Jazzanova - Remixes 19972000 Reis (20 tracks) +Album Reviews

Essential

Andrew M. Schirmer | Seattle, WA USA | 01/03/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The last decade has seen an explosion of downtempo electronica, and with exceptions, two schools seem to have emerged. One (i.e. Massive Attack, Portishead, Hooverphonic, Tricky) derives its sounds from Bristol, and the soulful dub/hip-hop/soul hybrid found in Britain's melting pot. The other (i.e. K&D, Trüby Trio, Beanfield, Tosca, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Fauna Flash, et al.) is truly more jazz-based and seems to emanate from southern Germany and Austria. Jazzanova is of the latter. This German DJ collective performs actively (every Thursday night at WMF Club in Berlin), and are also quite prolific as remixers. For that reason, this collection needed to be made. For the beathead massive, it's an essential release. Jazzanova's bossa-influenced jazzscapes transcend the listener, leaving you either relaxed, or on the floor sweating out a furious samba. I can't really call it jazz. It's a fusion of bossa, drum & bass and jazz, with a distinctive Euro twist on it. And the artists? 4Hero, Ian Pooley, Truby Trio...it reads like a who's who list of the whole beathead/jazz scene. The newcomer will cite the lack of sonic variety when critiquing this release. A solid argument; the remixes don't venture into uncharted waters, sticking to the tried and true Jazzanova formula. For the unitiated, it's a good place to begin. For those who know - why don't you have this already?"

Jazz never stops evolving...

hexfxtriks@aol.com | Middle of nowhere | 11/23/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jazzanova are a Berlin based group of musician/DJ's who formed back in the heady "electronica" days of 1995. Their strength lies in their use of beat heavy Jazz structures to reshape many of these tracks into silky smooth compositions. If the over used IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) tag was ever more appropriate then people should use this double CD as a template. This is a great collection of tracks for anyone who likes the the jazzy late nite music coming from the smokey chill-out rooms tucked way in the back of many dance clubs around the world."

A Remix Album With a Twist

The Groove | Boston, MA | 07/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The overwhelming majority of remix albums consist of generic reinterpretations of familiar tunes set to lazy beats and uninspired rhythms. An exception, however, is this remix album from Jazzanova, which compiles the band's greatest work on two discs. The grooves, always rich and multilayred, offer a careful balance of jazz, Latin influences, and a touch of electro beats so as not to scare away even the most conservative jazz gurus. Among the better numbers are Incognito's "Get Into My Groove" and MJ Cole's "Sincere." Whether you want a disc to spice things up at a weekend dinner party or music to relax to on a Sunday afternoon, you'll be pleased with this excellent double-disc set."

Remixing is One Thing, Producing is Another

Stavros Zanos | Thessaloniki, Greece | 02/01/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Let me start by stating I'm a huge fan of Jazzanova's live dj mixes (like Circles, Off Limits 1 & 2, Sound of the City-Berlin etc). And most of their original work is pretty awesome too (the Jazzanova EP must be one of the most influential dance releases of the decade!).
However, I could not call the material contained in this 2-CD boxset as essential (let alone ground-breaking). The style has been perfectly described by other reviewers. Most of the latest remixing work from Jazzanova are variations around the same central idea, albeit of unmistakable production quality. This might be overall the case with the whole downtempo/lounge buzz of the last two years--which I suspect hasn't reached its peak yet, as it seems to be a first-class moneymaker which bases its success on the 'no surprises' surprise. The 'nu-skool music' scene however, along with its sister-subgenres (nu-jazz, broken beat, funky house etc) has a lot more to offer. As always, the really important stuff come in small 'bottles'. For example, the Berlin-based label Sonar Kollektiv, of which Jazzanova are part, has released some great EPs recently, very far from their well-known lines of production.
The guys behind Jazzanova know their thing very well (take a listen for example to a couple of 70s european jazz compilations they let out on Compost). Remixing is (usually) a good way of making more money. I expect much better output from their forthcoming long player."

!Give me more!

dniezing | 12/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't like rap-beats, i don't like 4/4 housebeats, i don't like dumb sampling (-Fugees have set a trend).., i don't like stupid loops! * * AND THEN THERE WAS JAZZANOVA! * * Combining technique with musical feeling. It's above the other loungy stuff, it's jazzy (worth that name more than other dance-music); it's not sleepy like most 'jazzdance' stuff. A fantastic album! Up to 1100 samples per song?! Love them or hate them. * * Hopefully their career will continue with music as good as this!!"

Search - Jazzanova :: Remixes 1997-2000 (Reis)

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