Japanese couple (Chako and Makoto Hattori) born in 1989 in Osaka , ambient, prayers,
sounds experimentation have built the fame of this band worldwide. The
sound of the band could recall «Cocteau Twins»...
kakugo
CD
CD - March 2008
Ref: Prik114
Playtime : 56'28
Limited edition 1000 copies
Style : Japanese Heavenly voices
4 years after 'Absurdity', the mythic Japanese duet 'Jack or Jive' is back !
Chako now speaks about her new album :"
'kakugo' is an ancient concept found in Japanese bushido.
"Hagakure", known as bushido's bible, says that "The way of the samurai is found in death."
The essence of this thought is; don't hesitate to risk one's
life when a need arises."Kakugo" does not suggest violence. It tells us to
think of death and don't do honorless act in everyday life.
Though in modern Japan this thought seems to have vanished,
I cherish and highly respect 'Kakugo'."
Musically, Kakugo's deep atmosphere reminds their 'Prayer' album, dark and melancholic. Between electronic, vocal experimentations, spleen melodies and romantism reminding Mishima's art.
12 Tracks:
1. 2008-worry about the country- 2. WAR SCAPES
3. PRINCIPLE OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE 4. SHOT ARROW
5. KAKUGO
6. BODHISATTVA
7. DON'T BURN DOWN
8. LOOK UP AT THE SKY 9. IT CAN'T BE RESET
10. AT THE NATIONAL BORDER
- contagious orgasm feat. jack or jive –
(Jack or jive version) 11. FIVE COMMANDMENTS 12. IMMORTAL SOUL
Absurdity
is a reaction to the actual worldwide context (especially the crazy
Bush war in Iraq). The japanese duet is back with an album full of distress
and sadness.The voice of Chako is full of bitterness as if all suffering
souls were blowing in her voice. This album is a long going down in
the inner self of Chako blending sadness and anger, mixing light melodies
and heavy loops of saturated percussions (in track 7).The Cd is haunted
by Chako's voice and melancolic piano with ethereal sounds. A dark Beautiful
symphony and definitly the saddest JOJ album with Kenka.
Titles
: 1. MY FELLOW CITIZENS, 2. COLD CHEEK, 3. PROMISE TO REUNION, 4.
RITUAL 4, 5. TELEPATHY 6. ALL THE VANITIES, 7. FULL MOON - a death of
a journalist , 8. IN HONG KONG, 9. MEMORY OF THE OCEAN 10.PRAYED AGAIN
Style:
Japanese spiritual heavenly voice.
May 2004
The
mythic japanese duet comes back with a new Kenka edition, remixed and
5 new tracks added.
This Japanese spiritual heavenly voice opus is reissued because the
band wanted to give a peace message in the sad worldwide context.
'Kenka is our 4th CD which released in 1996. Kenka means devoted flowers in English.
There was a very big earthquake in 1995 near our city.
More than 5000 people were died by it.
After it we decided to record an album which is dedicated those who
left this world without attaining their aims....not only by the earthquake.
These days there are many sad accidents happening in the world like
Iraq war,SARS, in Spain,in PLO,in Russia,in Greece and more...
So now is the time we would like to re-issue this album.And we pray
for the peace on earth.' Jack or Jive
Tracks :
METEMPSYCHOSIS, 300YEAR TEARS OF BLOOD A NIGHT IN SILENCE YOUR WORDS,
DEVOTED FLOWERS,REQUIEM, DON'T GO, SMOKE RAISE TO THE SKIES,SHADOW -
PICTURE LANTERN, 1.17, THE CLOUDS, A NIGHT ONTHE BOAT, BEAUTIFUL WORLD.
Style: Ambiant-medieval References: Dead can dance
2002
«Soleil» is the meeting of the Napolitan mysticism of Francesco
Banchini (guitarist, clarinettist and singer) and Jack or Jive (Chako
and Makoto Hattori) Japanese Orientalism.
A
real challenge to bind these two musicians with such different styles.
The waving ethereal voice of Chako using a traditional Japanese technic,
transported by GOR' s percussion and spelling medieval instruments.
The result of GOR's mediterranean warmth with Buddhism's sensibility
create sounds and images never experimented before.
TITLES:Hammiqdash/ shofar/ Hieros Gamos/ Masiqta/ Zeloun/ Heimarmene/
Gulgatha/ Blue curtain.
JACK
or JIVE Style: Japanese spiritual heavenly voice. References: Cocteau Twins (Victorialand), Satie.
October 00 - 9 Titles - 60'
In this new album, the music is more ritual and ambient than usual.
They use flutes, synth, percussions and Chako's voice is floating in
the air. Less dark than the others CDs, Kismet is an incredible album
of sweet happiness and contemplation.
TITLES:
Timing / The letter / Sea of cloud / Deja-vu / Embryo / Your long shadow
/ Once a lifetime/ Tatarskiy Pro Liv / A girl in a field /
JACK
or JIVE Style: Japanese spiritual heavenly voice. References: Cocteau Twins (Victorialand), Satie.
May
99 - 11 Titles - 63'
"The
earth" is a landscape of varied songs which explore both sides of lifes:
the dark side and the luminous side. "The earth" is full of emotions
and diversity: piano songs, rythmical songs, tibetan, japanese influences...
CHAKO's voice is at her best: clear and bewitching, sweet and impressive.
TITLES:
Grasp The Earth -for your energy- / The pearl Inside / A new beginning
/ We will break the seals / The moon reflected on the sea / On the platform
/ A child's pain, an adult's sorrow / A rainy day / Ritual 3 / Visions
in our mind / Stratum
JACK
or JIVE Style: Dark heavenly voice. References: Cocteau Twins (Treasure).
May 99 - 13 Titles - 72'
Re-release of the sold-out CD. (Jack Or Jive's second album) Entirely
remastered with 4 new songs and totally new art-work. Limited to 500
copies.
TITLES:
A march for new european / Shades of time / Shades of times II / To
eternity / Fragments of me / Dryad / Chieko / Ainu / The orient
+++ 4 extra tracks +++ Cold Justice / Moon Waves / Walk against the
wind / Venus
JACK
or JIVE Style: Dark heavenly voice. References: Cocteau Twins
december
99 - 12 Titles
Reedition of their first album. You can discover now the magic early
songs from the japanese band. Prayer is certainly their most ritual
and oriental album. Between tradition and technology, Chako's voice
sounds young and fresh... a real pleasure! This edition limited to 500
copies is also accompagnied by 4 wonderful unreleased songs of this
period. Ritual, transe, shamanic, it's time to listen to these hidden
jewels.
TITLES:
Worry about the country / A prayer / The cosmic ray / For children's
future / We lost / 37 C / The earth / Prayers
+++ 4 extra tracks +++ Ko-kashita / Black mountains / Non / The last
X'Mas
LINE
UP :
Line up CHAKO is song writing, most instrumentals, vocal, arrangements
MAKOTO is sometime plays, arrangements, mixes
We don't have paticular influences. (I used to sing in a punk rock
band when I was at high school.............. Is there any influence?)
INTERVIEW:
The french label PRIKOSNOVENIE is going to re-release
your second album " Mujyo ", remastered with 4 bonus tracks
; what do you think about that ? Was it your will or theirs ?
Bonus tracks is our idea. We remake the cover art of "MUJYO".
So we would like to make another better one.
How and when have you been in touch with PRIKOSNOVENIE
? Considering its very particular and strong image and work, do you
think that this label fits perfectly with Jack or Jive ?
PRIKOSNOVENIE invited us to contribute to their compilation CD "IRIS"
in September of 1996.We thinkÊ no label fits perfectly with
JACK OR JIVE, and they are a much better label for us.......Are they
so paticular?
What are the subjects of this new record "
The earth " ?
The earth is a part of the universe. And every man touches the earth.
So every man is a part of the universe. To be conscious of this, we
think that man can get energy from the earth. This idea is the main
theme of this album. Anyway sex,drug&rock'n' roll are not the
theme of this.
Nature seems to take an important place in this
album ?
Nature is a part of the universe, too. And it influences man's body
and soul. It's interesting for me.
Can you speak a little about the song "
We will break the seals " ?
To break the seals has many meanings. "Seals" could be a
lock of the door to people's mind. When I say "break the seals".
I mean someone open the door to his mind and think about himself,
or could mean that he want to look into other people's mind and know
their secret. Also the "seal" might mean kind of rules in
society. So if you break the seal, it means that you live as an outsider
and deny established ideas or even commit a sin. After all, everybody
has both a positive and negative element in his desire. This song
is my view how it looks from distance.
The song " Ritual 3 " contains a lot
of harmonic singing, a technic which is very used in Tibet ; How did
you learn this very difficult technic of singing ?
This is the way of singing called "Hormie" in Mongolian.
I watched a Mongolian did it in a T.V program. And I tried in my own
way...... maybe a kind of "Hormie"
Are you inspired, influenced by a country like
Tibet, and by its dramatic History ?
I haven't received any direct influence from Tibet. The only thing
I can say is that I often see myself flying like a bird in Tibetan
or Mongolian scene when I am composing a melody for the vocal
Your voice and your singing are very particular.
Where does this way to sing come from ? What are your influences ?
It comes from myself, I haven't received any influence from anybody.
Because Japanese media is very exclusive. I have had no chance to
know anything about independent scenes aboroad. So the style of my
singing is just the result of what I have been doing without any prejudice
or restriction.
What do you think about a female singer like
Diamanda Galas, who has also a very particular way to sing ?
My respect for her position in the fact that she revolted agaist opera
after being educated to be a classical musician. And yet what I want
to do in music somewhere different from hers.
As being japanese, how do you perceive the japanese
society, its philosophy, excess, culture, History ?
Japan has no strong religion such as Christianity in the weat. Some
people without the sense of morality don't hesitate to commit a crime.
if Japan is excessive in something, this might be the reason. Ambiguity
is also another feature of the Japanese. It could be the source of
originality in Japanese culture, but it also causes some problems.
When it comes to international politics, the ambiguity often makes
the situation rather difficult.
Does it influence your way to create ?
There isn't any direct influence
Can you speak about the japanese musical scene
?
Everybody is desperate to produce music which sells well. Plagiarism
is not uncommon. We cannot find a music scene which is how it should
be.
What do you think about the noise/industrial
scene with bands like Merzbow, Dissecting Table, Aube...? How do you
explain this extreme musical scene in Japan ?
To tell the truth, I don't know much about them nor have any interest.
I don't think them so extreme, either. I don't know their intention,
but it seems to me that their music is rather exclusive and it choose
the listeners.
Do you know an artist called Mutsumi Oku, who
sometimes sings with the french band Die Form ? What do you think
of her ?
I'm sorry. I don't know her.
Can you speak about your album " Kenka
", which were dedicated to the victims of the Kobe's earthquake
in '95 ?
"Kenka" was not only dedicated to the victims of the Kobe
earthquake. We dedicated it to those who left this world without attaining
their aims..... like war, Aids, or accidents e.t.c.....
What means this word " Kenka " ?
It means "devoted flowers " for requiem.
Why Jack Or Jive has, at a given time been called
Jack Or Jive Lights ?
We released "Prayer" "Mujyo" and "Kenka".
They have heavy themes. So we wanted to release a work that listeners
and ourselves can enjoy( the music & it's images ) at home. To
make it clear that these pieces are different from the previous ones,
we added "Lights" just like the tobacco " Mariboro".
But now we understand that people don't want to listen to the songs
of lights. So we make them for ourselves, not for release now.
Do
you sometimes make concerts ? How happen a Jack Or Jive's concert
? Did you ever play in Europe ?
I like the tense atmosphere before the concert. But to prepare and
do the concert needs much energy, so I can't do it so many times.
Our concert is like a ritual voice performance. Sometime I go to the
stage without thinking about melodies of the songs. I do improvisations.
We did concerts in 1992, 1994 and last year in Germany. We have a
plan to have concerts somewhere in Europe this year, too.
On " Mujyo ", what is the subject
of the song " A march for new European " ?
"Mujyo"
means transiemce....everything changes. At that time, Europe in the
middle of drastic changes such as the collapse of Rumania and the
reunification of two Germanys. This piece was made to add an extra
meaning to"Mujyo ( transience )" : we hoped for a better
future for Europe and the people there.
On this album, there's a song called "
The Orient " ? What this idea of Orient means for you ?
The Orient is a sub-title of the last song. The title of this song
is "SHIN NO HAKO", one of the Oriental thoughts. It means
a box with a lot of needles inside. People usually can't see the needles,
but at the critical moment it stings.....sometimes nature does it,
sometimes accidents do it, sometimes contact with others does it.....e.t.c...
But it is the needles which raises people.
Why don't you sing much more in Japanese ?
I think Japanese language doesn't fit music so much.
Do you have something to add ?
Please listen to our music without any prejudice and regardless of
what music genre you are used to.
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