Jazz Articles

Jan Jelinek: Kosmischer Pitch

by AAJ Staff
October 29, 2005

In the aftermath of his dub/glitchtronica heyday as Pole, Stefan Betke has been steadily amassing a series of similarly inspired electronic music releases on his Berlin-based ~scape label. In Jan Jelinek he has found a kindred spirit of sorts, and over the course of three full-length releases, Jelinek (also and perhaps better known as Gramm and Farben in the electronica world) has proven himself remarkably adaptable. Rather than drawing from jazz or rock-based samples, as he did on his previous ...

Jan Jelinek avec The Exposures: La Nouvelle Pauvret

by Glenn Astarita
January 14, 2003

This latest offering by German EFX ace, composer and producer Jan Jelinek embodies some of the subversive, or perhaps subliminal, elements of dub and digital loop-based fare. With this outing, the artist uses space as a mechanism for injecting faint sounds, scratches and dreamy synth motifs into the grand scheme of things. Pronounced bass grooves, samples and quietly oscillating noises equate to a forest of quaintly organized textures. Jelinek doesn’t overwhelm you with bombastic drum ‘n’ bass motifs or Indian ...

Jan Jelinek avec The Exposures: Le Nouvelle Pauvret

by AAJ Staff
January 12, 2003

Jan Jelinek's second full-length disc betrays the features that have distinguished both his work and the consistent output by Stefan Betke's dub/experimental ~scape label. On first listen, Le Nouvelle Pauvreté sounds murky and dark; but that's just an illusion. The sheer contrast between surging darkness and shimmering light provides the basis for the record's crispness and energy. It is, in fact, Jelinek's subtlety and delicate touch that render this abstract work appealing and accessible. So pay attention.

The ...

System: _

by AAJ Staff
November 8, 2002

Characteristically understated amongst the flow of recent releases on Stefan Betke's ~scape label, System's _ proves that less is more. The trio of producers that make up the group hail from Copenhagen, where they have been active on the underground electronica scene. (Their other project, Future 3, has headed in other directions.) _ (aka no title ) occasionally indulges in reverberant washes of melody, as on the pulsing refrain to “Please," but more often lurks in the netherworld of glitch, ...

Deadbeat: Wild Life Documentaries

by AAJ Staff
November 4, 2002

The electronic soundscapes on Wild Life Documentaries resemble a psychedelic dream. The deep bass rumbles of dub drive an echo-laden pulse rich with cracks, ripples, and bleeps. It's a little eerie, frankly. If it weren't for the regular insertion of drums (and multifarious drum-like sounds), these pieces would serve just fine as fuel for intergalactic travel. But Deadbeat (aka Scott Monteith) brings everything back down to earth by layering just enough beats on top of the soup to give it ...