Jaga Jazzist
One-Armed Bandit Inertia/ Ninja Tune Norwegian nine-piece experimental jazz-rock-prog collective Jaga Jazzist are obviously a darn talented bunch of individuals. They've been going for some fifteen years now (though the final two members have only been recently added) ,and create some of the most way-out, layered, intense prog you can think of. Actually, calling it "prog" isn't quite right, but it's not quite jazz, rock or fusion either. 'One-Armed Bandit' is rather a mixture of a bit of everything, and stands out as a rarity amongst their back catalogue, as each track was charted and written out prior to recording, creating a very tight, focussed sound that is somewhat reminiscent of Frank Zappa's 'Hot Rats' album. The seven-minute title track is a great example, starting with a complex, synchronised riff, then going off on a journey all over the place, incorporating spacey synths, polyrhythms and funky bass lines, all in more time signatures than you ever knew existed. Elsewhere, they explore pseudo-classical pretensions on the convoluted Toccata, which - amazingly - sounds like Bach jamming with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Most importantly though, while the music is dense and layered, it never becomes unpleasant to listen to. Throughout, despite the shifting time signatures and odd intervals, the music maintains a fantastic sense of groove and consistency. This is particularly noticeable on the funky album centrepiece 220 V/Spektral, with its popping bassline and layers of synths and heavily effected guitars. 'One-Armed Bandit' was mixed by John McEntire of electro-prog oddballs Tortoise, and you can feel his influence on the glitchy, jumpy drum machines of Music! Dance! Drama!, but largely this is unclassifiable stuff. Unlike just about anything else you're liable to hear on the contemporary jazz/ psych/ prog scene, Jaga Jazzist have produced an album that works on both a cerebral and a physical level, making for one of the most intriguing albums you'll hear this year.  |
Issue 488
Music
