BLK JKS: WE'RE A WINNER

05 November 2008

WE'RE A WINNER

BLK JKS in Amsterdam, August 2008. Photo by Jen Mazer.

The lasting thing that came out of the first meeting between BLK JKS and Robinson in Johannesburg was something Mpumi told me when we were talking about Barack Obama, this was in March 2007.

Just see how you walk down the street afterward.

A South African would know. And yes a South African will tell us that democracy is no easy thing but for now let's just take a few walks down a few streets together.

"We're A Winner by Curtis Mayfield

"Black President" by Brenda Fassie

"Africa Unite by Bob Marley

"Mzabalazo" by BLK JKS

1 comment:

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...: What a victory!

HURRAH!; November 6, 2008 at 4:02 PM

Post a Comment

FOR / ABOUT THE "MYSTERY" EP

Now and then it’s easy to guess that Blk Jks, from Johannesburg, are an African band on their four-song “Mystery EP”. That’s when they go bounding into three-chord South African township grooves in “Lakeside” or overlay the reggae foundation of “Summertime” with syncopated guitars. But Blk Jks make their music in a global swirl of possibilities; they are an art-rock band...While the lyrics (mostly in English) ponder philosophical quandaries — “All the wise men ’round the world don’t know the answers” — the band’s quick-fingered, multilayered vamps well up out of murky echoes, piling jubilation atop the anxiety, before submerging again..........................via THE NEW YORK TIMES

SOMES BRIEF NOTES

Childhood friends Linda and Mpumi grew up on the same block in Johannesburg’s East Rand, where they taught themselves guitar. Forming a band in 2000, early BLK JKS shows and recordings were remarkable for their stacks of guitar drone and head nodding beats, but it was with the addition of bassist Molefi and drummer Tshepang—both of Soweto—that BLK JKS began work with a fresh approach and plunged into its current universe of sound. Heavy club dates and festival gigs followed as they band earned a loyal following across the country.

The November 2007 release of the “Lakeside” vinyl-only 10in marks the band’s international debut with a limited edition of 500 selling at some of the world's best record shops.

The cover of Fader magazine and trip to the US in the spring of 2008 sparked sessions at the famed Electric Lady Studios with Brandon Curtis of Secret Machines at the controls.

The MYSTERY EP that resulted is available now as a vinyl/digital release.

THIRD PARTY PROPAGANDA

What makes them hip is that they’re South African and damn it, they sound it. In fact listening to BLK JKS is kind of like taking a slow cruise through Jozi with your windows rolled down. Afro-jazz riffs segue into tribal rhythms, which swagger through street-level sociology before exploding into hardcore bursts of noise, kwaai kwaito beats and addictive rock hooks. It’s not funk rock. It’s not punk rock. It’s not indie rock. It’s just music, and it’ll infect your mind if you let it.

In many ways the BLK JKS ability to genre hop is reminiscent of South African 80s white rock bands like Via Afrika, whose avant-boere-jive fusion freak-ins and erotic shebeen dub multi-layered mbaqanga chants situated rock in direct opposition to the separate development strategies of Apartheid.

Miles Keylock "Between Rock And The Rainbow Nation"

* MYSTERY EP *

05 November 2008

WE'RE A WINNER

1 comment:

MA LETS GO DUBBING W/ BLK JKS

FREE

FOR / ABOUT THE "MYSTERY" EP

xxx2008 THROWBACKxxxx

OBSERVER MUSIC MONTHLY (UK)

SOUND & VISION

SOMES BRIEF NOTES

"LAKESIDE" WORLD DEBUT

THE FUTURE

CONTACTO

THIRD PARTY PROPAGANDA

POST DATED

FREE ASSOCIATIONS