He received his first Nordic Music
Prize for the album X/Y in 2012. An album based on electronic. I must say I was
a little disappointed when I compared it to the amazing album Headspin from
2004 – an album which was one the most successful in the genre between jazz and
electronica ever.
The Croatian Goran Kajfes who lives
in Sweden has also flashed his talent in the group Oddjob. The latest album
draws on the experiences from this group which among other things has played
music from Clint Eastwood movies on the album Clint from 2010.
On this current album Kajfes has
found 8 numbers from the more obscure shelves in the music store. You find
Turkish psychedelic funk (Edip Akbayram’s Yakar Inceden Inceden), Swedish progressive
rock (Bo Hansson’s Storstad), Nigerian highlife (Celestine Ukwu’s Okwukwe Na
Nchekwube) and German psychedelic electronica (Cluster’s Es war einmal).
Goran Kajfes has gathered the ten
persons Subtropic Arkestra (the identity in name with Sun Ra’s Arkestra is not
a coincidence), where important people like Jonas Kullhammar on sax, Per ‘Ruskträsk’
Johansson on sax, Jesper Nordenström on organ, moog and cembalo and Johan
Berthling on bass are members.
They play tough and spell-binding.
There’s a fine line between what’s lose and what’s arranged. Kajfes is
directing his troops through the wilderness and the heavy grooves in a most
impressive manner.
The Reason Why vol. 1 is an amazing
and original development of jazz from the 70ies. There is a borderless
curiosity in the music.
I come to think of some of the
things Don Cherry, Art Ensemble of Chicago and Sun Ra did in the 70ies and I
strongly recommend this album!
It’s a colorful and mind-expanding
event in the healthiest way.
Review: Niels Overgård. Translation:
DSI Swinging Europe.
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