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Have you heard the phrase "one good turn deserves another"? Well, I would reword that phrase to "one good artist deserves another" in this instance. We got an e-mail yesterday from artist BJ Block yesterday in which he says he had read Vu's article on Chris Joss, citing him as one of his influences, particularly on 'Theme Musik' and 'Mercey Beat', two tracks from Glitterball, the band's debut album released last year.
Named for the band's frontman, BJ Block, the group is comprised by BJ, Brian Mclaughlin, and Lenny Fatigati and is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. While I can see how they have been influenced by Joss as far as '60s and '70s lounge and funk music in a purely instrumental setting, I would point out that they do not limit themselves to this sound, adding downtempo ambient selections to the upbeat dance tunes with catchy hooks. While not everyone might care for the absence of vocals and lyrics, I think the mixture of fast and slow makes it good music to dance to, as well as for active listening with headphones, which, as I have written in previous interviews, is my favorite way to listen to ambient and instrumental music in general. The ambient tracks have a very dreamy, psychedelic quality to them with a smooth jazz flavor-- perfect for "getting away from it all" or otherwise taking a brief respite from the stress of the everyday. While some jazz-tinged music of the '60s and '70s could be described much the same way, I think it is contemporary enough for today's ambient genre and should be afforded the same respect.
Glitterball can be downloaded at Amazon.com, but I decided to order a tangible copy of the CD, which is available at CD Baby here.
Named for the band's frontman, BJ Block, the group is comprised by BJ, Brian Mclaughlin, and Lenny Fatigati and is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. While I can see how they have been influenced by Joss as far as '60s and '70s lounge and funk music in a purely instrumental setting, I would point out that they do not limit themselves to this sound, adding downtempo ambient selections to the upbeat dance tunes with catchy hooks. While not everyone might care for the absence of vocals and lyrics, I think the mixture of fast and slow makes it good music to dance to, as well as for active listening with headphones, which, as I have written in previous interviews, is my favorite way to listen to ambient and instrumental music in general. The ambient tracks have a very dreamy, psychedelic quality to them with a smooth jazz flavor-- perfect for "getting away from it all" or otherwise taking a brief respite from the stress of the everyday. While some jazz-tinged music of the '60s and '70s could be described much the same way, I think it is contemporary enough for today's ambient genre and should be afforded the same respect.
Glitterball can be downloaded at Amazon.com, but I decided to order a tangible copy of the CD, which is available at CD Baby here.
04/10/2009 10:25:26 ♥ jaklumen (
/ jaklumen.vox.com) ♥ myspace.com/bjblockmusic
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