10 – Ten Years, Who Cares

by Alan Hill in Album Reviews, Reviews

10 – Ten Years, Who Cares?

Sonar Kollektiv – SK150CD : Import only (?)

For at least ten years, there has been a musical movement which has yet to impinge on the consciousness of mainstream America.

Based in large part, in Germany, France, Italy and the UK, nujazz has remained in the realms of exotica, driven by groups of DJs, producers, multi-media collectives, and yes, even bands of musicians … Artists such as Jazzanova, Nicola Conte, St Germain and Micatone have taken jazz, latin beat, broken beat, dance, electronica, even lounge and lo-fi and forged it into nujazz.

Is it jazz? I don’t know. All I know is that it’s nujazz, whatever that is.

And what better introduction to nujazz than this compilation cd made up from ten years of Germany’s Sonar Kollektiv label’s back catalog?

10 is in two parts, cd1 “compiled by Jazzanova” and cd2 “compiled and mixed by Jazzanova“, the essential difference being that cd2 is a 75 minute long non-stop mix. Not so good for your iPod - or can they do gapless now? Great if you have a Rio Karma tucked away somewhere.

And what a mix it is; from the reassuringly cool and jazzy – Jazzanova - to the, frankly, rather strange, but compellingly irritating – Slope - every track counts.

As you might expect, the content is mainly German, but, includes New Zealand’s Fat Freddy’s Drop, Finland’s NuSpirit Helsinki and Switzerland’s Dimlite as well as guest soloists like Cleveland Watkiss, Vikter Duplaix and Clara Hill.

All in all, a great introduction. Get it if you can …

10 – Ten Years, Who Cares?

CD1 / Compiled by Jazzanova

1 : Fadin’ In – Extended Spirit
2 : Using Splashes - Forss
3 : Quiet Boy – Micatone
4 : Midnight Marauders – Joe Dukie & DJ Fitchie
5 : Seis por Ocho [Azymuth Live! - Rejam] – NuSpirit Helsinki
6 : Beat De La Romantique - RAS
7 : Just A Lil’ Lovin’ [Album Version] – Outlines
8 : U-Again – Sirius Mo
9 : Used - Soulphication
10 : Back to the Universe [Slapped Eyeballers Rmx] – Dimlite
11 : Hold On, Hold On – Thief
12 : Me And Me Princess – Lightning Head
13 : Rest With You – Umod
14 : Flashback [Jazzanova's Mashed Bag] – Fat Freddy’s Drop
15 : I’m Not Here – Soul Quality Quartet
16 : Let Your Heart Be Free [2007 Edit] – Jazzanova
17 : Little Donna – Benny Sings

CD2 / Compiled and Mixed by Jazzanova

1 : That Night [Wahoo Remix] - Jazzanova featuring Vikter Duplaix
2 : Sarari - Ame
3 : Just The Way I Like It – ISoul8 featuring Diamondancer
4 : Propulsion [AVDC Remix] – Extended Spirit
5 : Sweet City [Soulphiction Remix] - Platnum
6 : I’ve Been Waiting - Sequel
7 : Careless Butterfly [Wahoo Remix] - Solar System
8 : For You To See [Tiger Stripes Remix Vox] - Markus Enochson
9 : After The Fire – Kabuki featuring Cleveland Watkiss
10 : Black Star - Tokyo Black Star featuring Rich Medina
11 : Detriot - Moonstarr
12 : Arken 10 – Arken
13 : Komputa Groove – Slope
14 : (I Got) Somebody New - Georg Levin featuring Clara Hill

Nujazz on the internet:

SomaFM Beat Blender – nujazz in the actual USA!!!
Lounge Radio - Those groovy Swiss guys …
Sonar Kollective
Wagram Records
Schema Records

* This post was written by Alan Hill, a contributor to the PREX Blog. For more information about his background, interests, and other projects, click here to see his profile page.