Hooffoot is a relatively new band from Malmö, Sweden, sharing some members with the much revered Agusa, Øresund Space Collective, Mantric Muse, Bland Bladen, Carpet Knights and Sgt Sunshine. Their musical style is quite different though, as they are a six to eight piece playing an all instrumental hybrid of jazz and progressive with a slight psychedelic vibe. Their debut album (issued on gatefold cover vinyl by the excellent Kommune 2 label) offers two side-long tracks that will take you straight back to 1975! And it’s a definite must for someone who wants to hear real music.
First side contains the mammoth Last Flight Of The Ratite. Not at all sterile and uber technical as some fusion from the golden era of the genre, it rather bridges late 70s period Soft Machine with electric period Miles and the progressive heaviness of UK acts like CMU and Norman Haines Band. Heavier melodies reminding of the large instrumental sections of Balletto Di Bronzo do creep in, somewhere in the middle of the track to switch back in a softer Soft Machine (era "Six") style. Great jamming fusion unafraid of risk yet much easy to get into, not to mention quite melodic and exciting for the most part. This music is old school in that it is all encompassing, with a subtle -not offensive- disregard for genre boundaries.
Flip the record over now and you will hear the groovier live vibe of Take Five, Seven, Six, Eight, And Nine. It starts slow and spacey, in a playful "Caravanserai" mood to switch to a slower Camel vibe that slowly builds up and the groove finally kicks in and off we go in a Klaus Doldinger’s Passport way. There is a wider variety of tempos and stylistic diversity on this interplay of Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, fuzz bass, trumpet & saxophones and a rockier drumming. Tirelessly discovering possibilities in the space between smoother jazz and rock's more propulsive beats.
Seriously, if you're someone who likes lots of jazzy jams combined with 70s retro prog and done so in a tasteful and melodic way with horns, keyboards and drums played in a distinctly creative and moody kind of way, I highly recommend Hooffoot. Most of you will be surprised at how good this record actually is. I really love it and it has been a worthy purchase for 2015. Definitively for my top 10 annual list.
http://www.hooffoot.com
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Originally Posted by Shadow
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