Day

Wow, what an excellent holiday surprise for KZSU! If you’re not already familiar with Jaga Jazzist, you are truly unlucky. They’re a ten piece jazz/electronica hybrid ensemble from Norway. Click-y, complex drum & bass-ish beats with soulful, real (not just sampled) jazz instrumentation.

This single is for their stand-out cut “Day” (off their album “The Styx”), my favorite track of 2003. That alone would make this worthwhile, but the other goodies are equally fantastic: a broken beat Matthew Herbert (!) remix, a remix of their excellent song "Reminders", and best of all, absurdly tight live recordings of some of their best works ("Day / Another Day," “Kitty Wu,” "Suomi Finland”).

* Unquestionably the best CD single of 2004 *

Recommendations: All of it, but especially the live recordings (tracks 5-8).
Jazz fans must check out track 8!
Track by track inside ---->

- Captain Dee, 12-2004


***1. The original version of “Day,” my favorite song in 2003. Devastating drum & bass-ish beat with insanely catch guitar that’s overflowing with joy. Horns sing out in celebration. An instant electronica classic. (3:15)
2. Mysterious electronic disjointedness, wistful melodies. (3:39)
**3. Matthew Herbert cut-up of “Day”?! Methodical broken beat reinterpretation. Goofy sounds, crunchy beat at a slower, hip-hop pace. Infectious! (5:23)
4. Totally crazy remix of “Reminders” full of cartoon sounds and disjointed beat. Insanity! (3:46)
*5. Upbeat Chimes, dramatic horns, strings, and intense drumming/beat. Groovin’ (6:08)
**6. Super sleak live performance of “Day” (Track 1) that blends into “Another Day.” This version feels more acoustic. Check the absolutely blazing, ultra tight drum beat. (4:38)
*7. Heart-felt sax solo over a mess of drums and guitars. Ends with 30 seconds of applause and acknowledgements. (2:57)
***8. Live version of the excellent “Suomi Finland.” Spoken start. Dark guitar over mesmerizing xylophone(?) loops. Foreboding horns, hypnotic keys, and staccato electronic beat. Midway through, a *sick* sax solo over jazzy keys.
Wow! Highest Recommendations. (9:21)