|
|
|
Overview
The Brightness Of These Days |
|
|
|
|
Kyoto Jazz Massive - Brightness Of These Days
|
The Quantic remix is by no means a simple remix. This is as good as a remix can get, an eight-minute masterpiece. It takes the original even further, starting off very deep as a downbeat vocal ballad, the track changes after three minutes, and a full injection of body movin’ drum rhythms rocks the house and ends up in acid heaven - crazy stuff. This will save your day and if you’re a DJ or clubber: your night. Quantic are based in Brighton and just released his debut album “Apricot Morning” on Tru Thoughts Records.
Blaze delivers some more sophisticated beats with his second version, the ‘Shelter Sundae Mix’ of “Mind Expansions” (also check his Shelter Vox Mix on CPT 119). This is deep house at it’s best – happiness on the dancefloor is guaranteed. Blaze is by far the most consistent deep house king around; just think of all time classics like “My Beat” or “Wishing You Were Here”, tracks that are played in thousands of clubs all over the planet. Smile, dance, and freak out!
|
|
|
|
Kyoto Jazz Massive - Mind Expansions
|
The Butti 49 mix puts the up-beat arrangement in an offbeat context – the track slowly builds up tension and gets its trademark by the typical high-quality northern jazz feel. Scandinavian Butti 49 had one of the standout tracks on the last “Future Sounds Of Jazz” - compilation, Vol. 8, and is today a respectful name in the leftfield dance remixer / producer genre. Check also his remix for EMO’s track “Relief For Free” on Stereo Deluxe and watch out for new stuff on Guidance.
Blaze is something for the masses – but sophisticated as we like it. He is by far the most consistent deep house king around; just think of all time classics like “My Beat” or “Wishing You Were Here”, tracks that are played in thousands of clubs all over the planet. What you’ll get here is a top professional production with all the necessary extras to make this one a dance floor bomb that lasts. A second Blaze mix is featured on the Kyoto Jazz Massive 12” “The Brightness Of These Days” (CPT 120-1).
More offbeat action comes from Manchester’s Wai Wan. He kicks off the track in full motion straight from the beginning and turned the original in playful tune with sharp beats and a heavy injection of cool soundbits. What else do you need? Wai Wan recently had some quality releases/remixes on Earth Project Records.
|
|
|
|
Kyoto Jazz Massive - Spirit Of The Sun
CD Tracklisting
1. "The Dawn Introduction" feat. Vanessa Freeman |
Press Quotes on this release
"Kyoto Jazz Massive speak the musical Esperanto of modern soul. …an absorbing listen….with considerable transportative power." (Jockey Slut)
"dance music for discerning listeners, just as you'd expect from the same label that begat Jazzanova" (Hip Hop Connection)
"The world's finest nu-jazz production teams, specialising in noodle-free, floor filling grooves." Hot this Month (iDJ)
"an album of deep nu-jazz….worth the wait." (Seven)
"Have won support form DJs and music lovers alike with their exquisite mix of modern jazz and broken beat. A surprisingly good album that jopins the dots from jazz, funk, techno to soul." (Breakin Point)
"a real treat – as fresh as ever." (Blues & Soul)
"Kyoto Jazz Massive show their increasing maturity in musical mood and colour" (AXM)
"jesus....this is too good.New Album from dem lovely boys from Osaka,The Okino Brothers ...Vanessa Freeman.Maiya James.Chris Franck & Guida de Palma.Victor Davies and Hajime Yoshizawa all help to make this an album of the year contender fa sure.The Maiya James track 'Mind Expansions' in particular is massive.Cant get it out of the cd player." (Nik Weston, Mukatsuku Chart)
About this release
One may wonder what took them so long to come along with their debut longplayer since they have been active in both national and international Jazz-scene for all this time. Precisely, Kyoto Jazz Massive, a unit of two DJ and producer brothers – Shuya Okino & Yoshihiro Okino – produced their first self-titled compilation album in 1994 released by For Life Records, Japan (and in 1999 by 99 Records, Germany.) Up to this day, they have produced and worked on five singles (including Nacel Do Sol, Eclipse and Substream) four compilation albums, and 13 remix works. The timing of the release debut, however, is rather a legitimate progress for the brothers. Undoubtedly "Spirit of the Sun" celebrates marking point of their career accomplishments and sets off the beginning of their new musical journey.
|
|
|
|
Kyoto Jazz Massive - Substream EP
"Substream" |
The Kyoto Jazz Massive from Japan are back. The two brothers Shuya Okino and Yoshihiro Okino return with their future blend of Jazz, Bossa, Latin and House, and release their second 12" on Compost Records after their exclusive track on the recent Compost 100 compilation.
The new track "Substream" is top-quality. It's the perfect mixture, very uplifting and definitely one for the groovy dancer – a winner!
The mighty Afronaught delivers two remixes of "Eclipse" from KJM first 12" on Compost (CPT 068). Afronaught aka Orin Walters is key member of West London's Bugz In The Attic crew, Neon Phusion, Misa Negra and Soul Tuition.
His remixes of "Eclipse" are stunning reworks putting the original in a leftfield house context. More dancefloor business!
Afronaught just had a release on new R & S sublabel Apollo called "Transcend Me" and he also just finished a remix for the Loqate 12" on Ubiquity Records. Furthermore he finished an Afronaught debut album, which will be out soon. Other aims for the future include a second Neon Phusion and building up the Bugz In The Attic label (formerly known as Bita Sweet).
"A Calmaria" from the Glücklich 4 compilation is added to this 12" as a bonus track.
The Kyoto Jazz Massive recently mixed and compiled the first Mix-CD in the Fueled For The Future series on Compost Japan, which is in the shops now. Furthermore they produced another outstanding new track called "The View From Her Room" feat. Bebel Gilberto, for the Soul Scramble compilation, out on SME Japan.
|
|
|
|
Kyoto Jazz Massive EP
"Silent Messenger" |
About this release
"Silent Messenger" is piano massive, it reflects all the rich blends of jazz and latin roots, which are the main part in the life of the Okino Brothers. It is still a dance-track, doesn't matter if you let your mind dancing or your body moving.
"Eclipse" is a fantastic powerful, but slick jazz-journey, a perfect club record as well as one you may like to listen to if you'll be at the lunatic asylum or at the dark side of the moon (hm, just joking !) It's a tune, which will enchant you.
|
Shuya Okino at Miami Music Conference 2003
photo & comment by Peter Kruder
The older brother Shuya later moved to Tokyo and managed Monday Michiru and Mondo Grosso. His project of Mondo Grosso's hit song "Soufflesh" MAW REMIX was epochal connecting Jazz and House music. His commitment to support the Jazz scene in Tokyo as a director and resident DJ for the club, THE ROOM is well-known. In past ten years, he has booked DJs and artists such as United Future Organization, Chari Chari, Jazztronik, Kenny Dope, Patrick Forge, Truby Trio, Jazzanova, Vikter Duplaix, Alex Attias, Makoto and Muro etc… Currently he is involved in many projects and his career varies to wide extent, including the most recent project as a publisher for his bilingual future-jazz free paper magazine called "QUALITY!" which is now distributed worldwide.
While Shuya takes care of things in the East, his younger brother Yoshihiro also dedicates his time and effort to support the Jazz scene in the West – Osaka that it is. He has booked many DJs - Rainer Truby, Jazzanova, Patrick Forge, Da Lata, Joe Davis, Phil Asher, Modaji, Victor Davies just to name a few - to his popular regular event Cool to Kool in Kyoto and Freedom Time in Osaka. Yoshi's serious record collection and his knowledge of Jazz, Soul and Brazilian later led to the opening of the famous and well distinct store, Especial Records. His admiration of Brazilian music is particularly important in every aspect; evidently, one can find some ultra rare Brazilian records in his store. Many of Kyoto Jazz Massive's tracks with Bossa and Brazilian beat flavour are undoubtedly related to Yoshi's taste of music. In the year 2000, he started his own new label Especial Records (same name with the store). Especial has made fans all over the world with its high quality club Jazz music and its 12-inch cover jacket changing colour with every releases. The label has made Sleep Walker and Hajime Yoshizawa's music possible to be heard worldwide and Yoshihiro continues to discover and release music not only by Japanese but international artists as well, e.g. the most recent release was by Hajime and Chris&Nina's, "I am with You".
The sound of Kyoto Jazz Massive is often associated with Jazz Fusion. They were certainly influenced by Japanese Jazz musicians particularly the ones that succeed in the world during 70's and 80's, such as Terumasa Hino, Teruo Nakamura, and Ryo Kawasaki. These artists didn't just play the imported foreign music conservatively but instead they have created their own Jazz identity and were accepted worldwide. They collaborated with artists like Herbie Hancock, Steve Grossman, Lonnie Smith, and Harry Whitaker and embraced other genres of music such as Brazilian, Soul, and Rock to their Jazz. Kyoto Jazz Massive achieves to do the same – to deliver the spirit of Jazz from Japan travelling across the world. The image of Jazz is too overpowering at times where people often picture piano, wood-base, saxophone, drums…and the given image limits to one style of Jazz music. However, it is in the spirit of Jazz where Kyoto Jazz Massive finds freedom and fascinated by its forwardness with time. Jazz has transformed from Swing, Bop, Cool, Funky and Spiritual and it keeps evolving. Witnessing as Jazz fused with Soul, Funk and other ethnic rhythm during the 70's, Kyoto Jazz Massive tries to cross over Jazz with Techno, House and Broken Beats. On the album "Spirit of the Sun" Kyoto Jazz Massive attempts to carry on the spirits to follow their predecessor who dissolved music barriers and categories. It is hoped that in 30 years the album will still be appreciated, as it should be, since they believe and applied the Jazz principle – its freedom to fuse, collaborate and experiment in order to evolve and create new sounds.
|
"KJM combine the best of ecletic, uptempo dance beats with live jazz instrumentation and a samba/batucada percussive flair." XLR8R No.40
"…elegant fusions of jazz style house, that will no doubt win international admiration… …This smells good." Ministry April 00
"Notable quality" Discoid 70/2000
"The Okino Bros. have been turning out some of the most serious tunes around…excellent" SNC
"I can't wait for it to be summer again listening to that! A lot of jazz is tedious but that's a great record." Lee from Muzik Mag on "Eclipse'
"Sparkling skunky Latin house…" Muzik
|
- ECLIPSE/SILENT MESSENGER (COMPOST)- kat.no. CPT 068-1
- SUBSTREAM (COMPOST)- kat.no. CPT 093-1
- NACELDOSOL (YELLOW)
- CROSSBREED (FOR LIFE)
- K.J.M.E.P. (SONY JAPAN)
COMPILATION
- KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE/V.A. (FOR LIFE)
- FUELD FOR THE FUTURE/V.A. (SONY JAPAN)
- CROSSBREED/V.A. (FOR LIFE)
- CROSSBREED 2/V.A. (FOR LIFE)
COMPILATION (AS FEATURED ARTIST)
- SPIREEDOM for BLUE (TOSHIBA EMI)
- NACEL DO SOL for BOSSA TRES JAZZ (YELLOW)
- A CALMARIA for GLUCKLICH IV (COMPOST)-kat.no. CPT 084-1/-2
REMIX
- MAKE IT BETTER (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE REMIX)/U.F.O.
- HOPE (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE REMIX)/SOUL BOSSA TRIO
- OISHII-MIZU (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE BOSSA'N'BASS MIX)/SANDRA CROSS
- SOMEDAY (SOMEWHERE-MIX)/YASHUSHI IDE
- GUAUANCO (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE REMIX)/LES GAMMAS
- THE IN SAMBA (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE REMIX)/NICOLA CONTE
- FEEL MY LOVE (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE REMIX)/SUSUMU YOKOTA
- EASY IN (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE REMIX)/ST. EARNEST
- STARSEED (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE REMIX)/COSMIC VILLAGE
- TEN (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE REMIX)/FAUNA FLASH
- FEDIME'S FLIGHT (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE REMIX)/ JAZZANOVA
- BAHIA (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE REMIX)/ANANDA PROJECT
- SOBO O MARA (KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE REMIX)/ FRIENDS FROM RIO
|