BLK JKS: IT WAS A GOOD YEAR

02 December 2008

IT WAS A GOOD YEAR

One of America's best radio deejays just turned in his homework...

Garth Trinidad's Top 10 of 2008

1. Janelle Monae - Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Atlantic)

2. Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It (Sony)

3. The Roots - Rising Down (Def Jam)

4. Keziah Jones - Nigerian Wood (Because Music)

5. BLK JKS - MYSTERY EP (SELF-RELEASED)

6. Bigga Bush Pres. Lightning Head - 13 Faces of Lightning Head (Lion Head)

7. Seun Kuti - Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 (Disorient)

8. N.E.R.D. - Seeing Sounds (Interscope Records)

9. Kissey Asplund – Plethora (R2)

10. Grupo Fantasma - Sonidos Gold (High Wire Music)

Thanks to everyone who went in on the MUSIC. Much more to come in 2009.

10 comments:

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...: Excellent stuff.

Be aware that some people may now think you're terrorists...; December 2, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Julian said...: nice to see Garth put you guys ahead of Suen Kuti, that's some real kudos as it was a great first album.; December 4, 2008 at 9:07 AM
kool:one:ebony:83* said...: noice!

significant to note the ¨self-released¨ part...

keep building...

makwande*; December 5, 2008 at 11:13 AM
___________ said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; December 6, 2008 at 3:09 AM
___________ said...: Congrats my fellow Africans!!
-chibb; December 6, 2008 at 3:11 AM
Unknown said...: That is a serious honor. To me Garth is one of two or three of the coolest radio DJ's in the US (Ohsokool in NYC is the other). Spent a few years enjoying his amazing taste when I lived in LA (Big ups KCRW!) Congrats!; December 15, 2008 at 5:19 AM
Unknown said...: good stuff guys when yall performing in grahamstown; December 20, 2008 at 2:09 PM
jon jon said...: thats awesome, and the Mystery is out on March.

cheers/yo
http://soundverite.blogspot.com/2008/04/blk-jks-lakeside-video.html; January 12, 2009 at 2:17 AM
John said...: hello, reading this I'm thinking: that is the worst and best that's happened this year?, and my answers are: the best thing that I love my girlfriend very much, and the worst was my study and research on Pharmacy No Prescription, was really the worst of my life, jejeje.; November 12, 2009 at 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...: Kerja Keras adalah Energi kita
yach, kata tersebut adalah kalimat yang harus kita resapi bersama. Dengan slogan Kerja Keras adalah Energi kita semoga saja kita akan memperoleh semangat dan kehidupan yang lebih baik dari hari kehari. Yuk kita ramaikan Kerja Keras adalah Energi kita bersama zulfirman baik saya maupun anda. Kerja Keras Energi kita
Kontes Kerja Keras Energi Kita Keyword Energi kita; November 22, 2009 at 7:32 PM

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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 *

02 December 2008

IT WAS A GOOD YEAR

Garth Trinidad's Top 10 of 2008

10 comments:

MA LETS GO DUBBING W/ BLK JKS

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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

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