The latest entry that we’ve received here at GF HQ in the Video Game Lo-Fi series from Curaga Records, Jazz Hop Standards is a different beast to other entries in that it features more of a collaborative effort, heavier involvement of acoustic instrumentation, and in a more tangible sense – a full size, four-page booklet that gives background and context to the music, a welcome involvement that enriches the listening experience.
The single, black vinyl comes ensconced in a black sleeve with cover artwork that continues the stylish, holographic vibes as set down in previous Curaga Lo-Fi releases, this time the cover art features a live band, with polygonal versions of the musicians involved playing in an empty jazz bar. It’s a very cool image that gives the sense of listening in on a band sound-checking before their late night jazz gig, with the human element acting as a nice nod to the more collaborative, organic vibe of the record.
The front cover of the four-page booklet shows a calming image – a tiny island, approachable only by a rickety raft surrounded by palm trees at night, the ocean lapping at the rocks as various instruments are scattered around the island. Turning over to the rear cover, we can see a more Donkey Kong-centric image, with golden hues flooding the space at dusk, as more instruments casually lay around the banana trees and foliage.
Opening up the booklet is where the true gold lies, however, that all-important written context that makes enjoyment of the music pop. Inside is a track-by-track breakdown of each of the ten tracks of the album, and this is absolutely key, as it gives insight into the construction of the songs themselves as well as specific information on the jazz standard that informed the approach to the video game track at hand.
I found this incredibly interesting, as I’m not a jazz aficionado, there’s a lot here that would have completely flown over my head, had this information not been included, and I found that its inclusion added an extra dimension to my enjoyment of the track, a true melding of the jazz and VGM worlds, which works perfectly! For instance, I would have had no idea that their take of ‘Donkey Kong Country Title Theme’ here was based off the jazz standard ‘Fly Me to the Moon’, or in the same vein, that the melody line of Shiver Star (Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards) was so close in composition to ‘Cherokee’ by Charlie Parker - as someone who finds titbits like this so interesting, it was right up my Strasse, and again – adds key context to the listening experience.
SUMMARY
This is an album that blends the worlds of jazz and video game music in such a wonderfully fused way that it almost feels like some of these songs were waiting for ‘jazz hop’ renditions, and whilst in some previous reviews I’ve commented on how some lo-fi takes can feel a touch formulaic in how they can feel like double run-throughs of a track to make it full length, the approach here of adding the innate ‘jammy’ freedom that the genre of jazz demands, combined with the human elements in a lot of the main instrumentation, gives this record a sense of variety and life, and the earthy, organic production and mastering add a warmth and fullness that embraces the strengths of the playing, a real high point in the Lo-Fi series!
I really hope that is is secretly ‘volume one’ in an ongoing series...
Full Track Listing
1. Chemical Plant Zone (from "Sonic the Hedgehog 2") 02:45
2. Shiver Star (from "Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards") 02:39
3. Dearly Beloved (from "KINGDOM HEARTS") 02:18
4.New Wave Bossa Nova (from "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask") 03:12
5. New Donk City: Cafe (from "Super Mario Odyssey") 03:20
6. Title Theme (from "Donkey Kong Country") 02:56
7. Bandicoot Caravan (from "Crash Bandicoot") 03:37
8. Home (from "UNDERTALE") 02:25
9. Gourmet Race (from "Kirby Super Star") 03:15
10. A Cyber's World (from "DELTARUNE") 02:22
Featured Artists – Tabitha Louise, 88BIT, SideQuest
Album Producers – Save Point, Patrick McBride
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