Post by feilong80 on Jul 19, 2011 23:03:10 GMT -5
This is something I'm going to do here first (and cross-post over at Pitch to Pixel) as both a writing exercise and for some good music nerdery.
The Oneups: Volume 2 (Self Published)
In music, it is often true that any good idea that involves getting to play quality repertoire and get compensated in any sense of the word has been thought of already.
The Oneups, however, may have actually had an original idea (for an American band) that has allowed them to break through and build a following: Play video game music, but in a jazz style. The video game music is the creative solution to get noticed, and the jazz reflects the group's probable music preference. In short: these are jazzheads that wanted to find a way to play jazz that people cared about in the 21st century.
It must have worked, at least to a degree, as the band has been together since 2004. This album, simply titled "Volume 2," was minted in 2008 but likely is a compilation of work they did since they started four years prior.
So how effective is this album at fusing video game music with jazz? The answer depends on your tolerance for production quality, performance consistency, and how smooth you like your jazz!
First, let's cover some things the group did right. At medium tempo, this group has a tasty pocket comparable with most jazz funk outfits. The bass player and drummer lock in well enough, the guitar is funky, and the sax improvisations are thick and full of delicious tone.
Boomer Kuwanger (Mega Man X) is a good example, as is Terra (Final Fantasy III/VI). The guitar work in Terra is particularly nice, with a sweet, womanly tone and nicely paced lines.
However, like many bands of this ilk, they still in mid-tempo a bit too much on this album. There really isn't a "burner" on the whole record, so get ready to tap your toes in the 120-150 beats per minute range and keep it there.
Additionally, the production values sometimes dip a little below the slickness of someone like, say, Daniel Tidwell (who does video game music covers in a heavy rock style). Granted, these are jazz interpretations here, and some "looseness" is expected and even desired. However, there are some moments that point to a rushed recording schedule. The guitar in the otherwise wonderful Air Man lays a few clams, and the Punch Out! theme is just not quite in tune (which sadly spoils the song, which could have been a barn burner!). To be sure, these mistakes aren't on every track (they are pretty much confined to the tracks I mentioned), but in a competitive field, it seems odd that they would allow these things to go to market unfixed.
And hey, I can relate. I've recorded stuff, thought it was great, and realized too late that I've let a few flaws slip in. It is the perils of self-publishing. The ear gets tired during recording sessions, and unless you are making huge bucks on a major label, you probably don't have a producer there to tell you to get back in there and make another take.
Fortunately, any blemishes are redeemed by the tremendous value: less than nine dollars nets you an impressive 26 songs, many of them around 5 minutes, so you get tons of listening for your dollar.
One final aspect which is purely up the taste of the listener: Some of this stuff can get... smooth. I would certainly not call The Oneups smooth jazz: they are much too raw (in the good sense) for that. But they do take a smooth jazz *approach* to many of the songs on Volume 2, and while the grooves are nice, some may be turned off. For the record, this reviewer is pretty OK with it, and would even call some of the smooth jazz takes to be pretty successful, especially Terra.
Overall this is a pretty fun listen, with enough solid tracks to warrant attention. I look forward to listening to more OneUps albums in the future, to chart the growth and development of these Arkansas musicians.
The Oneups: Volume 2 (Self Published)
In music, it is often true that any good idea that involves getting to play quality repertoire and get compensated in any sense of the word has been thought of already.
The Oneups, however, may have actually had an original idea (for an American band) that has allowed them to break through and build a following: Play video game music, but in a jazz style. The video game music is the creative solution to get noticed, and the jazz reflects the group's probable music preference. In short: these are jazzheads that wanted to find a way to play jazz that people cared about in the 21st century.
It must have worked, at least to a degree, as the band has been together since 2004. This album, simply titled "Volume 2," was minted in 2008 but likely is a compilation of work they did since they started four years prior.
So how effective is this album at fusing video game music with jazz? The answer depends on your tolerance for production quality, performance consistency, and how smooth you like your jazz!
First, let's cover some things the group did right. At medium tempo, this group has a tasty pocket comparable with most jazz funk outfits. The bass player and drummer lock in well enough, the guitar is funky, and the sax improvisations are thick and full of delicious tone.
Boomer Kuwanger (Mega Man X) is a good example, as is Terra (Final Fantasy III/VI). The guitar work in Terra is particularly nice, with a sweet, womanly tone and nicely paced lines.
However, like many bands of this ilk, they still in mid-tempo a bit too much on this album. There really isn't a "burner" on the whole record, so get ready to tap your toes in the 120-150 beats per minute range and keep it there.
Additionally, the production values sometimes dip a little below the slickness of someone like, say, Daniel Tidwell (who does video game music covers in a heavy rock style). Granted, these are jazz interpretations here, and some "looseness" is expected and even desired. However, there are some moments that point to a rushed recording schedule. The guitar in the otherwise wonderful Air Man lays a few clams, and the Punch Out! theme is just not quite in tune (which sadly spoils the song, which could have been a barn burner!). To be sure, these mistakes aren't on every track (they are pretty much confined to the tracks I mentioned), but in a competitive field, it seems odd that they would allow these things to go to market unfixed.
And hey, I can relate. I've recorded stuff, thought it was great, and realized too late that I've let a few flaws slip in. It is the perils of self-publishing. The ear gets tired during recording sessions, and unless you are making huge bucks on a major label, you probably don't have a producer there to tell you to get back in there and make another take.
Fortunately, any blemishes are redeemed by the tremendous value: less than nine dollars nets you an impressive 26 songs, many of them around 5 minutes, so you get tons of listening for your dollar.
One final aspect which is purely up the taste of the listener: Some of this stuff can get... smooth. I would certainly not call The Oneups smooth jazz: they are much too raw (in the good sense) for that. But they do take a smooth jazz *approach* to many of the songs on Volume 2, and while the grooves are nice, some may be turned off. For the record, this reviewer is pretty OK with it, and would even call some of the smooth jazz takes to be pretty successful, especially Terra.
Overall this is a pretty fun listen, with enough solid tracks to warrant attention. I look forward to listening to more OneUps albums in the future, to chart the growth and development of these Arkansas musicians.