalltown Supersound, the nine-piece Norwegian Jaga Jazzist ensemble have earned their place on Ninja Tune by supplying the label with five albums and a clutch EPs over the course of five years. It's clear the collective hold a special over at Ninja Tune which perhaps explains why the label have commissioned a remix from fellow countryman Todd Terje who keeps the original's classical theatrics in tow, while also adding his trademark disco touch in a 10-minute production that traverses many genres - and cosmic galaxies.
Prins Thomas, Echo Troopers, Deathprod, Yoshimi & Yuichiro Fujimoto - "Fred Astaire Session - Intro/Orgone Donor/Soundless Cries With Their Arms In The Air/Little Sun" - (7:07) 157 BPM
Prins Thomas, Bendik Giske, Supersilent, Biosphere, Elektro Nova & Bruce Russell - "Hole/13.1/Aura In The Kitchen/13.1/T03/The Movement Of The Free Spirit - The 1st Movement" - (12:47) 150 BPM
Prins Thomas & Carmen Villain & Alexander Rishaug - "Safe/Time & Place" - (2:58) 103 BPM
Prins Thomas, Stereolab & The High Llamas - "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" (Stereolab vs High Llamas remix) - (4:15) 130 BPM
Prins Thomas & 120 Days - "Sleepless Nights" - (0:22) 124 BPM
Prins Thomas, Carmen Villain, Continental Fruit, Mats Gustafsson & Sonic Youth - "The Moon Will Always Be There/The Moon Was My Only Witness/Art 3 - Contrabass Sax" - (6:16) 92 BPM
Prins Thomas, Erik Wollo, Alexander Rishaug & Sun Araw - "Ody At Sea/Satellites/B - Sun Araw Saddle Soap Remix" - (3:18) 156 BPM
Prins Thomas, Bjorn Torske, Mats Gustafsson, Sonic Youth, Serena-Maneesh & Sun Araw - "B - Sun Araw Saddle Soap Remix/Arthur's Return - Extended Version/Introspection/Leipziger Love Life - Ancient Mix/Part 4 - Voice" - (9:36) 159 BPM
Prins Thomas & Wildest Dreams - "Off The Lip" - (6:21) 112 BPM
Prins Thomas & Four Tet - "Lovesick" (Four Tet remix) - (4:40) 97 BPM
Prins Thomas & Bjorn Torske - "The Contemporary Fix" (Bjorn Torske remix) - (9:38) 119 BPM
Prins Thomas, Matt Karmil, Biosphere, Andre Bratten & Gigi Masin - "Morals/With Their Paddles In A Puddle/Minor Misconception/Planetarium - Gigi Masin Remix" - (4:56) 119 BPM
Prins Thomas, Andre Bratten, Brian Reitzell & Gigi Masin - "Minor Misconception/Planetarium - Gigi Masin Remix/Ozu Choral" - (5:30) 120 BPM
Prins Thomas, Mungolian Jetset, Bjorn Torske & Gigi Masin - "Planetarium - Gigi Masin Remix/Mush In The Bush/Langt Fra Afrika" - (5:53) 120 BPM
Prins Thomas & Kelly Lee Owens & Elektro Nova & Brian Reitzell - "CBM/Obedience - Bjorn Torske Remix/Phase One/Phase Two Part 3/Honeycomb" - (11:53) 120 BPM
Prins Thomas, Bendik Giske, Elektro Nova, Mungolian Jetset & Ricardo Villalobos - "C - Ricardo Villalobos King Crab Remix/Adjust/T03/C - Ricardo Villalobos Knadel Prince Dub/Shelton's On A Bender" - (8:36) 121 BPM
Prins Thomas, Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbrauer - "Everything Is Everything" (Villalobos & Loderbauer: Vilod High Blood Pressure mix) - (3:18) 126 BPM
