dZihan And Kamien
Gran Riserva
Couch / Six Degrees
When creating the follow-up to their 2000 debut, Freaks and Icons, dZihan And Kamien didn’t want to simply create another nu-jazz album. Instead, the duo re-thought a lot of conventional ideas as to what constitutes “club” music. And their conclusion is Gran Riserva.
Better listened to as a whole that cut up into individual tracks, Gran Riserva is a testament to dZihan and Kamien’s superior skills, refreshing the genre of electronically created/influenced jazz. Recorded in exotic locales such as Istanbul, Tuscany and dZihan And Kamien’s native Austria, Gran Reserva reflects the native influences of the duo’s globe-hopping. Rather than simply take whole tracks of native music and plaster them on top of a stale drum machine line, dZihan And Kamien have distilled native elements and carefully threaded them into complex structures of Latin-infused jazz-lounge with Afro-Cuban percussion. Turkish elements flavor “Ford Transit,” while “Where’s Johny Sabatino?” is a deep and sultry journey with a twangy little guitar line that roots the song opposite a floating flute line. There is nothing stiff about “Stiff Jazz” – it’s flowing and free and has a playful break; it’s fun and light and perfectly compliments the light, jazzy piano and energetic percussion.
With its sculptured, multi-layered sound, Gran Riserva is sensual and fun, the soundtrack to a perfect date in the city or perhaps a quiet evening at home with good friends and fine dining.
Six Degrees Records: http://www.sixdegreesrecords.com
