From: Wesley (wesleyc_at_cox.net)
Date: 2003-06-26 23:56:04
Reviews :: Take Me Aosis, Analog Roots (ten12), Joyce
reviews of Nik Weston's new Japanese jazz/soul compilation, compilation
of Tokyo based ten12's underground instrumental hip hop (there are sound
samples at the link), and Joyce's Japan-only release.
-Wesley
[Sound :: Lounge] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoundLounge
-- source: Metropolis VARIOUS ARTISTS Analog Roots (ten12) An "independent offshore music label that produces and markets self-mastered recording artists from around the world," ten12 Records explores underground instrumental hip-hop with all the vinyl crackles and pops intact on its first limited, white-label release. Tokyo-based Professor Caddis, Jaydub, DJ J4, MC Who and an international cast of collaborators span a wide spectrum of hip-hop-influenced electronica. Several of the early tracks on this whopping, 17-track opus such as "Swing Theory" and the title track examine the meeting point between abstract hip-hop and jazz, while "16th and Mission" and "Mamanaku" seem to draw more on the vocabulary of tribal music, with drums and Middle Eastern strings taking the listener to distant lands. Other tracks are more purely techno or breakbeats-oriented, but there is little here that will not be of interest to electronica fans. Total info: www.ten12records.com. VARIOUS ARTISTS Take Me Aosis -A Nite Out in London- (Aosis) After the club-leaning Moshi Moshi compilation, based in London, lover of Japanese jazz DJ Nik Weston follows with Take Me Aosis, an up-tempo, uplifting lineup of classic and modern Japanese jazz selections from the usually too smooth, too staid Aosis record label. Acting as curator with the cultivated ears, Weston comes out from the Aosis vaults with a surprisingly flattering overview of what the label isn't (mostly), but should be. The duo of Res bring the set into a lovely opening with the modal jazz pitter-patter of "New Steps." Then there's Nagaoka Seikou's exhilarating synth-dipped celebration in "Speed of Love" and the fiery dancer in Jazoulster's (Sugiyama Yosuke of Paris Match) "Landscape from Higher Ground." Nik Weston emerges from the vaults with some nice finds and delivers one himself. Wesley Chu JOYCE Bossa Duets (Sony) With a career that spans almost four decades, Brazilian bossa nova singer Joyce Silveira Pahlhano de Jesus has worked with the best in the business. She has also been a regular visitor to the Blue Note Tokyo, where she is often paired with male singers, including an upcoming July date with Carlos Lyra. This Japan-only disc grew out of these pairings, with Joyce accompanied by a number of singers representing the different generations of bossa nova. "Lugar Comum," for example, sees her in the company of veteran singer Joao Donato on a mellow number that emphasizes the jazzier side of bossa nova, while other contributors like Ana Martins embody the more contemporary directions of the music. For a consolidated look at the different forms bossa nova can take in the hands of one of its smoothest and most sensitive singers, this album fits the bill to a T. http://metropolis.japantoday.com/tokyo/recent/music_cd.asp -- The Eclectic Sounds of Japan [Sound :: Lounge] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoundLounge