Jazzy Couscous レコード& CD

Review: Barcelona based Matthieu Faubourg has been sharing his jazz-inflected twist on minimal deep house for some years, primarily on labels like Smile For A While, Happiness Therapy and Neovinyl. Now he comes to Jazzy Couscous with his debut album, which was primarily recorded in Vienna and takes its cue from the Da Vinci quote used as a title. There's a clarity to the ideas on this record, as Faubourg moves through varying shades of energy, tempo and groove while maintaining a smooth, cool-headed mood throughout. As well nine original tracks, the album also closes out with a classy remix from Byron The Aquarius, who takes on opening track "Winter Will Be Long".

Review: Hailing from France but now based in Tokyo, Jazzy Couscous is a label that explores all kinds of sounds pivoting around the axis of jazz and deep house, but keeping things wide open for variety and experimentation. Following releases from Brawther, Klodio and more besides, it's time for a hefty various artists release that shows off a whole heap of talent. Matthieu Faubourg keeps thing pumping and Detroit-flavoured on "A Long Way", while Drezb smooths things out to a Chez Damier-influenced deep house groove. Pascal Viscardi gets things properly jacking on the deep-diving "Digital Illusion", and then the record closes out with the blissful ambient excursion of Midori featuring Victor Santoni's "Distance".

Review: Jazzy Couscous let rip with a little spiritual house healing from a Tokyo OG: Yukihiro Fukutomi. Loaded with swooning Rolando-style pads and a tightly knitted chugging beat and laced with subtle acid and twinkling arpeggios, the deeper into the seven minute trip we travel, the more blissful and immersive things get. Flip for a classic strutting jazzy house rub from label co-founder Hugo LX as he brings the twinkles right to the forefront and moulds the synths into spring jazz-tickled chords. Coming at you in a range of screen-printed coloured sleeves, this is special right down to the very last detail.

Review: After having brought you the critically acclaimed Japanese house compilation "Once upon a time in Japan...", Jazzy Couscous introduces one of the most promising artist of the French deep house scene, Hugo LX.Having worked on a strings of releases in early 2016, French producer Hugo LX (Courtesy of Balance, My Love is underground, Faces) comes back with another four track offering, with help from fellow French man, Korea-based Fulbert, on the remix duties. Expect some sample-built, bass heavy, deep fried pieces from the nomadic beatsmith, merging influences from Japanese dreamy ambiant, French vaporous soundtracks and American deep dance music. This EP will without a doubt be on heavy rotation on the dancefloors this summer!

Review: Run by two Tokyo based Frenchmen, Jazzy Couscous is a new label rooted in
a love for Jazz and the urban movements it spawned, from House to Hip-Hop
and everything in-between.
House music nerd with a Hip-Hop background, Alixkun is the DJ of the crew.
You can catch him playing numerous clubs around Tokyo and writing for
Japanese house encyclopedia House Definitive. His journalism and highly
regarded sets led him and the team to be invited on stage for Dommune,
Japan's Boiler Room equivalent.
Klodio, on the other hand, is an upcoming producer to keep an eye on in 2015.
Soon to drop his debut release "Toktroit", he pays tribute to some of his biggest
musical influences, Detroit and Tokyo; combining a clear love and appreciation
for the early UR House sound, with a fresh Tokyoite vibe that will take you on a
full speed night drive through the neon highways. A versatile soul head, equally
at home with House, Techno, Hip-Hop, and even Drum'n'Bass, Klodio knows no
boundaries when it comes to expressing his deep Jazz infused roots.
This year will see various projects in which Alixkun will express his soft spot for
Japanese rare-grooves and Japanese House music. Also planned for release is
a second EP of fine House music by another French producer, so stay tuned for
more by Jazzy Couscous!

Review: 
Following the successful reception of klodio's debut EP, the Tokyo-based producer spent the year playing shows in Japan with various upcoming artists like Fulbert and label co-founder Alixkun, and taking part in disruptive events such as Pow Wow School of Music.
When klodio decided it was time to start recording his second EP, he took a slightly different direction, going from Techno-influenced Detroit House to House-influenced Detroit Techno. "Shinagawa Sunrise" is a fast-paced retro-futuristic Jazz jam which climaxes on a fantastic sax solo by the young and talented Ilia Skibinsky. Daiba goes a step further in this Techno journey, flowing from glowing, light, syncopated chords to a dark and aggressive atmosphere, and back again to the relaxing chords.
More polished, singular, deep, and yet aggressive than "Toktroit", "Rainbow Bridge EP" brings another stone in the Asia-infused universe that the French producer is bringing to the world of electronic music.

Review: If you've not heard of Sasaji Masanori, don't worry; while the Japanese keyboardist and producer was a member of Mariah (whose avant-garde explorations have long been staples in Balearic sets), his 1980 solo album, Hot Taste Jam, is unknown to all but a handful of jazz-funk and boogie collectors (and, yes, it does change hands for silly money online). Here, the title track from that set - a nine-minute jazz-funk/boogie fusion full of wavering, Herbie Hancock style Rhodes solos, punchy horns, atmospheric female vocals and rubbery slap bass - gets the reissue treatment for the first time. This time round, it's accompanied by a fresh re-edit from Phil Asher and the Mighty Zaf. While largely faithful to the original, the duo plays around with the arrangement to give it a little extra dancefloor potency, subtly chopping the length a little in the process.

Review: For the past six years Jazzy Couscous has been exploring nooks and crannies of Japanese music culture in search of overlooked gems across all kinds of styles. After the success of the first installment of "Kumo No Muko", label boss Alixkun returns with another expansive collection of ambient, new age and smooth jazz reflections from a range of artists. The mood is consistently pretty, not to mention delicately executed, whether veering towards the sweet string refrain of Ayuo Takahashi's "Mizu Iro No Kagami" or the bittersweet prog guitar licks of Toru Hatano's "Kanki". There are bleepy synth trips like Akira's "Essence Of Beauty" and beat-embellished grooves to sink into - miss this rare and beautiful record at your peril.

Review: Japanese guitarist Kazumi Watanabe has been a treasure of leftfield music in the Far East since the 70s, and Jazzy Conscious are doing a great service in highlighting the delicate talents of this gifted artist for a new generation. There's a new age lilt to the looped up melodic chime patterns that course through "Garuda" as they flirt with Watanabe's effervescent playing. Kuniyuki then hops on the B side to deliver a contemporary remix of the track that shapes out a brooding, immersive atmosphere populated by earthly drums and looming reverb.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Individuality, Harmony, Wit.
Originating from the heart of Asia - Taipei, Taiwan, Zy The Way is a fusion collective spear-heading a new musical movement in a digital age. As the offspring of a film director, entertainers and multi-genre musicians, Zy The Way aims to create artistic content that will rock your socks. We believe that true balance is achieved not through the uniting of different social groups, but when we come together with our stories as an individual. Voices and vision, musical styles, personalities, and our own beliefs, Zy The Way is the fabrication of our collective imagination, where no one is left out.

Review: Individuality, Harmony, Wit.
Originating from the heart of Asia - Taipei, Taiwan, Zy The Way is a fusion collective spear-heading a new musical movement in a digital age. As the offspring of a film director, entertainers and multi-genre musicians, Zy The Way aims to create artistic content that will rock your socks. We believe that true balance is achieved not through the uniting of different social groups, but when we come together with our stories as an individual. Voices and vision, musical styles, personalities, and our own beliefs, Zy The Way is the fabrication of our collective imagination, where no one is left out.