dark jazz / ambient
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Yes! Jazz! Even better, dark jazz! Time to lay down, relax and listen to some otherworldly sounds or at least something that sounds as if comes directly from a David Lynch movie. This blend of dark ambient, jazz and downtempo music has only recently been given its own genre. Kilimanjaro/Mount Fuji, Bohren and Dale Cooper were the pioneers and since then a number of other bands have been following their footsteps. I can only applaud that trend because it's almost always brilliant.
The Orchestra Of Mirrored Reflections is an ensemble from Benares in India, seemingly formed around writer/producer Jol Tai, who also plays sax in Gamardah Fungus. 'Frequency Jazz' is their latest output, a gloomy album, filled with soothing but creepy music. In a way it looks like this orchestra follows the same paths as Dale Cooper Quartet but without the experimental and noisy outbursts. Or in other words, 'Frequency Jazz' sounds like a continuence of the latter's 'Metamanoir' record, which in my opinion is one of the greatest albums ever.
'Leaving Big Sigh Of City Behind...' opens in perfect dark jazz tradition. It starts as a drone/ambient track but slowly the drums and other instruments enhance the jazz feel of the whole. From then on, we're indeed on a murky trip, embedded in mystery and obscurity. '...Rowing Your Boat-on In The Myst' perfectly follows the previous track with its layers of soundscapes, flutes and strange voices. Here I'm also reminded of some ritual ambient acts who incorporate some folk elements in their music.
On 'An Island Of A Maze' some vocals appear, adding a sense of mystique to the music. They're soft but impending, hidden behind the music and often suddenly appearing in quite a distressed way. They also add a sense of variation to the album. Truth is, all the songs sound rather similar, which is often a problem on an album but definitely not in this genre. Minor variations keep the album enjoyable for the entire duration, even when played several times in a row. Believe me, I've been playing this album a lot now and I still thing it's superb.
Unfortunately I don't have anything else to say but to praise this as an excellent dark jazz album. This is stuff for labels like Denovali Records, high quality music which perfectly aligns itself with the big names in this genre. So if you're a dark jazz fan, you should really download this album (and perhaps donate a bit). This will not disappoint you in any way. I hope that these guys find a way to get this stuff on the road throughout Europe and find a decent record deal. Talent like this deserves that...
Serge
The Orchestra Of Mirrored Reflections is an ensemble from Benares in India, seemingly formed around writer/producer Jol Tai, who also plays sax in Gamardah Fungus. 'Frequency Jazz' is their latest output, a gloomy album, filled with soothing but creepy music. In a way it looks like this orchestra follows the same paths as Dale Cooper Quartet but without the experimental and noisy outbursts. Or in other words, 'Frequency Jazz' sounds like a continuence of the latter's 'Metamanoir' record, which in my opinion is one of the greatest albums ever.
'Leaving Big Sigh Of City Behind...' opens in perfect dark jazz tradition. It starts as a drone/ambient track but slowly the drums and other instruments enhance the jazz feel of the whole. From then on, we're indeed on a murky trip, embedded in mystery and obscurity. '...Rowing Your Boat-on In The Myst' perfectly follows the previous track with its layers of soundscapes, flutes and strange voices. Here I'm also reminded of some ritual ambient acts who incorporate some folk elements in their music.
On 'An Island Of A Maze' some vocals appear, adding a sense of mystique to the music. They're soft but impending, hidden behind the music and often suddenly appearing in quite a distressed way. They also add a sense of variation to the album. Truth is, all the songs sound rather similar, which is often a problem on an album but definitely not in this genre. Minor variations keep the album enjoyable for the entire duration, even when played several times in a row. Believe me, I've been playing this album a lot now and I still thing it's superb.
Unfortunately I don't have anything else to say but to praise this as an excellent dark jazz album. This is stuff for labels like Denovali Records, high quality music which perfectly aligns itself with the big names in this genre. So if you're a dark jazz fan, you should really download this album (and perhaps donate a bit). This will not disappoint you in any way. I hope that these guys find a way to get this stuff on the road throughout Europe and find a decent record deal. Talent like this deserves that...
Serge