Customer Reviews

Jaku

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nobody does rap/electronica quite like DJ Krush -- downtempo, hip-hop, and exquisite beats. He's done amazing works with acid-jazz, beats, and complex rhythms. But this Japanese turntable pioneer has dropped all that in his eighth album, in favor of a more.... organic sound.

Instead, "Jaku" harkens back to Krush's roots -- that is, it mixes gentler, chiller beats with traditional Japanese music. It's an unlikely combination, but unsurprisingly Krush makes it work. The resulting music is cool, dark, clear and has that timeless vibe from the traditional instrumentation.

Elusive beats and soft shakuhachi flutes set the tone of the opener, "Still Island," followed by drums and bells and gritty hip-hop cameos by Mr. Lif and Aesop. The songs that follow vary wildly: Some are delicate, breezy and even ghostly, while others are beat-heavy and tripwire taut. "Decks-athron" is one of the few exceptions, with its futuristic beats and swippy effects.

By the last third of the album, the traditional instruments have gotten even more prominent, except for another brief foray into futurism. Shin'ichi Kinoshita and Akira Sakata add their vocals to nimble koto melodies. It ends with the pretty music-box melody "Song 2," which makes use of electrobeats in a more delicate way.

It's not the sort of music that Krush became famous for, and it might take a little while for his fans to adjust to this sound. But once they are used to it, it's impossible not to appreciate the innovative way that Krush melds trippy beats and hip-hop with flutes, piano, koto and chimes. It's a departure, but a very successful one.

The one flaw of the album is that Krush keeps his foot too firmly in old territory, and so the hip-hop sound is out of sync with the more ethereal songs like "The Beginning" or "Stormy Cloud," with those windy parts. But even the ethereal songs have a sort of dark edge to them, which keeps this from sounding like (gasp) new age music.

"Jaku" explores new (or old) territory for DJ Krush, and he doesn't disappoint. A bit of unevenness is all that mars this beautiful, dark, atmospheric album.

(i would actually give this album about 4.6 stars simply because of the absence of japanese rap which really worked well on message). Ive been a Krush fan for a really long time. I actually didn't start buying his cd's until fairly recently, but i got into him from various ninja tune comps. I have all his official, US releases. The only one i dont have is strictly turntablized which is damn near impossible to find. ANYWAYS, I just got Jaku and it really is probably my favorite Krush cd. It seems like every one of his cds are very different from one another. Message at the depth was much darker and more experimental, but also excellent. Jaku, unlike some of his music, has a very japanese feel to it. The first song "still island" is the perfect intro. It slowly brings you in and is very japanese sounding, it's slower but not boring at all. The next 3 trakcs are all equally good, and then transition. This really stands out to me, even though its short, i really like the string arrangements, which Krush doesn't use very often. Then is Stormy Cloud with Ken Shima on piano. This is something Krush certainly hasn't done before, and it's one of the standout tracks on here, Laying classical piano over trip hop. The next two tracks are also extremely good. I'm just not spending the time to cover every track. Next is Kill switch with Aesop Rock. Aesop Rock is one of the most talented rappers around today, ill definitely say that. I do listen to alot of hip/hop (good hip hop) but i've never really gotten into aesop, but all his work with Krush is amazing. The next track "pretense" is also one of my favorites, it's got a pretty thick breakbeat running throughout. The whole song has sortof an eerie feeling about it, yet something about it feels upbeat and light. Track eleven is "slit of cloud" which is a bit of a chanting track like candle chant off zen. It uses saxophone, another thing Krush rarely uses, and it blends perfectly with the break beats. i won't really go into it but track 12 "passage" is also great. AND, it's the only track with a hint of japanese rap (which is the slight downgrade in my rating). Then, onto track 13 "beyond raging waves" which could be my favorite track on the cd. It has an extremely japanese feel to it and really good use of... well whatever it is. It's that japanese instrument we all know, similar in sound to a mandolin but i cant quite put the name on it.Anyway, if used in a non-corny/cliche way, can sound awesome in songs. It's perfect here. The beat is pretty subtle, yet still maintains a heavy quality but doesn't overpower anything else. Everything on this track blends together so well and it is one of my favorite krush songs, hands down. track 14, also great. track 15 "song 2" starts out with one of the mallot instruments, sound slike a vibraphone but i don't know what it is. Then that plays behind a really heavy trip hop beat that is one of the best beats on this album. There's some variation with the vib type deal, and it sounds pretty cool. This is also one of my favorite tracks on teh cd. ALl in all, this is one of Krush's best cds in my opinion. If you asked me to order his cd's from best to... not best, id have to decline and shoot myself in the foot as an alternative because that is something that shouldn't be done. They're all different, and you have to respect every one of them for what it is, don't expect the same from Krush, and if you're new to him, wehere to start... If instrumental is your thing, try out kakusei, if you want something dark and experimental, try message, or if you want something with a very japanese feel, try Jaku which is truly amazing.

I've been a fan of Krush for years, and own most of his albums. If you are a lover of dark and atmospheric trip hop, then this album is for you. It is strong from start to finish, and incorporates beautiful japanese instruments, brooding beats, and smart lyrics. This is one of those albums that reaffirms your faith in good music.

I think that this album is Krush's most complete work. It surpasses "Zen," and takes the listener on a contemplative journey through towering soundscapes and dark valleys. I don't review many albums, but I believe that "Jaku" is a trip hop masterpiece.

Hope this helps.

DJ Krush continues to prove in ever-convincing fashion that hiphop doesnt have to be the over-glamourised, commercial, and downright silly macho-bravado style of nowadays. It can still be creative and intelligent music with a grand potential to develop.

Dj Krush's albums are, to an extend, what Sepultura's "Roots" are to heavy metal. They incorporate world music in familiar (nut not stagnant) hiphop territory, in this particular case a japanese musical feeling. The result is better than smooth, it's practically seamless.

While incorporating, in part, Japanese rappers (to be more precise i'd rather say chanters for a couple of the tracks) Krush doesnt forget to throw in the mix his very own perception of hiphop. It doesnt always hit the mark, in the sense that a couple of tracks are musically nothing remarkable, but for the most part "Jaku" is incredibly refreshing ranging easily to intimidating.

As for the lyrics? Eons ahead of most of his contemporaries across in America.

Still, if this is your first acquaintance with Dj Krush's music, I'd urgently recommend you to start from his previous album "Message at the depth" which is nothing short of a milestone.
Dj Krush is one of the extremely few artists left still causing respect for a genre that has long been taken over by commercialism and fakeness.

not everyone likes DJ Krush, but I do. This is another one in the series of his beautiful albums.

Another great album from Krush. Jaku and Kakusei are must haves for any music lover.

theres so much to say about this album that words can't even describe. honestly, you really have to listen for yourself.
ive been a krush fan since i first heard 'kakusei'. for those of you that have been krush fans since day 1, thats not very impressive. but at the time, i was young, and listened to a lot of hip hop, and kakusei is his most trip-hoppy instrumental hip hop album. just solid beats... but lets focus on 'jaku'.
lets just say it brushes upon every emotion ive ever felt in my life. it starts out dark, and throughout the whole album there is a dark mysterious feeling to it. the mental image i get from the first track is flying high through green mountains, the sky all grey and misty. while listening to it, theres a sence of anticipation, chills that run through your body as if something is about to happen. and something does. especially on track 6. if you have seen the album art, it fits the music perfectly.
there is a feel for almost all genres of music. some hip hop, some jazz piano, some ancient flutes, and rhythm that is almost tribal, but still stays modern enough to be played in clubs.
the first track captures you, and lets you know whats coming ahead in the album, then the rest of the album takes you on a journey to the eastern part of the globe.... and gets lost. when i say this is a masterpiece its because this is krush's latest work (well he actually has two remix albums out now that are amazing as well) but this is his last full length non-remix album he has made, and he has taken his work to the next level. traveled the universe and came back, and then made an album to describe it. after nearly two decades of making music, his experiences throughout his life and where he has traveled come together on this album. As well, you still get a feel that this is the dj krush from japan you have always known. it seemed as though for the production of this album, he sat high on top of a mountain, in a temple, meditated, and understood the world. and jaku is his memoires.
after hearing 'shinsou' or 'the message at depth' (the album that came out previous to this one) i thought there was no way he can follow it up with a better album. but he proved me wrong. this work is far better than any of his other work, can he prove me wrong again?

Was at a friends house drinking and chilling and I heard the Tsugaru Jyamisen for track 13, Beyond Raging Waves. Bought this album for this song but was suprised at how most of the songs were good. I know have about 6 of his albums. Also check out 'Zen' and if you like the sounds of the trumpet, check Ki-Oku for some nice turntable and trumpet sounds.

mirroring the title of the album, DJ Krush presents us with a magnificent set of songs that explore the whole range of emotions in the `darker spectrum`. One of the reviwers wrote earlier that the album lacks positivism; he is right, but that is exactly what the album is all about: exploring our subtler and darker moods. In an industry marked by the repetition of formulas, DJ Krush`s "Jaku" stands out for its inovative spirit.

For someone like DJ Krush, that has some 11-12 albums of Hypnotic And Cerebral beats, and instrumentals. Not forgetting his even more impressive collaborations with various vocalists that have always impressed with the performances, Krush is able to coax out of them. It was inevitable that a change of direction was at somepoint going to be on the cards. This change of direction is a 'return to his roots' approach, which means that he reverts to his Japanese roots, and brings forth a fair subtle, contemplative and tranquil albums then before, with the first two tracks ("Still Island with Shuuzan Morita" & "Road to Nowhere"), being two hushed and melodically serene tracks, full of flute, wind pipes ambient beats and on overall sound that reverts to Japanese artistic sensibilities. Possibly far more subtle than most krush fans will be used to, and arguably takes a little getting used to, and the Trip-Hop beats by which Krush made his name by are virtually non-existant here.

The vocalists that Krush works with and arguably contains some of his finest productions, are largely missing from this album, but there are two vocal collaborations here, and this the first one, with 'Definitive Jux' rapper "Mr Lif" on the superbly atmospheric "Nosferatu" harkens back to the more 'beat' orientated sound of old. Think Peak-era "Massive Attack" with Sinister Strings blunted, nocturnal beats over with Mr Lif, laying complex echoed raps, in which the whole track has a distinctly house-of-horrors styled edge, and this track most resembles Krush previous work, and thus a magnificent track. "Stormy Cloud" which features the considerably piano skill of 'Ken Shima', is most certainly one of my favourite tracks. Here Krush takes the gorgeous piano arrangements provided by Ken, and very subtle strings, that feel more at home on a 'Brain Eno' ambient album, with the piano performance growing in stature, before Krush overlays an also melancholic, slow drum beat, which parallels perfectly with the piano. Dramatic swelling with ever more aggressive piano stabs and cascading into a mini orchestrated epic. Its breathtaking stuff for sure, and a beautifully realised (and wholly successful) departure from Krush, and a venture I'd whole heartily like him to explore on future albums.

Deck-athron" sees the tempo increase significantly, with a Turntable workout in the mold of "Dj Shadow / Cut Chemist", with Krush's skill behind the decks leaving no doubt that not only is he a masterful producer, but also a incredibly skilled Dj with tumbling fractured headnodding beats, with some brilliant turntable-pitch electronic scrambles. "Beyond Raging Waves" is a mixture of the traditional & the contemporary with the track featuring the use of a traditional three-stringed guitar, that sounds remarkably like the twangy oriental string sounds of rural Japanese music. The combination of this classically orientated instrument coupled with Krush's subtle production, make this a fusion that touches on World music/Ambient Electronic, without completely committing to either, and treads a difficult line between the two styles, and remains a success in spite of itself.

Krush fans who are expecting an album in the vein of "Krush", "Zen" or "Code 4109" with undoubtedly be disappointed, as a lot of what Krush is known for has largely been ejected (Hypnotic beats, Varied Vocalist, Complex Beats), and the focus has been to produce something far more subtle & unassuming. Those that aren't aware of this 'World Music' style leanings will find that, on some of the tracks on "Jaku", they will feel drift dangerously close to background music, and feel musically detached. But if you are prepared to stick with it, the involvement of classical musicians & elements of fusion, will being to make sense, each listen will unearth the intricacies of the album, that were missed on the first couple of listens, and although, I can't say that this is Krush's best album, It's amongst his most innovative (albeit at the expense of immediate accessibility), and providing you are prepared to give this album the 'benefit of the doubt', this is arguably up this with some of his finest work.