Rasident Advisor

It's hard to understand exactly what's going on with young Apparel Music. Nearly every release has the word jazz associated with it in some way, a word that can turn listeners off just as often as it turns them on. (The imprint's explanation that "Jazz becomes the means for a reconfirmation of the world of house most virtuous" only further obscures things.) In Jazzy Gardens case, though, you can forget the nomenclature and simply enjoy... more...

Rasident Advisor

It's hard to understand exactly what's going on with young Apparel Music. Nearly every release has the word jazz associated with it in some way, a word that can turn listeners off just as often as it turns them on. (The imprint's explanation that "Jazz becomes the means for a reconfirmation of the world of house most virtuous" only further obscures things.) In Jazzy Gardens case, though, you can forget the nomenclature and simply enjoy the sound. Which is, well, a bit jazzy.

Not terribly so, mind. In fact, Kjofol likely owes more influence to the world of classical music than jazz. His plinking piano makes an appearance in all of the original tracks here, winding its way through the blur of minimal house percussion that reminds of the ultra-clean atmosphere of someone like Bruno Pronsato. The Berlin-based producer isn't a bad point of comparison: Kjofol's melodies are always expressive, but prone to dissonance much like Pronsato's early work for Orac.

What makes Kjofol different, however, is his relentlessly sunny disposition. "Brimbazz" and "Little Garden" are suffused with a light that keeps them buoyant, while "Pensive Sorrow" seems like one of the most easy-going odes to contemplative unhappiness you'll hear all year. Backed by an Echonomist remix of the latter, the only thing wrong with this bright and airy EP is its name. Jazzy or not, these are gardens made for exploring. (Sam Louis, De) less

ibiza-voice.com

Kjofol "Little Garden" (Apparel Music)
Kjofol merges his studious classical piano training with the four-on-the-floor recklessness of house music on “Little Garden”. The electronics on here give it a nice vintage psychedlic feel, like a dusty old Legendary Pink Dots album. However the treated piano, while evoking Harold Budd in spots, comes across more like George Winston, making this track more New Age than late night techno. more...

ibiza-voice.com

Kjofol "Little Garden" (Apparel Music)
Kjofol merges his studious classical piano training with the four-on-the-floor recklessness of house music on “Little Garden”. The electronics on here give it a nice vintage psychedlic feel, like a dusty old Legendary Pink Dots album. However the treated piano, while evoking Harold Budd in spots, comes across more like George Winston, making this track more New Age than late night techno. less

de-bug.de

Kjofol - Jazzy Garden EP (Apparel Music)
Eine wirkliche Hymne dieses "Brimbazz". Schwer schwingende Chords, Pauken und Perkussion in überragender Einigkeit über den Groove, plinkernde Melodien, stolpernd überglückliche Breaks und mittendrin dann auch noch ein Lichtungsbreak in dem die Sonne aufgeht und die Frühlingsstimmung großartiger nicht sein könnte. Massiv. Und auch der zweite Track der EP, "Little... more...

de-bug.de

Kjofol - Jazzy Garden EP (Apparel Music)
Eine wirkliche Hymne dieses "Brimbazz". Schwer schwingende Chords, Pauken und Perkussion in überragender Einigkeit über den Groove, plinkernde Melodien, stolpernd überglückliche Breaks und mittendrin dann auch noch ein Lichtungsbreak in dem die Sonne aufgeht und die Frühlingsstimmung großartiger nicht sein könnte. Massiv. Und auch der zweite Track der EP, "Little Garden", schafft es mit seiner fast klassischen Pianomelodie diese Stimmung zu halten und lässt einen sanft über die Weiten des jazzigen Grüns swingen. "Pensive Sorrow" gefällt man ulkigerweise im Echonomist Remix besser, denn auf dem gibt es dann neben dem schroffen Funk des Grooves eine perlend überschwengliche Art die Sequenzen in Schwung zu halten und dabei dennoch sehr lässig zu tänzeln. Das Original mit seinen säuselnden Melodien und den fein direkten Vocals passt allerdings perfekt zu den anderen Tracks von Kjofol. Die zweite brilliante EP des noch ganz frischen Labels aus Wales.
http://www.apparelmusic.com
http://myspace.com/kjofol
http://de-bug.de/reviews/ less