Key Elements

The Berlin based label Sonar Kollektiv has been waiting

for it anxiously: Key Elements' debut album leads Jazz

music into the new decade down-the-line. The music Key

Elements create is fresh, merciless and ruthless and has

always the finger on the pulse of the time. The album's

eight tracks are all far away from Broken Beat nostalgia

or Beatmaking nedism, they breathe inspiration from the

young, thriving British jazz scene.

Key Element's initiator, DJ and producer Marian Tone,

built up a reputation in the Berlin hiphop, soul and jazz

scene over the years (also as a co-founder of Beatkollektiv).

With all of his compositions you always feel this heritage

and his love and passion for hiphop. But the other

two allys within «Key Elements», drummer Waldi and the

keyboard or bass player Jim Dunloop made their contribution

with compositions and ideas as well. An album

which was initially designed to be a mere solo project

became an effort of a trio over the years being inherently

consistent.

Already the opening track «Mike Needs Sugar» shows

the direction this album will take us: To the land of the

good groove. It's here where the three thoroughbred musicians

feel on top of the world obviously and deliver one

luscious track after the other. From the cheerful «Morning

Boom» to the kinda furtively laid back «Impossible»

and the final «Funky Dave», which could be on an Italian

soundtrack from the 70's every single tone and note from

«Key Elements» is great fun.

Especially because even when you listen to it a second,

third or fourth time you will discover new nuances and

niceties again and again. As is right and proper for really

good jazz album.

Dig it!