Jakuzi's Attempt

Attempts are a good thing, as I once read somewhere, because if you are just trying, you don’t have to succeed. Now, I have no idea who is trying to do what on this attempt nor who that Jakuzi is but he seems like an astute, open and emotional guy to me, prone to screaming and trashing about at the top of his lungs at any minute while otherwise trying to burn those noise-frittoleros in a bonfire in a large metal box for control. Something with an old telephone, a military gas canister and some backroom gambling is about to go on as well, obviously, but as far as to what it all means, I am not so sure at all. And that, instantly, is a good thing.

The main problem of hardcore in all its more or less fashionable versions in the last years was its one hundred percent instant de-codeability. Most of the times you know what a band or a record will be about, what they will sing about and what they will sound like, by looking at a picture of them or checking out the front cover of their record. Some even showed these codes with pride and hailed them as a form of tradition. Just think of all those Dis-bands (who usually dis-banded after a short while – in contrary to Samuel Johnson I do like Paranomasia as a form of humour) with the black and white covers and pictures of war victims, head wounds or other atrocities on the cover. I have a few dozen of those at home and now, after a few years, I am unable to tell them apart. (Maybe I never was.) Or take those NoFx/Pennywise/Green Day-clones still popping up as an example from the other end of punk(rock). For a musical genre overtly interested in the destruction of societal rules and dogmas hardcore was and is astoundingly conservative and traditional.

In an area where the codes (of style, of sound, of conduct) are so rigidly set and the peer pressure networks work so tightly and fast as in the global community of hardcore, any kind of codes set against the mainstream within this area are a surprise and for that alone worth mentioning. In my book, that is. The global network will find its ways of retribution. Years ago, when Hammerwerk released a single with a bunch of young Austrian hardcore bands called “resistance is futile” (taken from the Borg-slogan from Star Trek) I was thinking if the title regarded to the way our society works in general or if it was a cynical comment at the way the hardcore network is structured. Maybe I am just weary because I never had a Mohawk nor a leather jacket, no tattoos and no piercing. Maybe that’s why I sort of dropped out of the “scene”, glancing lacklustre eyes at what’s going on now and then, if something sparks my interest. As they say: you either are or you never were. I guess, I never was. But Cracked magazine was the only fanzine distributed within mid-European hardcore-circles that had the 100 best country songs listed. That earned me some with some people. Back to the present.

Something sparked my interest when listening to “Try now”: the cool beakbeat drumsolo at the end. A machine? Or human drummer? Wow, if he can do that, he might as well rehearse for Machine Head. More important, such a move is quite cool and daring for a young band within the hardcore circle. I don’t think a lot of punks and hc-types alike will stand a longer period of grime or heavy drum’n’bass sounds (except for the washed down stuff of the latest Mike Skinner release). The other song on their website “tindrums and venice” features a prominent, cool and lose noiserock-bassline and some more noise from the back plus a real industrial noise mid-part somewhere. Cool stuff. I don’t recall which band their otherwise ferocious and energizing screaming hardcore reminds me off (see above) but there was enough trashing and banging and youthful testosterone about to make me want to listen to the whole EP. And it is a smasher. I don’t care if the production is superduper – I never did with punk or hardcore, not even with rock – but the energy and emotions are there and that’s what counts.
Each of the five tracks on this record has something special. All of them are partly fast forwarded hardcore trash songs, of course, but these dudes really take care to find some new ways to structure their songs or give them a new dynamic. Which other band would bang on the same slow stop’n’go riff for two minutes as they do in the beginning of “if you hear it”. Or add a shout-chorus for that long at the end. I can see the kids standing in front of the band in a small cellar show, fingers pointed in the air, shouting along. Yes, some parts of the hardcore scene were always cool, but I have a inner tendency to keep away from all kinds of mass movements, even if it is only a dozen people making the same move in synchronicity. Not even line-dancing for me. So if I can get myself up to see a hc-show these days, it might be jakuzi’s attempt, so watch out for the old geezer at the back of the room. No, better get in the pit and pay a little bit of praise to your youth (lost or still alive), if you can still do it.
www.jakuzisattempt.com

They also have a myspace-page. Now my problem with myspace is twofold. For one, I don’t believe that the songs most downloaded or the bands with the most friends are the best. That’s highschool jock-land. And second, I always find myself clicking on the pics of some people that look interesting (like little girls in goth outfits) and get completely sidetracked for an hour or so. Time I would need desperately to do some real stuff. - Cracked Zine

Neue österreichische Welle

Jaja, die Ösis. Kein WM-Ticket, die seltsame Sprache und ja, immer noch irgendwie der zu uns aufsehende kleine Bruder. Sie haben es wahrlich nicht einfach, die Ösis. Wenn wir aber ausnahmsweise mal von der ganzen Scheiße absehen, die wir Deutschen fälschlicherweise im Duden unter »Kultur« nachlesen können, dann knallt uns direkt in unsere blauäugigen Pupillen, was da unten eigentlich los ist. Denn spätestens seit Camerans »A Caesarean« weiß man doch als halbwegs gut informierter Mensch, dass uns die Nachbarn in Sachen Hardcore um Jahre voraus sind. Ob es stimmt oder nicht, sei mal so dahingestellt – eben genannte waren wohl der Auslöser für eine jetzt wohl folgende Kreativitätswelle in jenem Genre. Kollektiver Mut schaukelt sich soweit hoch, dass man selbst ungesignt in die Vollen geht und kein Risiko mehr scheut. Da wären wir bei Jakuzi’s Attempt.

Wen das Cover Post-Rock oder ähnliches Geplätscher vermuten lässt, den lassen die Mannen um Sänger Johannes Kassar mal ordentlich in die mit Stacheldraht geschmückte Falle tappen. Wer »Doppelgänger« von Fall Of Troy für kompliziert hielt, wird hier die Backen zusammenkneifen müssen, denn die selbstbetitelte EP ist alles nur nicht leicht zugänglich. Nein, schwer greifbar ist sie, in ihren ständigen Wechseln, die Tonleiter mal rauf und runter spielend oder einfach mal das pure Chaos zelebrierend.

Vier Vollspaten sage ich nur. Da komme ich von einer strapaziösen Reise zurück und möchte mich hinlegen, hole mir stattdessen aber fast den Tod, weil mir ausgerechnet ein paar Österreicher ihre Platte vor die Haustür legen wie eine Briefbombe (BTW: Woher habt Ihr meine Adresse?). Ging »A Caesarean« doch relativ schnell die Luft aus, scheinen die Jungs hier jeweils von vier Lungenflügel zu profitieren, was nicht zuletzt die beeindruckenden Vocals unterstreichen und die ungeheure Spielwut. Riff um Riff sägen sie sich durch Konstrukte, die wohl kaum noch den Namen »Songs« tragen können und vollgespickt mit Ideen die für drei Alben reichen würden. Gitarrenwirbel wie in »Taste the aphex infant prodigy«, die wie Tornados so ziemlich alles wegpusten was nicht bei drei auf den Bäumen ist. Und dann immer diese abprubten Wechsel, die sich markerschütternd überlappen weil man ihnen erst gar nicht die Zeit lässt, sich irgendwo einzunisten. Da hörst Du erst einmal nix. Das sich wie Salzsäure in die Haut fräsende »If you hear it« oder das amoklaufende »Thunder«. Jakuzi’s Attempt wissen auf sich aufmerksam zu machen, indem sie jedes Risiko eingehen und vorallem auch jede für unmöglich gehaltene Mixtur nicht scheuen, wenn in »Try now« gleich das Ultra-Aggro Gebolze in Form von gabberähnlichen Beats mit Aphex Twin Anleihen aufgefahren wird, um dann die Klampfen erneut auf Hochtouren zu bringen. Es ist schon arg beeindruckend, wie man auf einem Debut Spontaneität, Chaos und Abgeklärtheit so giftig und zugleich reizvoll klingend verbinden kann, ohne belanglos und überambitioniert zu wirken. Es sind die dreckigen Arrangements, die diese EP zu einem kleinen Juwel machen und die auf mehr hoffen lassen. Denn wenn es einen nennenswerten Kritikpunkt gibt, dann der, dass wir gerne ein richtiges Album haben würden. Ideen hätten sie dafür allemal.
Milan Werner - Popcultures.de

This cd sort of stuck out because it didn’t come with a promo letter, info text or fancy band photos whatsoever. The grey cardboard packaging isn’t exactly spectacular either and I had never heard the band’s name before. Now the good news: with curiosity and not knowing what to expect (compare this to the Bombdolls review above) I listened and was pretty much blown away. This seriously is among the best stuff I’ve gotten to review for a good while. So let’s see: these guys are apparently from austria and this is their first, self-released ep. Without warning it starts out with singing on the verge of a nervous breakdown, lunatic guitars, highly energtic drums and a bass that holds everything tight together. As you listen they pretty much drag you along from one part into the next and it’s not before the first part gets repeated in the end before you get to pull yourself together again. For the second song Jakuzi’s Attempt slow things down a bit so while the instruments stamp along there is enough room for the singer to run riot, San-Diego-style. Next is an evil mix of drum samples that immediately bring Atari Teenage Riot to mind and mathy hardcore with jazzy bits thrown in here and there. If I had to pick a favorite song it would be the fifth one though – in comparison with the others it sounds almost gentle and for some odd reason makes me think of the Vidablue. However, with the last track everything’s taken apart and swirled around again anyway. 20 minutes can be over quickly, unfortunately. The lyrics fit the generally gloomy atmosphere well, ranging between artsy and quite cryptic. Very unique band that managed to surprise me throughout the recording without ever getting on my nerves. Well done – please come by and play our hometowns! - Hartboiled.de

Maaaan, i read the promo sheet three times and still can't figure out how or what the band wanted me to believe. i knew that i was going to be surprised anway, because even the nice art work (big cardboard sleeve) does not give away much info. i couldn't base the book on its cover here.
Turns out that the band brings us raging and hysterical hardcore with crazy drumming and complicated riffs. Images of The Locust in their early days came to mind, although i'm not sure why. The song "try now" goes from hysterical to completely beserk as the band introduces heavy drum'n bass computer beats. Fucking nutty Germans! A few songs later it's the complete opposite. A really calm introduction with soft guitars. This would the perfect time for my girl friend to walk in and say "hey, that's nice" after which the song explodes again of course in this mathy, spastic and a bit experimental hardcore. This band would perfectly fit in with bands like Manhattan Skyline, A Fine Boat that Coffin, The Locust, ... Pretty solid and done with passion. - Mashnote.net