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Pyramid

by Jaga Jazzist

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L˥ thumbnail
What a pleasure of an album. Everything has room to breath and live. It's got this motif kinda running through it. Felt most from Tomita to Shrine.

I love the sci-fi-prog-jazz-funk-big band feels. The Jazzist's word-less vocal harmonizing is absolute beauty, especially on Spiral, when all instrumentation is layering together. Glorious.

Is that a synth/horn layer in Shrine? Distortion? Phasing? I can't tell, it's wonderful.

<3

I want more. What's after Apex? Animal Chin? *loops all albums*. Favorite track: Spiral Era.
carpswamp
carpswamp thumbnail
carpswamp It's so refreshing to have an album that takes its time, lets you get settled in, creates space, then takes you to different places. Especially with all the trends in music right now, this is such a breath of fresh air. Favorite track: Tomita.
Eric Gedenk
Eric Gedenk thumbnail
Eric Gedenk Jaga is back with a vengeance. This album is already up there with my favorites they've made, and certainly counts among 2020's best.
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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    4-panel digisleeve with rainbow foil triangle detail. Artwork by Martin Kvamme.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Pyramid via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    9 remaining
    Purchasable with gift card

      $12 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $9 USD  or more

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Crystal clear vinyl LP in a printed inner sleeve housed in a 5mm spined outer sleeve with die cut triangle. Includes silver holographic foldable pyramid insert and MP3 download code. Artwork by Martin Kvamme.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Pyramid via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $29.50 USD or more 

     

  • Jaga Jazzist - 'Pyramid' LP + 'One Armed Bandit' 2LP Vinyl Bundle [BFBUNDLE099]
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Includes:
    1 x 'Pyramid' LP [BF099]

    1 x 'One Armed Bandit' 2LP [ZEN152]

    Includes unlimited streaming of Pyramid via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

1.
Tomita 13:46
2.
Spiral Era 08:08
3.
The Shrine 09:06
4.
Apex 08:08

about

Jaga Jazzist return with their new album “Pyramid” on 24 April 2020, where the legendary Norwegian eight-piece takes a deep dive into post-rock, jazz and psychedelia influences. It’s their first album since 2015’s “Starfire”, their ninth album in a career now spanning four decades, but it marks the group’s debut on Brainfeeder, the LA-based imprint curated by Flying Lotus. On “Pyramid”, Jaga Jazzist have crafted a suitably cosmic sound to match their new label home, all the while nodding to forebears spanning from 80s jazz band Out To Lunch and Norwegian synth guru Ståle Storløkken, to contemporaries Tame Impala, Todd Terje and Jon Hopkins. Each of the album’s four longform entries evolves over carefully plotted movements, the tracks’ technicolour threads dreamily unspooling.

The band, led by Lars Horntveth and his compositions, took a direct approach to the creation of “Pyramid”. Whereas “Starfire” saw them take the idea of a traditional studio record to extremity, with different members dipping in and out of the booth to write, record and experiment over two years, the process behind “Pyramid” was almost the polar opposite: it took just two weeks. Both records were driven by the same curious, experimental spirit, but the processes were very different. Retreating to a secluded woodland studio in neighbouring Sweden, they bunkered into the studio for 12 hour days. “The most important thing is that we didn’t want to over-analyze every musical idea” says co-founder and drummer Martin Horntveth. “We wanted to follow the first and original idea and keep the freshness.” For a band which has never settled on any one sound or style, the continuity lies in their constant willingness to evolve, experiment and improvise.

“Pyramid” is Jaga Jazzist’s first self-produced album (most of their records being produced by close collaborator Jørgen Træen) and it meant a change in the way they operate. On the one hand, there were lots of different voices jostling to be heard. On the other, they didn’t have an independent figure to make a call on whether something was a good idea. “It was hard but felt natural to do ourselves, as five of us are producers and make records for a living,” Martin says. The result is an album that feels more collaborative than ever.

Whilst they wouldn’t describe “Pyramid” as a concept album, the band see the track titles as a conceptual starting point from which the listener can construct whatever story flows out of the songs. The album title refers to the building blocks which make up a pyramid, and how each of the four tracks – and their constituent parts – fit together. ‘Tomita’ is a nod to Japanese composer and synth player Isao Tomita, and ‘The Shrine’ alludes to Fela Kuti’s legendary Lagos venue. Lars says: “I felt that this album is a small symphony, each part containing its own rooms to explore.”

credits

released August 7, 2020

Lars Horntveth: Guitars, pedal steel guitar, clarinets, saxophones, keyboards, synthesizers, vibraphone, piano and programming
Marcus Forsgren: Electric guitar and vocals
Even Ormestad: Bass guitar
Line Horntveth: Tuba, alto horn, euphonium, flute and vocals
Erik Johannessen: Trombone and vocals
Martin Horntveth: Drums, percussion and programming
Øystein Moen: Synthesizers, clavinet and Hammond organ
Andreas Mjøs: Vibraphone and chef

Additional sounds:
David Wallumrød: Pro Soloist on ‘Tomita’

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about

Jaga Jazzist Oslo, Kingdom of Norway

Jazzist's have become something of a musical phenomenon in Norway since they started 19 years ago. Not only is this 9 piece instrumental band regarded as one of the most exciting and innovative in Norway, the members are all involved in other musical projects and have in one way or another contributed to almost every significant recording to come out of that part of the world in the last few years ... more

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