Jaga

After dropping the "Jazzist” from their name to avoid the limitations of genre classification, Norwegian musical super-collective Jaga have crafted a startling collection of compositions that playfully progresses from electro- jazz into epic ambient-rock. Expectations have been running high after Jaga blew away audiences around the world last year with their jaw-dropping live show, however, through the richness of their ten-piece orchestra, that includes brass, strings, keys, vibraphones, woodwinds and electronics, What We Must becomes a development in sound that hypnotises and subdues, as well as pushes the boundaries of the Jaga sound. Delicately constructed melodies are torn over by pulsating guitars on tracks such as "All I Know is Tonight” and "Stardust Hotel.” Sounds progress from melodic to eerie on "Swedenborgske Rom” and then lead into the animated energy of "Mikado.” At times the record seems to be heavily influenced by the likes of Tortoise or maybe even Radiohead, through the spacey interplay between the organics of the full band and the electronics, creating a solid, orchestrated record that takes the idea of jazz-rock into the technological era. By stepping out of the confines of a single genre, Jaga have created a new, distinct sound and style that makes What We Must a certified masterpiece.