JUNK- Chromatose
JUNK released their first album- Chromatose and it is nothing short of an enigma which features Dirty D and Dubl B. Dirty D is the saxophone player and Dubl B is the Bass player and a music theory genius. Chromatose is so satisfying to hear, it feels like they scratch an itch that you never knew existed deep within your brain. It has this quality that is so striking but is as smooth as silk on a baby’s bottom. Chromatose and Blow The Album by JUNK begins with Chromatose, the single that is an eclectic mix of rock, punk and Jazz. The song has a brilliant arch within itself. The music tips its hat slightly to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen as it softens towards the end. None of the above has an unusual start with an almost psychedelic vocal work. It warns the listener of the epic Saxophone and Bass solos that are yet to come. The track is elevated by the electric guitar that riffs the song to life! If the album was a movie, you can imagine that the story reaches its climax at Blow. The number begins with a striking bass entrance. Don’t get me started on how the Saxophone has you grooving to it in a trance-like state. The medley of the two instruments creates such an arsenal of feelings within you, it almost gives you whiplash. Frogadelic Frogadelic is a track that is extremely different from the rest of the tracks on the album. It draws from nature sounds, especially the frog. This happens because of the Guiro and the Bird Water Whistle, two musical instruments that imitate nature noises. Frogadelic takes you by surprise because up until now, your mind was blown by some brilliant Jazz music. All of a sudden you hear nature. You don’t know why but your body begins to groove to this new quality of music. Frogadelic feels like you had some funny brownies in the middle of a forest and are touching grass with a newfound sense. Everything Everywhere All at Once is a beautiful film that has many nominations under its belt. The film is shedding light on a surrealist form of art and storytelling. One of the cast members Stephanie Hsu is a skilled absurdist and alternative theatre artist. She once played a hand on stage. The kind of imagery and feelings the album evokes and the film evokes is very similar in nature. The album has so many possibilities to play with as well as it has such a wide variety of tunes within it. You pick a scene and the album has you covered with a soundtrack that fits as background. It is guaranteed that the first album by JUNK will floor you with its sheer skill of production, intrumentals and detailing. It comes as such a surprise that they don’t have many followers. I am assured this will change, people will not be able to resist hitting the follow button after being floored by their musical sense.
JUNK- Sqaukin Like a Bird!
With the craft of skilled pilots, JUNK takes off on a musical journey with Squakin Like a Bird. A musical journey that merges the soaring melodies of jazz with the streetwise beats of hip-hop. It feels like they were having fun at the recording studio and decided to the hit record button. The consequence of this resulted in accidentally creating an earworm. That’s how seamless and catchy this number is. The song opens with a chirpy intro paired with a hypnotic jazz string and piano section. The song then blooms once the vocals, the thumping hip-hop and Sax hit. The intricate interplay between the instruments and the sick verses creates a captivating soundscape. How can I go without appreciating the ever-so-fascinating sax and the incredible strings in the track? Especially when it all was tied together so beautifully in production. This being paired and layered with rap only made this song that much more entertaining. A film that walks the line between goofy and biting comedy is Always Be My Maybe. The film has a band called Hello Peril and they have many songs such as I Punched Keanu Reeves and Tennis ball. I feel like Squakin Like Bird would be a song that Hello Peril writes. JUNK has always created masterpieces when in comes to jazz, they have proved time and again that they are true connoisseurs of the Jazz world. And by combining jazz and hip-hop, the group has created a sound that is innovative, deeply rooted in tradition and not to mention, hilarious! If you haven’t followed them yet, what are you doing? Their socials are linked below, make sure you follow them on all platforms.