Frequently, Jaga Jazzist sound like Tortoise cubed. The Stix, their second album, is a hyperkinetic extrapolation of the Chicago sound; that slippery and inspiring hybrid of post-rock, jazz and electronica. Jaga Jazzist’s spin, though, is to remove much of the post-rock?and with it much of the ponderousness inherent in some Tortoise disciples. Instead, the likes of “I Could Have Killed Him In The Sauna” focus on the innovative arrangements and sophistication of Charles Mingus and Gil Evans’ big bands, but update them with a digital fusillade that’s always integrated, never tokenistic.
Advertisement