ATJAZZ BLOG

Music \ˈmyü-zik\ -noun An art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.

When Derby-based producer Atjazz (Martin Iverson) makes music, he is attempting to “make you hear what he sees everyday.” And while that sounds simple enough, anyone who calls themselves a musician knows that meeting that goal is far from simple. Atjazz is the true definition of doing what you love for a living [And the fact that he's actually making a living at it is pretty rad too. — JM]. 

As his Biography states, Atjazz quit his job as an In-House musician for the game company that made the Tomb Raider series back in the early 90’s to begin Mantis Recordings and pursue his career of creating some of the most amazing music I’ve ever heard, period. I can’t say that even one of his wide range of productions (be it in the vein of house, downtempo, breaks, funk, hip hop, or whatever other tags you want to slap on it) isn’t pure, blissful quality. I can honestly say I own almost his entire discography in some form or other, and there is always at least one Atjazz record in my bag.

If we use the definition of music up there as a starting point, Atjazz absolutely uses sound to express (his) ideas and emotions, and it can be heard from his diverse, groundbreaking, and genre-defying rhythms and melodies. As one of the top 5 records I own, the Looking Glass EP on Reincarnation Records is a true example of just damned excellent music, house or otherwise.

Seriously, if I was going to put a record into a time capsule and launch it into space for beings of the future to hear beautiful music, then this would be the record to do it with. As I sit back and listen to this, I can’t help but picture an old Star Trek episode: the Enterprise flying triumphantly away from an epic battle, with shit blowing up all over the place and Captain Kirk cupping the left breast of some Romulan chick he picked up on Degobas-48-B. So yea, this track truly tells a story to the listener. OK, on to the tracks.

On the A-side, Looking Glass begins with a really nice filtered synth melody that growls and builds in intensity with wiggling analog effects. Starting a track out dark and deep is signature Atjazz, and this tune is no exception. As the track progresses, he beefs up the drums with some shuffled rhythm bits, adding a little more flavor to the mix. Atjazz loves to work Afro-Cuban elements in to his tracks. Live bongos, claves, tambourines, shakers, you name it. As I explained to a friend recently, whatever he uses for percussion always seems to sound alive, crisp, and fantastic. The sheer recording quality of those and all the other instrumental elements of his music is one of the big things that sets him apart from his peers… as far as house music go, the level of professionalism is pretty unparalleled. His keen ability to layer multiple instruments and build energy throughout the track are rivaled only by a few, and again suggests a mind that would be equally at home composing jazz tunes or classical concertos (we’re talking serious business here, folks!). After the buildup, he drops a beautiful verbed-out xylophone/vibes melody, bringing us right in to the epic battle part of the track. He changes things up a bit halfway through and finishes with the a new synth melody that reminds me of the old Mozart symphonies I used to hear on NPR (representing the retreat from the battle). If you’re playing late night, the people are… um… feeling the vibe… this is serious dancefloor ammunition!

Flip the record over for the Astro Dub, which pulls what might be an actual African percussion ensemble in to the studio, and lays that organic element in contrast beside a mean-sounding dubby Moog Bassline that punches and fills ot the low end. Subs are required to appreciate the full scope of Moogy goodness. The gorgeous xylophone melody from the original is back in this mix, and he stretches, bends, and delays the hell out of all the synth melodies from the original, making them sound “dubby” in the true Lee Perry sense of the word. This mix is definitely true to its name, and does indeed take you to outer space — so prepare yourself!
The original mix of Looking Glass made its way on to my latest mix, Pieces & Expressions, that I will be releasing later this month on CD and of course in downloadable nerd-friendly form on both my podcast and the Sizzled Chicago Podcast as well. Keep an eye out for that and go out and support this amazing artist!

-John Miles (DJ Remedy)

Goto DJ Remeday Myspace www.myspace.com/johnmilesuw