by alex nelson
I’ve been kicking myself for procrastinating to write about BLK JKS album release show last week, given how much recognition it deserved, and it wasn’t until I ended up at The Roots jam session at Highline Ballroom Tuesday night that I decided to seal the deal. I watched BLK JKS guitarist Mpumi Mcata, and drummer Tshepang Ramoba, tear it up with the hip hop veterans last night as guests at the jam. Their comfort level playing alongside the Roots, mixed with their immense talent and high level of musicianship, was my second realization that these guys are no joke. Amir “Questlove” even gave up his seat on drums at one point to let Ramoba unleash his furor on the kit.
 |
|
….
Hip hop is not what BLK JKS are all about, but one would find it impossible to place them in a genre, or three, or even five. They are a cacophony of texture and sonic inspiration. A quartet out of Johannesburg, South Africa, BLK JKS have been getting positive recognition from every publication ever it seems, and celebrated the release of their first album After Robots at SOB’s last week on Secretly Canadian. The band miraculously weaves sounds of progressive rock, dub, ska, metal, psychedelia, and jazz, among many others, into a roller coaster of a sonic experience that is completely fresh, innovative and cohesive.
They are the kind of band that will lay down a heavy dub groove, and just when you’re really starting to vibe, will suck you into a whirlwind of Hendrix style psychedelia, and then spit you out into a frenzy of metal and prog rock distorted bliss. Lindani Buthelezi’s trembly, emotive vocals wailed, while the immensely energetic Ramoba gave the drums no mercy as he tactfully switched between complex time and rhythm, and solid, in-the-pocket grooves. Mcata had the best stage swagger I’ve seen in a while, and the chops to back it, while Molefi Makananise’s bass lines glued it all together. Each player is immensely talented on their own account, and together, they are a force to be reckoned with, bringing a whole new musical bag to the table. My only gripe is that there weren’t more heads in the room to taste the spectrum of their audio rainbow.
