Dip into nu-jazz with Gianni Brezzo’s ‘The Awakening’

Gianni Brezzo - The Awakening, taken from the upcoming Jakarta Records debut EP "The Awakening" to be released on 12th of March; pre-order rh https://giannib...

An intimate coming together of organic sound laced with jazz synthesiser marks Gianni Brezzo’s newest collection

b9346017-1613148268751.jpg

Marvin Horsch is the producer at the head of moody jazz project ‘Gianni Brezzo’. A multi-instrumentalist based in Cologne, Germay, Horsch has been long been invested in the nu-jazz scene. Light percussion, soft focus synth and a stir of soul have guided this artist’s exploration deeper into jazz tones, resulting in music which soothes the mind while moving the body.

The next milestone for Gianni Brezzo will be ‘Awakening’, the project’s first EP on German label Jakarta records. So far only a handful of tracks from the collection have been made public, but the environment starting to form promises gentle warmth, heated with passion.

Gianni Brezzo normally expresses emotion through entirely instrumental work, often returning to Horsch’s appreciation for acoustic guitar as a core feature. The Awakening welcomes a number of artists affiliated with Jakarta records however, infusing the vocals of singers such as J.Lamotta and Otis Junior into the soulful mix.

The personality at the heart of this upcoming release remains that of Horsch, and the organic quality melts away any distance between the creator and audience. The track for which the album is named is particularly representative of the artist’s moments of clarity in connection to his personal creative process.

Support the release on Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify.

Hear more from Gianni Brezzo
Insta / Spotify / Facebook

Electronica melts into nu jazz, in Beifer’s ‘Blurred Thoughts’

Music by Sebastian PfeiferVideo by Finn Fredeweßhttps://linktr.ee/BeiferInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bastipfeiferSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/ar...

The 2020 project adds another smooth and experimental track to a patiently cultivated discography

From the electronic community of Munich comes Beifer. Independent both in production style and sound, his discography moves through shades of ambient, incorporating classical piano and melody with an organic weight to it. At other points in his music, heavily synthetic tones are the element that lights up Beifer’s work, starting to reach out to more artificial genres like chiptune. The overall image leans towards the catchall term of experimental, but what’s clear is that the German artist is unafraid to bridge the gap between the physical and purely electronic.

The track we shift our attention to here is ‘Blurred Thoughts’, an appropriate introduction to the upcoming producer’s artistic process. The muted beats employed in the sound carry through the narrative of the release, imbibed with a trace of rhythmic garage pattern. Percussive clicks find their way into the mix as well, furthering that unobtrusive groove and comfortable nu jazz feel. The ambience here is dusted in synth however, elevating ‘Blurred Thoughts’ into a more idm style environment, blurring together the separate elements as the title suggests.

With Beifer’s discography limited to a few tracks and with significant variety between them, what will follow this meditative release remains to be seen.

Support the release on Youtube

Check out more from Beifer
Instagram / Spotify / Bandcamp

Human Digital Music: FLOCKS - “Grammar King”

Recorded and engineered by Isaac Karns at Marble Garden StudiosMastered by Alex DeTurkArtwork by Kara & Shang of The Gymnasium

In recent years, the space where jazz, electronica, and post-rock meet has proved to be a fruitful hunting ground for seekers of unique music that steers into uncharted waters.

The likes of Jaga Jazzist, Yussef Kamaal, The Breathing Effect, and Vels Trio all come to mind when considering acts who have successfully straddled these styles and blurred the lines between genres, managing to explore the sonic boundaries and offer up their own signature sounds.

Three-piece band: FLOCKS of Cincinnati, Ohio are another act very much in that mould. They describe themselves as “Humans making digital music” which could perhaps be written off as a flippant remark by the casual reader, however, after listening to them it actually seems to be the simplest and most accurate statement that captures the essence of what they are.

Their latest single 'Grammar King' effortlessly flits between sections of frenetic drum patterns, off-kilter synths, and broken bass lines, before seamlessly transitioning into satisfying future-jazz and electronica grooves. The crisp, scattergun rhythms are superbly balanced with soulful and euphoric passages that ride smoothly, creating a real sense of journey throughout.

Altogether it makes for a joyful and cerebral listening experience with the kind of dynamics and playfulness that can only be derived from humans playing instruments together and no amount of studio programming can imitate.

Order on Bandcamp or Stream on Spotify

Check out more from FLOCKS

Instagram / Spotify / Facebook

Premiere: Stimulator Jones illuminates jazz rich beats, with fresh soul

Drawing closer to next year’s release, Jones grants us a new taste of what’s to come

The work of Stimulator Jones (aka Samuel Jones) might have found its way to you through his previous label, the esteemed Stones Throw Records. Look forward to the cutting edge of this constantly evolving artist’s discography however, and you’ll find a fresh connection with Nordic label Mutual Intentions, and the promise of an upcoming sophomore LP.

Jones’s style always arrives smooth and polished, but quite how it’s delivered and where it’s sourced from are aspects far less easy to predict. Tracks have been centered around energy from the hip hop scene, then at other times turned to genres such as blues, or R&B. What tends to remain in play within the artist’s process is a soulful, genuine funk groove.

It’s true to say that vibe is present in the tracks released as a precursor to Stimulator Jones’s next LP, titled ‘La Mano’ and set for release in January 2021. How that feeling is encouraged to grow by Jones calls for a more detailed assessment however. It’s best to listen for yourself but the determination to keep production organic, handmade and personal in ‘La Mano’ shines through.

Today we’re introducing the next track to feature on the LP: ‘Drama Time’. Dynamic percussion and rich basslines take hold.

Support the new album on Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify

Check out more from Stimulator Jones
Spotify / Bandcamp / Instagram / Facebook

Gathering spirits for samples, Hanses releases ‘Tapete’

Hanses is one of the hip-hop artists out there characterised by their constant scavenging for unique and inspiring samples, uncovering soundbites and cultivating the energy within them to create a soul which the rest of the track can grow around.

From a top-down view Hanses is notable for establishing the label Fennek Records with fellow beat producer ‘Shaga’. Founded in early 2019 and based in Mannheim, Germany, this slowly expanding label represents the drive for online community and cooperation within the electronic scene.

The discography presented by Hanses is largely represented by one off singles which orbit around ‘Poltergeist’; a solid 24 track compilation with a central Japanese theme. The 2019 LP uses found sound from old interviews and TV shows, meaning that the atmosphere that Hanses raises up is decidedly lo-fi, bringing back to life that static second hand nostalgia of times and places already in the past. There’s a little Japanese city pop here, a smooth sound softened by the drop in fidelity to blend into a nu-jazz flavour.

‘Tapete’ (wallpaper) is the latest track from Hanses, instrumental hip-hop that incorporates light percussion and muted electro-acoustic. It’s non-conformative, expressive, and music that rolls in like a breeze.

Stream it on Spotify

Check out the label- Fennek Records
Web / Insta / Facebook / Youtube