This time last year, we were just getting the feel of Soil & Pimp “Sessions” live and their ‘Sahara’ 12” after the Pimp Master and Pimpoint album releases.

This year they’ve built up demand for the European release with a series of gigs including A Night Of Death Jazz with the Neil Cowley Trio as hosted by the king of Brownswood, Gilles Peterson.

But all this talk of Death Jazz is a bit of a non-sense. I even read somewhere that Soil & “Pimp” Sessions can’t actually play their instruments! This is definitely not correct and probably a sad PR effort to re-enforce their ‘punk’ sensibilities (like what they used to say about seminal dub punk goddesses, The Slits). These guys certainly can play. And they prove it early on with power punk-jazz blasts of ‘Hollow’ and ‘Storm’. The ‘style’ tendency is to ensure that there’s a gentler moment (relatively anyway) per track where one or more of the band have a chance to show off.

‘Fantastic Planet’ takes off on a different route as they get through customs into a Latin jazz La La Land. Still not convinced? There’s more Latin jazz dance mastery with ‘Sea Of Tranquillity and ‘Go Next!’ goes into some crazy jazz-funk orbit (probably as their take on Return To Forever’s 70s mysticism with some Headhunters thrown in for good measure). It so happens that this is the track Peterson is playing out at the moment (at least at the Orange Rooms last night, smart venue with girls that look more they’ve come from the OC than l’alpe-d’huez; Rob ‘Junkyard Gods’ Gallagher was also in the house and we eagerly await his appearance on the new Lightning Head album).

Back on Planet Pimp, for ‘real’ jazz lovers, the bright, upbeat and inappropriately entitled ‘Darkside’ gives the piano and trumpet players room to solo.

Whilst noted for their live shows, Shacho’s job of ‘agitator’ is a little lost on CD. He makes few appearances and the spoken word (in English) on ‘The World’ isn’t too entertaining; better head off to ‘Khamsin’ for some ruckus sax and the short blast of ‘ミンガスファンクラブ’ (put on repeat).

Are Soil & “Pimp” Sessions in their own Planet Pimp world? There are other bands with a ‘Death Jazz’ sticker (notably the brits of Led Bib, Acoustic Ladyland and the short version of Examples of Twelves, the Twelves Trio). Clearly, Soil & “Pimp” Sessions have a more intergalactic view and are setting up their own pathway for fans to follow.

Definitely a band to follow and also check out some ‘heritage’ on The Rough Guide To The Music Of Japan, particularly ‘Akkan’ by Shibusashirazu.

Links
Soil & Pimp “Sessions” are: Shacho 社長 (Agitator), Tabu Zombie タブ ゾンビ (Trumpet), Motoharu 元晴 (Sax), Josei 丈青 (Piano), Akita Goldman 秋田ゴー ルドマン (Bass) & Midoryn みどりん (Drums)

Reviewed: Soil & Pimp “Sessions” - Planet Pimp (Brownswood Recordings) Cat. No. BW00D034CD Release date: 18th August 2008 (Japan: 21 May 2008)
Tracklisting:
1 I.N.T.R.O.
2 Hollow
3 Storm
4 Fantastic Planet
5 Go Next!
6 Darkside
7 Sea Of Tranquility
8 The World Is Filled By…
9 Khamasin
10 Struggle
11 ミンガスファンクラブ
12 Mars
13 Satsuriku Rejects
14 Sorrow

Links:
www.soilpimp.com
www.myspace.com/soilandpimp
www.myspace.com/jampianotrio
www.myspace.com/brownswoodrecordings
www.orangerooms.co.uk 25th July 2008 Gilles Peterson and Defikew (Part Time Heroes DJ Set) warmed up for Giles Peterson for this afterparty knees up.
Wall Street Journal Alpe-D’Huez Creates : Sastre Snags Yellow Jersey in Mountain Stage - Who Pedals to Victory in Paris Is Anyone’s Guess 23rd July 2008
June 2, 2008…2:43 pm What the f*ck is Death Jazz…?! by Paul Bradshaw @ Brownswoodonline