The Intersection: Brandt Brauer Frick

Inventive German electronica trio Brandt Brauer Frick's new album You Make Me Real (on !K7 Records) is headphone music par excellence.
Dan Brandt, Jan Brauer and Paul Frick's music blends the unexpected timbres of John Cage and intricate arrangements of Steve Reich with the kinetic energy of Kraftwerk and playful swing of Raymond Scott in "Powerhouse" mode. BBF's hypnotic beats bounce around in your cranium like they want to break out. By the end of the opener, "Corky Prelude," you'll want the band to take up residency in your dome.
How do they do it? With live drums, treated pianos, trombones, harp, marimba and a host of other treated live sounds — that's how. The organic nature of these sounds allows them to take root in your ears quickly, especially after consuming a double espresso like I did!
Click on tracks to listen to excerpts.

01. Corky Prelude
02. Bop
03. Paparazzi
04. Caffeine
05. Mi Corazon
06. Heart Of Stone
07. R. W. John
08. You Make Me Real
09. Teufelsleiter
BBF play at Barfly in London, 12/17. If you can't make it, visit them here.

The Intersection: Jaga Jazzist — One-Armed Bandit (2010)

The Intersection is an occasional feature on JazzWrap that looks at artists that blend jazz with electronica (a tradition pioneered by none other than Miles Davis on such classic recordings as On The Corner).

This week's focus is Jaga Jazzist's One-Armed Bandit (Ninja Tune, 2010)

It's been five years since we last heard from Jaga Jazzists. The wait is over. The Norwegian nine-piece nu-jazz fusionists have returned with their strongest set to date, One-Armed Bandit.

What made Jaga Jazzist great in the past — the sick chops, the mind-boggling creativity, the melodic invention — is on full display on their new album. You can't help but imagine the ghost of Frank Zappa influencing the band from beyond. The intricate, hyper intelligent whimsy of Hot Rats/Grand Wazoo-era jazz-rock is an evident touchstone for this band. The title track in particular sounds like a sequel to Zappa's "Peaches in Regalia.

The band isn't shy about its progressive jazz rock influences and certainly has the ability to demonstrate them on tracks such as "Bananfluer Overalt" and "Touch of Evil." Another influence is contemporary minimalists, particularly Steve Reich, whose phasing technique is executed brilliantly on Jaga's "Toccata".

For all of its intricate instrumental interplay Jaga Jazzist still squeezes out some memorable hooks. The title track is a great place to start. While certainly no pop tune, its main melody is as memorable as they come, bolstered by strong counterpoint, a swinging rhythm section and an imaginative arrangement that has room for fat synths, brass, vibes and distorted and slide guitar.

Read the previous Intersection post about Jaga Jazzist.

Next time: Parov Stelar