Grains

Boozoo Bajou make a 180-degree turn

The German duo Boozoo Bajou – producers and DJs from Nuremberg Peter Heider and Florian Seyberth – first surprised the world with its unique music in 2001 on the debut album Satta. A complex combination of the French-speaking Canadians ethnic motifs and island elements are the basis of its electronic chill-out music and the duo has immediately and firmly occupied its own niche in the club culture. Its works are remarkable for their fineness and grace, expressive vocal parts and serve a great example of how to make a full-fledged mixture of the highest quality out of various styles and directions. The sophomore effort, 2005’s Dust My Broom has proved to be similar to the debut and only confirmed Boozoo Bajou’s reputation of inventive musicians. This year it releases the third record Grains, which has proved to be a creative 180-degree turn. This time around Boozoo Bajou have been inspired by such 1970s’ representatives as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and The Eagles, and the album is simultaneously urban and not devoid of country flavor but with all the contradictions it proves to be the most harmonious of the German electronic genius’ all three creations.

The real instruments are drawn to the front ground on Grains

The album Grains consists of 11 tracks and offers several songs with female vocals for the first time in Boozoo Bajou’s history provided by a young British star Rumer. Besides the instrumental compositions (which can be recognized by the German titles) are a bit different this time around: if before a special attention was given to electronic audio effects and ethnic beats now the real instruments are drawn to the front ground. The opening song Flickers makes you feel positive at once pleasing with both the soft sounding and beautiful lyrics and the track Sign is refined with pretty tubes and relaxing rhythm. The first of the compositions performed with the British singer is Same Sun on which she goes into introspection in a most laid-back manner possible. The title track is definitely one of the album’s highlights. It is rather a long song lasting more than seven minutes with a beautiful melody and multilayered vocals reminding of the band Antony And The Johnsons’ works. Yet no doubt Boozoo Bajou do shine on instrumental compositions: a sultry, flexible Fuersattel reminding going in a cart with a sprightly horse, Kinder Ohne Strom, a bit heavy on electro guitars, with complicated electronic effects, romantic Tonschraube and the final light and ethereal Nebelkloster. A soulful track Heavy On Me once again pleases with female vocals and a mysterious Messengers makes the listeners think of high materials.

An imperturbable self-reliance

No doubt the German duo deserves praise for each of its wonderful albums. Yet if the first two of them were as like as two peas the third creation is really able to cause the audience’s polar reactions. On the one hand Grains is a new word in Boozoo Bajou’s creative work as the changes in content and form are as much obvious as they are successful and promising. On the other hand some may think that the musicians are getting old and have not worked hard enough and tried to surprise anybody and conquer new fans making the main stake at the excellent quality of every musical layer here. Anyway the record Grains is really interesting, soothing and which is more important wonderfully stylish as everything these talented musicians do. Therefore considering that this in only the third album it is two early to think that Boozoo Bajou will never create anything better. On the contrary, the album Grains should be probably thought as the continuation of its creative work precisely following the plan, with a small proportion of experimentation clearly witnessing its imperturbable self-reliance.