Satyr
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Jul 18, 2004 14:06
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JOUJOUKA - NEW ASIANS
Always expressing itself in upfront, unpredictable ways, setting their own standard in sound instead of following the main wave in goa or psychedelic trance, Joujouka manages to keep up their avant guarde position as crossover pirats. I mean, how would YOU describe their style? Already for years i hear many people talk about Tsuyoshi (one of Joujouka's three), saying he plays Techno (no, not misinterpreted minimalistic experimental psytrance, TECHNO!).
On Samothraki 2002 i heard him play some nice, crispy, old trance tracks (starting from somewhere around 1997, like AAA recordings' Acidrockers, that type-o-shit) mixed with more updated sounds. Far from Droidsect or Cyberlions, yet at least just as far from Carl Craig or Richey Hawtin. No full on psy and no techno, just nicely spiked grooves with well percussed funky edges, crossed over to trance in the wide musical sense of the term.
But even that set then was more 4-to-the-floor than this new Joujouka release.
Crossover ... just as much a "nice & vaguely general tag" for music as the "progressive" tag is in my ears, but that's another (everongoing?) story.
The sound of Joujouka's "New Asians" is funky tranced outaspace techno breakbeats on the tribal psychedelic triprock tip, somewhere inbetween Pink Floyd, Coldcut and Saikopod ...
4 starters that is, if one would really like to pin it down somewhere.
Anybody out there expecting a "killer psychedelic trance" album may have to rush back home to get their experimental hearing devices before they chek this one out at the recordshop. Anybody out there with an open mind for (trance/dance) music could be pleasantly surprised. At least i'm getting more happy with it every time i listen to it. Not that i love every track, but in times where a lot of the psychedelic releases remind of the good ol' disco days (meaning most productions sound like basic variations on the theme or "flavor of the month"), this one does the refreshment trick.
This one got tha Soul!
On to the Tracks ....
# 7) One of my favorites here is "All the Angels". Feels a bit like Tricky in the land of the Rising Sun. Shivers up and down me spine as muse Emmaline Clearly takes the vocals to a dreamy level, minimally accompanied by delayed electrobeats and guitar. Not melancholic or euphoric, just dreaming my way into outer space. Not too odd with number Seven, the number of Heaven ;-)
# 3) "Image" jacks up the soundsystem with some nasty new style Funk. As the organ breaks it down, the funky drums take us onto the sexy sax riffs from where Japanese mc Akitomo takes the mic with a like a wailing Walrus.
# 10) With a double Jeopardy aboard, it's Remeniscence time!
The answer is: released RS 9116, 1991 on R&S records, belgian techno or oldstyle gabber in some ears.
Question: what is "The Vamp" ep by Outlander?
Dj Fidel told me recently how his world was turned upsidedown by dj Eddy de Clerq who played this track at the Gobang!tour party in Utrecht, some 13 odd years ago. Manyways, Joujouka must've shared that kind of feeling with him, as this one they made a newstyle edit of the track "The Vamp" .. at least they use the same vocals (also heard in one of Joujouka's earlier tracks, "The Right Stuff") & second synthline in "X-Rock" yet giving more kick to it and replacing the original 5 tone doremifasol chorus synthline with a simple chord of standard issue powersynth. Not too easy to get rid of the cheesy sample in the break, but with a Pioneer djm 500/600 or any Kaospads attached, it might just work.
If he heard this album, my guess is Eddy de Clerq would play the original "Vamp" and mix "X-Rock" into it to raise the climax on the dancefloor. They fit quite good. I tried 'em, at home. Don't want any flying beerbottles to adjust their direction and start heading right for me (yet), as EDC experienced when he started playing house music (all night long) .... but that's 80s history. On to the next generation.
# 4) "New Asians", the titletrack of this album has a Chemical feel to it. Oldskool funki drummer (P.E.stylee!), distortedly driven bass, japanese whispers in the Queen's english by Bryan Burtonlewis, intertwined with some heavy guitar tweaks.
"How does it feel, this new asian beat?"
Well, this one could nicely do the job as part of a soundtrack for some gangstermovie or a suspense thriller. Maybe next year's 007 is ready for Joujouka ?!
# 5) Well, ready 4 the Bond-theme or not, it's no time for Duran Duran's "A view to a Kill" yet, but Joujouka dig a few feet further back in time. Covering FGTH's golden oldie "Relax" with trancey layers of tribal rhythms, adding a new edge to the original bassline and replacing Hollies lyrics with Native's female vocals, Joujouka do a good job in fitting the track a modern costume. Cruising at 127bpm, this one won't blow the roof off of most "typical dutch" indoor tranceparties (yet probably more appreciated in morning times), but outside it will make 'em bounce for sure. As "Relax" was also remixed into a clubtrance version (and commercially exploited as a househit) in the 90s, i'm quite curious what style this track will be fitted into, next decade.
# 6) "Let the Wave flow", downtempo 4by4 clubstyle with screaming guitar distortions, funki brass-n-bass, building up the tribal beats to a carnaval-in-Rio style bridge, intermezzed by one of those what-the-funk-is-happening-with-the-cd breaks and keepin it latin till bam.
# 8) With "The World" Joujouka venture into the same realms as Beastie Boys's "Something's got to give" (the "nananah nananananah" track from "Check Your Head"). A lazy, wide sound with sitar, violins & guitar. Laid back on the psyrock tip!
And that about sums New Asians up 4 me.
Once again, may be out for some ages,
but i'm new on this forum 
This one stays Fresh! Ten Thumbs Up
:: bom tsjak ::
 
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