Magnetic Soil is Soil & "Pimp" Sessions first album of original material since 2009. Soil & "Pimp" Sessions, are known for mixing in sounds of rock, punk, electro and funk, and this album being their 7th is no exception. This time around, Soil & "Pimp" still have lots of the fast-jamming jazz of their roots, but they're also expanding their rhythmic palette nicely – bringing in some earthy percussion at points, stepping forward in a flurry of horns at others, and even hitting a surprising soul vibe at some especially nice moments! If you've dug these guys before, you'll find plenty to love on this set – and you'll be very pleasantly surprised at how they've stretched out their core acoustic groove to reach for some new frontiers on the club jazz scene. Titles include "Moon At Noon", "Asa", "Tell Me A Bet Time Story", "Awesome Knowledge", "Sexual Hungry", "Movin", "Do Re Mi", and "Freedom Time".
The set kicks off with "Sexual Hungry', which mixes heavy drums with some African chants before the horns burst in with an infectious riff. Simple but charged with raw, intense power, this tune harks back the ritualistic origins of music. This is followed by the sole cover on the album, a version of the Brecker Brothers' funky fusion classic, "Some Skunk Funk", which is deftly enough executed and given a Soil & "Pimp" Sessions feel.
The sunny uplifting "Movin'" with Maia Hirasawa on vocals is more of pop than jazz, though that doesn't detract from the fact that it's a great tune, and is worth its place on this set.
"Junk" is an uptempo number that has a funk-rock feel with shouts of encouragement from agitator Shacho that will no doubt be a fun part of the live set. Things then slow down for a couple of more reflective tunes, starting out with "Do-Re-Mi", that features Motoharu on soprano sax, and "Deep Inside", which opens with a minute of solo piano from Josei. This track is pure jazz and stands out as one of the high points on the album.
Right from the samba-flavoured drum and percussion intro, you just know that "Freedom Time" is going to be a monster tune. It's a great dance number and is classic Soil & "Pimp" Sessions track that equals some of the greats from their first couple of albums.
"Above The Crowds" is a catchy disco influenced number complete with vocoder that will no doubt be a crowd-pleaser but suffers from coming straight after "Freedom Time". "A Decade" which follows is fun and has a powerful driving bassline from Akita Goldman.
"Moon At Noon" is reggae-tinged track with a memorable hook that is probably the most successful of the tracks on the set where the band throw various different styles into the mix. "Asa" is quite simply a single collective grunt before the synth-heavy dance number "Jazzman In The Rave", a straightforward number that has a darker central passage with a sax solo from Motoharu.
On the jazz side there is "Tell Me A Bet Time Story", which is in stark contrast with the more subdued tones of "Awesome Knowledge", a beautiful tune where the interplay between trumpet and soprano sax is delightful and it's a wonderful way to round off the set. With Magnetic Soil, Soil & "Pimp" Sessions continue to push the boundaries of their sound with some tracks blending a variety of different styles.
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