Flashback (Jazzanova’s Breathe Easy Mix)
Fat Freddy’s Drop
The Remixes 2002-2005, 2005

Jazzanova, overground in the dance underground, are pretty much invisible in the American mainstream - so I’ll start with the basics (not that I know that much about them). Jazzanova are six DJ/Producers based in Berlin that have been consistently producing intricate, ‘hope inspiring‘ remixes and original productions that resist categorization for ten years. The Remixes 2002-2005 is the companion piece to their stellar double CD (and 5 LP!) The Remixes 1997-2000. Their single studio album masterpiece In Between came out in 2002.

Fat Freddy’s Drop are a soul/reggae/dub band from New Zealand. If the voice on this track sounds familar its because Joe Dukie, (F.F.D.’s lead singer) is the featured vocalist on Recloose’s 2005 international club hit “Dust.” The Remixes 2002-2005 is the first place that this remix of “Flashback” is available. In fact, it’s so new that it actually wasn’t finished in time to be included on the advance copies of the album. Among the many highlights of the song, look out for the chord change that starts at 1:13 and becomes a beautiful overlay to the simple but perfect off-beat repeated-note pattern that they develop beneath it between 4:44 and 5:49 .

Almost as exciting as their music are the scant references (like the one in the linked article above) to the workings of Sonar Kollektiv, which Jazzanova founded in 1998. Sentences that seem to belong to another era creep up and get me all exited, such as “with our structure, the DJs earn money, put it into one pot, and share it with the other producers.” Seeing people acting in ways truly consistent with putting their art first is genuinely inspiring and the musical results speak for themselves.

If this track moves you, I strongly suggest picking the three albums mentioned above. You will not be disappointed!

>> songs are available for two weeks [8.7 MB]

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