solipsistic NATION No. 16: Acid Jazz and Nu-Jazz

Today’s show focuses on acid jazz and nu-jazz. Acid jazz combines elements of soul music, funk, disco and modal harmonies while nu-jazz lend jazz textures and sometimes jazz instrumentation, funk, electronic dance music, and free improvisation.

As a former punk I originally hated electronic music like acid jazz. I was into hardcore and the only music that mattered to me was the kind that was raw, abrassive and in your face. If it wan’t punk, hip hop or indutrial I couldn’t be bothered with it. Acid jazz was just to dainty of a thing for me to care about.

But that was soon to change.

At the time I was a DJ at WMFO and each weekend I would have live bands perform on my show. As you might imagine, they were all punk, industrial or hip hop acts. My engineer was a guy named Harry and prior and after a band’s set he would blast the speakers of his studio with all sorts electronic music I had never heard before. And it grooved!

I think the big turning point for me was one night after my radio show I headed over to a nightclub I worked at. The DJ was spinning acid jazz and house. It was very sexy watching people dance to the music, always slighty off beat but always riding the rhythm. Kind of like a jazz solo. For the first time I really started digging the music. The tab of acid I had just taken might have helped.

Photo Credit: ^riza^

Dolce Stil Nuovo “12 Times”

Craig De Maio “Intro To Reality”

Tstewart “A World Generated Every Answer Ever For All to Know”

So Percussion “Work Slow Life”

Spacehoppa “Alone”

Soular Sound “Things We Do”

The Messenger “Colorized”

The Other Guy “Rockin Chairs”

Fonkmasters “Once I Get Up”

Heliotrope “Flute Flight”

Nikita Warren “I Need You (MLK’s Dream Version)”

Nettle “Mehmet Irdel (ft. Aziz Arradi)”

DJ Olive “Coonymus”