Jaga Jazzist (NO)

It’s impossible to describe the myriad musical influences and inspirations that inform the sound of Jaga Jazzist without tumbling down a rabbit hole of genre confusion such as the sonic magnitude and diversity of the Norwegian supergroup’s compositions. The band has consistently confounded categorization from its inception. However, the direction of travel has been obstinately consistent: moving forward… always moving forward.

Jaga Jazzist has returned with their new album “Pyramid” in 2020, where the legendary Norwegian eight-piece takes a deep dive into post-rock, jazz and psychedelia influences. It marks the group’s debut on Brainfeeder, the LA-based imprint curated by Flying Lotus. On “Pyramid”, Jaga Jazzist have crafted a suitably cosmic sound to match their new label home, all the while nodding to forebears spanning from 80s jazz band Out To Lunch and Norwegian synth guru Ståle Storløkken, to contemporaries Tame Impala, Todd Terje and Jon Hopkins. Each of the album’s four longform entries evolves over carefully plotted movements, the tracks’ technicolour threads dreamily unspooling.