Pyramid (Jaga Jazzist album)

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Pyramid
Studio album by
Jaga Jazzist
Released7 August 2020 (2020-08-07)
Studio
  • Isitart Studio
  • Pooka Studio
Genre Jazz
Length39:08
Label Brainfeeder
Producer
Jaga Jazzist chronology
Starfire
(2015)		Pyramid
(2020)		Pyramid Remix
(2021)

Pyramid is a studio album by Norwegian eight-piece jazz band Jaga Jazzist. [1] It was released on Brainfeeder on 7 August 2020. [2] It peaked at number 47 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. [3] It was followed by a remix album, Pyramid Remix, in 2021. [4]

Contents

Background

Pyramid was recorded over the course of two weeks. [5] It is the band's first self-produced studio album. [6] The song "Tomita" is named after Japanese composer Isao Tomita. [1] The song "The Shrine" takes its title from Fela Kuti's club in Lagos. [1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 75/100 [7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Exclaim! 6/10 [8]
The Line of Best Fit 7/10 [9]
Paste 7.0/10 [10]
PopMatters 7/10 [11]
Under the Radar Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic , Pyramid received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 from 8 critic scores. [7]

Paul Simpson of AllMusic stated, "While just as brainy and elaborate as Jaga Jazzist's other albums, Pyramid is the sound of the group letting themselves go and following their instincts, arriving at some of their most unbound, easily enjoyable material." [5] Saby Reyes-Kulkarni of Paste commented that "while Pyramid is what we might call an easy listen, it also harbors a wealth of details as the band shifts ever so gracefully between active, upbeat grooves and motionlessness." [10]

Meanwhile, Daniel Sylvester of Exclaim! described Pyramid as "an imperfect and uneven album that satisfies two different audiences, as the front half is packed with wandering jam band noodling while the second half tightens into a slightly more focused and rhythmic set." [8] He added, "It's just a shame that Jaga Jazzist wasn't able to give the listener a more cohesive and unified version of what they were trying to achieve with Pyramid." [8] Janne Oinonen of The Line of Best Fit stated, "While still offering glimmers of Jaga Jazzist's undefinable, futuristic aspirations, the maximalist ethos of Pyramid ultimately comes across as oddly old-fashioned at a time when acts like 75 Dollar Bill are redefining the hypnotic potential of instrumental soundscapes." [9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Lars Horntveth

Pyramid track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Tomita"13:47
2."Spiral Era"8:09
3."The Shrine"9:06
4."Apex"8:09
Total length:39:08

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes. [13]

Jaga Jazzist

Additional musicians

Technical personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Pyramid
Chart (2020)Peak
position
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [3] 47

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Breihan, Tom (26 February 2020). "Jaga Jazzist – "Spiral Era"". Stereogum . Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  2. ↑ Kenneally, Cerys (23 July 2020). "Jaga Jazzist preview first album in five years with second single "Tomita"". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  4. ↑ Simpson, Paul. "Pyramid Remix - Jaga Jazzist". AllMusic . Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Simpson, Paul. "Pyramid - Jaga Jazzist". AllMusic . Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  6. ↑ Slingerland, Calum (26 February 2020). "Jaga Jazzist Detail New Album 'Pyramid'". Exclaim! . Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Pyramid by Jaga Jazzist". Metacritic . Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 Sylvester, Daniel (6 August 2020). "Jaga Jazzist Can't Find Their Focus on 'Pyramid'". Exclaim! . Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  9. 1 2 Oinonen, Janne (6 August 2020). "Jaga Jazzist's mystical fusion retains some of its shine on Pyramid". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  10. 1 2 Reyes-Kulkarni, Saby (14 August 2020). "Jaga Jazzist Do What They Do Best on Pyramid". Paste . Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  11. ↑ Ingalls, Chris (7 August 2020). "Jaga Jazzist's 'Pyramid' Is an Earthy, Complex, Jazz-Fusion Throwback". PopMatters . Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  12. ↑ Spencely, Haydon (10 August 2020). "Jaga Jazzist: Pyramid (Brainfeeder)". Under the Radar . Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  13. ↑ Jaga Jazzist (2020). Pyramid (CD booklet). Brainfeeder.
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