Let’s Rejavanate!

The Java Quartet’s latest album Rejavanation is an eclectic jazz romp through digital beats, textures and tones. Think A Tribe Called Quest and their preoccupation with jazz samples; the sonorous acoustic bass sound of Roni Size’s drum ‘n bass beats; the quirky electro-jazz of Flanger; and the whole of Bill Laswell’s Axiom label output – especially his Tabla Beat Science project. Serious jazz improvisation dives into a sea of circuitry and Indian raga with mesmerising outcomes – jazz you can sometimes even dare dance to.

Michael teamed up with sound engineer extraordinaire Jonathan Palmer to realize this new vision/version of The Java Quartet. The band’s sonic palate was expanded through the deployment of some gifted guest

virtuosos – Bobby Singh (Djan Djan) playing tabla, Adrian McNeil (Triambaka Trio) on sarod, Morganics (Meta Bass and Breath) exercising his formidable hip hop skills, and Linda Janssen (Wicked Beats Sound System) providing elegant vocals. Despite the hybridizing process, however, the band’s essential prowess and core soulful sound have certainly not been lost in translation – the Java DNA still burns boldly and brightly.

They will be interpreting the album on April 12 at Eastside’s Live at 505 with support from Bobby Singh, Morganics and Eastside’s Moodswing DJ to humanize the digital, and maybe digitize the human, landscape.

LISTEN HERE to The New Age from Rejavanation performed live at Venue 505, 2010