VA - Kyoto Jazz Massive - 10th Anniversary (2CD) (2006)

Artist: VA
Title Of Album: Kyoto Jazz Massive - 10th Anniversary
Year Of Release: June 13, 2006
Label: Compost
Genre: Free Jazz, Broken Beat, Future Jazz, Deep House, Contemporary Jazz
Quality/Bitrate: MP3 / VBR kbps / 44.1 Khz / Joint Stereo
Total Time: 2 h 22 min 09 sec
Total Size: 201 mb

Tracklist

CD1

1. Kyoto Jazz Massive - The Brightness Of These Days Quantic Remix (8:10)
2. Incognito - Where Love Shines (8:27)
3. Kyoto Jazz Massive - Endless.. (5:20)
4. Restless Soul - Time To Fly (6:56)
5. Mind Expansions Blaze Shelter Sundae Mix (6:58)
6. Shine Kenny Dope Remix (6:50)
7. Domu - Taking Flight (6:40)
8. Afronaught - Now Or Never (6:04)
9. Dego & Kaidi Tatham - Come With Me (4:42)
10. Reel People - Tomorrow Never.. (9:15)

CD2

1. Da Lata - Ronco Da Cuica (11:20)
2. Jazztronic - Shine (10:59)
3. Louie Vega & The Eol Band - Aphrodite (4:51)
4. Monday Michiru - A Calmarita (9:37)
5. Dj Mitsou The Beats - Spiredown 2004 (4:46)
6. Sleep Walker - Eclipse (8:56)
7. Toshio Matsuura Group - Behind The Shadow (9:07)
8. Electric Sheep Feat Ua - The.. (6:58)
9. Aurora - Nacel Do Sol (6:13)

- Clique Aqui Parte 1:
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That's really what this is. In 2004, Kyoto Jazz Massive celebrated 10 years of their music, and with loads of friends from around the world, they came up with a three cd series. They were titled "RE: KJM" (Red Cover), "For: KJM" (White Cover), and "By: KJM" (Black Cover). These three discs were straight imports, and initially retailed at about $30-$40 state-side. Re: KJM had artists re-interpreting many of their songs. For: KJM had songs dedicated to them and even had a song done by them. By: KJM featured KJM's remixes. This one, the gold covered "10Th Anniversary", is a double disc set released by Compost Records (their label in 2002) featuring many of the songs from there along with a mix from a random 12" of their tunes. Yup - the three discs came out in 2004, and this gold one came out in 2006. A bit of a delay.

The music here's good. Energetic and neat broken beats on the tracks. CD1 starts out with Quantic's rendition of "Brightness of These Days", followed up by a neat broken beat mix of "Where Love Shines" by Incognito - given the trademark Kyoto Jazz Massive percussion treatment. It's such an alive sort of sound... the cut kind of reminds me of a Jiva song. That's followed up with Phil Asher & Rasiyah in "Time to Fly", the opening track on "For: KJM". Great song, nice glide, gentle soul. Other highlights were Kenny Dope's take on "Shine" (man, I miss THAT Guida De Palma, where it wasn't forced!). Other hits were Domu's, Kaidi Tatham/Dego and Afronaught's tracks. Basically, a broken beat fest of cuts.

CD 2 starts out with Da Lata's take on "Ronca de Cuica" which was solid, but not that impressive to me. Jazztronik's crazy beat-heavy version of "Shine" pumped up the album quite a bit. Strange song, but interesting, all the same although the beats, after a while, feel distorted (and it wasn't my speakers... take great care of those!). "Aphrodite" by Louie Vega and EOL was one of my favorites though of the three disc series... really nice latin vibe to it with the drums, xylophone and guitar in harmony. Nice little cocktail jam. Monday Michiru put in a very nice take on one of KJM's biggest cuts, "A Calmaria", with a poem as she does. Would've been even tighter without some of the electronic in it - but still a wonderful song. Other highlights from disc 2 were Sleep Walker's version of "Eclipse" and I lked Aurora's "Nacel Do Sol"... Nacel Do Sol in particular takes me back to the good old "Bossa Tres... Jazz" days.