Jaz Klash
Thru the Haze
World Domination
What passes for jazz these days? The flat sound of Kenny G or some cat trying recapture the glory days of the past? Quite often, yes. Somewhere along the line, innovation seems to have been buried. Jazz was once a revolutionary music that inspired fear in the hearts of those without the groove. Yet for those who were with it, jazz was a highly relevant, celebratory, and contemporary music that spoke directly to its listeners. Jaz Klash has come to help jazz live in a contemporary context that brings to mind the music’s true spirit.
Don’t get me wrong, this shit’s pure jungle, too. But the jazz-infused beats and breaks don’t merely serve as a cheesy backdrop for dance music. Born of collaboration between hip-hop producer the Angel and Bristol-based jungle duo More Rockers, Jaz Klash offers superb drum-n-bass whose historical ties to the past are out in the open.
By combining jungle production with the addition of live instruments and the occasional vocal, Jaz Klash creates highly textured, beautiful sounds that redefine jazz. On “Intrigue (Down for Whatever),” smooth guitar and horn breaks are used to augment the drums and the heavy bass, yet the track shines during the flute solos. The title track, “Thru the Haze,” features the Angel’s ethereal voice and highlights extended organ and sax solos that fit in with the beats nicely.
Taken as a whole, Jaz Klash is jungle first. But the groundwork has been laid for further explorations into the melding of jazz and electronic music in a contemporary fusion unrivaled since the jazz/rock experiments of the 70s. Dope jazz, cool jungle. World Domination Records, 3575 Cahuenga Blvd. W., Suite 450, Los Angeles, CA 90068; http://imusic.com/worlddom
