Bohren & der Club of Gore

By chance, I came upon the German jazz band Bohren & der Club of Gore. This is great shit: this shit is brilliant. The members started out as hardcore punk musicians, but their music took an unlikely turn when the band started playing jazz. So far, I've only heard one album, Sunset mission (from 2000). The most apt point of reference is Angelo Badalamenti's slow, creepy soundtrack music, Twin peaks, Mulholland Dr. Their music shares the elegance and otherwordly quality of Badalamenti's works. Lots of ambient drone. But I also associate Sunset mission with film noir; empty, rainy streets and a killer spying on her prey outside a sleazy nightclub while the street lights are glaring. Or, perhaps that image gets you the wrong ideas. What can I say? This is minimalist stuff, the backbone of everything spooky, yet beautiful. A bad dream one is unable to shake off.

I am not the right person to comment on the more structural aspects of the music. I suppose we're talking about fairly traditional stuff here, at times the music moves towards the seemingly horrendous territory of "lounge jazz". But, as I said, I find this interesting. Elements that one comes across in many forms of jazz seem to have been taken to extremes on this record, e.g. the use of wistful, sultry saxophone sounds and strumming double bass. And I guess that is what I like about it: re-invention, unexpected angles, curiosity. The pace is, on the entire record, really, really slow (believe me). But, again, as far as jazz is concerned, I am (sadly) a mere novice. If anybody has recommendations, feel free to enlighten me.

Doom jazz, dark jazz, funeral jazz. I don't know. Among the song titles, we find "Prowler", "street tattoo" and "darkstalker". Camp? Listen to the album before you get any ideas.

I like this band for the same reasons I ascribe divine qualities to The for carnations (from the same year, 2000 - a good year for slow, late-night noir-ish tales).

The album art is, of course, Gösta's cup of tea.