Belgian 6-piece experimentalists Yôkaї open the next chapter of their story. They’ve stripped things back but, with new album Humboldt, they show that their amalgamation of psychedelia, dub, experimental rock and cinematic landscapes has survived intact.
A RETURN TO THE ESSENTIALS
Yôkaї. The band’s name is a reference to the supernatural spirits, monsters and mysterious phenomena of Japanese folklore. Humboldt is the band’s third album and, like its predecessors, it’s a showcase for the Belgian outfit’s enticing amalgamation of jazz, dub, psychedelia, experimental rock and cinematic landscapes.
Yôkaї’s lineup was recently rationalized to 6 members: Alex Gilain (rogue bass Moog & baritone guitars), Éric Bribosia (keyboards & Crumar organ), Yannick Dupont (drums & synths), Jordi Grognard (sax, clarinet, flute & EWI), Clément Nourry (guitar) and Ivan Tritiaux (guitar). Since the lineup change, the band have, in their own words: “stripped things back and returned to the essentials.” New inductees to the Yôkaї cause will be surprised to hear that.
The band took the name for their new album from the Humboldt Glacier in the Sierra Nevada de Mérida mountains in the Venezuelan Andes. It’s one of the planet’s few surviving tropical glaciers and the name was chosen because it: “…echoes the themes of transformation, fragility and uncertainty” that pervade the album.
A MAZE OF MUSIC
Humboldt is an outstanding album. As Yôkaї promise, the component parts of jazz, dub, psychedelia and experimental rock are all present and correct. And they’ve been slotted together seamlessly. At no stage is melodicism sacrificed at the alter of experimentation. Yôkaї have got their synths, for sure – and they know exactly how to use them.
And it’s those synths that supply the juddering, shuddering intro to the title track that gets Humboldt underway. A shuffling drumbeat completes the backing, whilst an oriental-sounding melody is picked out on the keyboard. A swirl of background sound heralds the album’s first venture into jazzy territory. And guitars and organ take their place at the forefront of the charge.
The setting is switched from the mountains of Venezuela to the confluence of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay for Iguazu. Once again, the solid, positive drumbeat sets the pace as organ and Jordi’s delicious sax take the spotlight. The rhythm is funky and infectious. Lalo moves the theme from jazz-funk to a potent mix of spacy dub reggae, jazzy horns and dazzling, gothic-sounding synth. It’s a tune that offers a taste of all that’s on offer – a maze of music that invites the listener to enter and become lost in its myriad passages.
GLORIOUSLY JAZZY
Sax and clarinet combine for Fortunino, a short, pastoral bridge passage that leads to the rich, vibrant and funky Dewey. Guitars and bass synth lay a solid foundation and provide the repetitive rhythm that allows every other instrument in the ensemble to reach skyward. And they each duly oblige.
A dark, heavy mood is set for Federico, with bass synth and echo-y drums offering a sinister sound. But that mood is soon effectively lifted as, first, lead synth, then twangy guitar each contribute a happier melody. Things become seriously spacy during a short interlude and the spacy effects stick around for the rest of the tune.
African drums are joined by a busy bassline that straddles the border between funk and reggae for Waaktaar. Guitar, synth, sax and keys all contribute to a melody line that’s tuneful, hypnotic and gloriously jazzy.
The intro to Fortunino #2 recalls the early synth experiments of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The tune soon assumes a grander, more orchestral mantle, but the spirit of experimentation is never truly abandoned.
A SHARED LANDSCAPE
…Which brings us to the album’s glorious, epic finish. A slow-paced rhythm and bass figure is established, before Jordi once again takes centre-stage with his sax. Sax and organ combine to deliver a captivating, elegiac and thoroughly melodic coda to an engaging album. Those familiar with Zappa’s Watermelon in Easter Hay will recognize the feeling the tune invokes – it’s one of the most absorbing pieces of music that I’ve heard all year!
More than just a collection of instrumental compositions, Humboldt forms a whole in which the tracks interact and build a shared landscape. An extended period amongst the features of that landscape is heartily recommended.
Listen to Humboldt – the album’s title track – below:
Yôkaї: Facebook