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!
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