You’d think off-the-wall jazz dance fusion albums that fail to conform to a single stereotype would be rare but I’ve had two in a matter of weeks.
Smag På Dig Selv (it means “look inside yourself” in Danish) and “This is Why We Lost” is going to be my album of the year, with its blend of jazz and techno, an awe-inspiring Palestinian folk song dropped in the middle and their mothers playing punk at the end. Just play it loud every day and your life will improve.
Now there’s Mincka, a project conjured up by Bosnian-Dutch drummer Sergej Kreso and Dutch producer Subp Yao, which similarly melds jazz and techno but with hip hop; like Smag På Dig Selv it’s great but just way too short. It sounds a little like an angry Groove Armada.
It starts with “Rainy Day”, which could probably slot into a regular jazz album, its slow, almost break-beat drums and brass, and is indeed reminiscent of a rainy day.
“Don’t Stop” features a Dutch gentleman called BlabberMouf and is a pop / hip hop. Mr Blabber spits rapid English; the sound is that of Pharcyde-era hip hop. “It Was” goes back to jazz, but chilled, the break-beat drums breaking out again. “Neverwhere” opens with bass and distorted a looped lyric sample; like the previous track it is more jazz and very more-ish.
Both Smag På Dig Selv and Mincka have songs with a bass (?) distorted enough to sound like a sonic attack. For Mincka it’s “Bak Again”, with hypnotic bass and the drummer (I think) playing his snare with the snare off and hitting the rim. It’s a very busy track.
Smag På Dig Selv has a Palestinian folk song, Mincka has closer “Gimme Love Gimme Love” with Princess Bangura on vocals, when the groove of the RnB / jazz gives way to a more disturbing spoken section about desperate people killing themselves to make a point, with a sax solo.
An excellent album, just way too short. Smag På Dig Selv is a must for anyone who likes interesting music but this is not far behind. They both create a unique sound, mixing music you might hear poolside on holiday with sounds people visiting underground bunkers known only to the cognoscenti might venture.
See mincka.bandcamp.com
JMC
