Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unique Krush, May 16, 2005
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.
|
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
honestly... some of Krush's best work, December 25, 2004
(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.
|
|
|
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Grassroots hiphop not intended for the charts...., October 20, 2004
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.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by DJ Krush 
