BLK JKS Mystery Rating: 8.7 Label: Secretly Canadian Release: March 10, 2009

When was the last time you came across a recording that caused you to examine what you thought you knew about music? Mystery, the first EP from the Johannesburg, South Africa-based quartet BLK JKS (pronounced Black Jacks), packs a potent potential for this type of musical introspection. I don’t know how else to describe it but as an experience. Seat belts recommended.

If one had to classify the BLK JKS’ sound, it would be a strong candidate for the art rock genre. But the listener will find a little bit of everything in the band’s musical recipe: bits of rock, reggae, jazz, electronica, metal- infused with South African guitar riffs, polyrhythms, melodic and rhythmic dissonance, vocal sampling, African chants, white noise, intermittent pedal work- all encapsulated in a somewhat free form song structure that at times even tastes of a jam band. On paper the combination seems like an impossibility or insanity- but tapping into a no rules approach, the BLK JKS defiantly synergize the broad array of sounds and styles into music that is nothing short of sonically electrifying. The sum product is a colorful, dense, ever-shifting, energetic and boundary-free soundscape that pushes the listener into new comfort zones.

“Lakeside”, one of the group’s rising hits, introduces the bands’ sound for the uninitiated: a sampled medley softly builds into a thumping bass and drum line; enter an eerie looping guitar riff, and the backdrop is set for the vocals: lyrics about a paramedic attempting to salvage a life from an apparent fatal attack. The lyrics are kept simple and few in number, leaving their interpretation to be enhanced by the soundscape in which they’re placed. Suddenly, at verse’s end, the song takes a brief but dramatic shift to upbeat African chant and whistling- it’s one of many remarkable building and resolution of tension exercises that the BLK JKS’ execute throughout Mystery. The climax of the song explodes with a riveting guitar solo by front man Lindani Buthelezi (lead vocals, lead guitar). Unfortunately, this is one of only a few places on Mystery where Buthelezi’s guitar prowess has a chance to shine- take it in, but expect more airtime for this talent in the band’s future.

“Mystery” ponders the depths of human existence, probing for answers to life’s biggest mysteries: what are we doing here and what happens after death? Here the polyrhythmic drumming and flighty guitar sketch a scene appropriate for the content. The mid-song musical jam is overlaid with various sampled vocals including what sounds like a speech from an African leader. The overall effect is a delicious groove that takes place in the stratosphere.

“Summertime” features a dynamic rhythm-line that accentuates the vocals and bassy guitar riffs, shifting from slow, simple beats to complex and furious grooves on a dime. At around 3:00 in, the track makes a notable shift in musical theme, where the band, led by a driving guitar and drum duo, takes flight, building in energy and intensity to near combustion. It provides a glimpse into the BLK JKS’ depth and talent, giving the sense that these guys are capable of many surprises.

“It’s In Everything You’ll See” centers around a free-form solo acoustic guitar and vocal ballad performed by Buthelezi. Here the BLK JKS’ change up the pace considerably from the other material on the EP and show a bit of their slower, reflective side but without sacrificing any complexity. Numerous other musical layers wispily float in and out of the arrangement, keeping the song evolving throughout.

The songs detailed above comprise the entire play list on the Mystery EP, and while it is only twenty minutes of music, the energy and density of musical ideas contained within the BLK JKS’ sound on these four tracks are enough to leave the listener feeling like they have just heard a short full length album (Though it would be nice to see them release full album). The musical layering can be so thick at times that, with each listen, one almost develops an inherent expectation to discover a new idea or riff embedded within the soundscape that had been unheard in previous listens. It’s that kind of exploratory sound that lends the BLK JKS’ such a refreshing and inventive approach to music.

You just might need to pick up a copy of Mystery to experience what I’m talking about. And no doubt this is just a small taste of what’s to come from this potential-packed quartet.

Written by: Mike Romankiewicz on April 14th, 2009 | Filed under Music Reviews