Soil and Pimp Sessions
Encyclopedia
Soil & "Pimp" Sessions (stylised as SOIL&"PIMP"SESSIONS) is a Japanese
club jazz sextet who formed in Tokyo
, Japan
in 2001. They are known for their energetic live performances, having coined the term "death jazz" to describe their music.
The band's adrenalin-fuelled live sets started to create a buzz on the Tokyo live scene, and in 2003 they became the first unsigned band to perform at Japan's Fuji Rock Festival
. They were well received there and in the following months record companies were scrambling to offer contracts. JVC
Victor won the battle, and summer 2004 saw the release of the mini-album Pimpin.
The album was a critical and, for a jazz release, commercial success, and this together with constant touring paved the way for the release of their first full album, Pimp Master in early 2005. The album captures the sheer power of their live performances as well as higlighting their individual musical talents. Two tracks in particular, "Waltz For Goddess" and their cover of "A Wheel Within a Wheel", caught the attention of DJs abroad, and they began to receive heavy air-play on Gilles Peterson
's Worldwide radio program on BBC Radio 1
in the U.K.
Summer 2005 was a busy time for the band, with the release of their second mini-album, Summer Goddess, and their first live dates outside Japan. Gilles Peterson
invited them to play at Cargo in London, and Jazzanova
invited them to play in Berlin.
They spent the rest of the year touring in Japan and Europe, and they were also featured in the live broadcast of the Gilles Peterson Worldwide Awards in 2005, where they were awarded the John Peel Play More Jazz Award.
A second full album, Pimp of the Year, was released in spring 2006, showcasing innovations that showed a development of their sound, as well as one or two tracks that marked a new departure.
2006 also saw the official release of Pimp Master in Europe on Compost Records and the UK on Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings
label. They continued touring constantly throughout the year, taking in Britain, Italy, France,Serbia, Belgium, Germany, Slovakia and Croatia, as well as an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival
.
March 2007 saw the release of their third full album, Pimpoint, on the Victor Entertainment label, which features thirteen tracks.
Soil & "Pimp" Sessions' song "Paraiso" is the opening theme for the anime Michiko to Hatchin
.
"Agitator" Shacho announced during their performance at the Relentless Garage in London that their latest album 6 was due for release on 26 April 2010 in the United Kingdom. No other release locations were confirmed by him at the time.
In 8th December 2010, Soil and "Pimp" Sessions released their album, "SOIL&"PIMP"SESSIONS Presents STONED PIRATES RADIO", containing 20 tracks. All of the tracks (aside from the occasional skit tracks) are covers, arranged in various ways using their style. From reggae to calypso to their aggressive jazz sound, you can hear tracks like "Walkie-Talkie Man," "Beat It," & "Imagine."
Around September 2011, they have announced that a new album will be released shortly, and that released was, "MAGNETIC SOIL", containing all new material of 15 tracks (except track 2 is their rendition of the Brecker Brothers' piece "Some Skunk Funk"), including a new version of the track "Summer Goddess."
Music of Japan
The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern. The word for music in Japanese is 音楽 , combining the kanji 音 with the kanji 楽...
club jazz sextet who formed in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 2001. They are known for their energetic live performances, having coined the term "death jazz" to describe their music.
Members
- President a.k.a Shacho , born January 18 1978 in Takefu, Fukui PrefectureFukui Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Fukui.- Prehistory :The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis and Fukuisaurus tetoriensis as well as an unnamed...
- agitator - Tabu Zombie , born April 13 1977 in Kagoshima, Kagoshima PrefectureKagoshima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
- trumpet - Motoharu , born June 29 1973 in Nayoro, HokkaidoHokkaido, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
) - saxophone - Josei , born October 30 1975 in the Saeki-ku WardSaeki-ku, Hiroshimais one of the eight wards of the city of Hiroshima, Japan.The Hiroshima Branch of the Japan Mint is located here.The ward added the former town of Yuki from Saeki District on April 25, 2005....
of HiroshimaHiroshimais the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, Hiroshima PrefectureHiroshima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
- piano, keyboards - Akita Goldman , born July 8 1977 in Hachiōji, TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
- double bass - Midorin , born January 30 1978 in IwakiIwaki-Places:*Iwaki, Fukushima: a city in Japan.*Iwaki, Akita: a town in Japan.*Iwaki Province: an old province of Japan.*Iwaki : a volcano on the Japanese island of Honshū....
, Fukushima PrefectureFukushima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
- drums
History
The band was born out of Tokyo's club scene, when Shacho and Tabu Zombie started including live jam sessions in DJ sets. Gradually the other members were invited, the band's line-up was finalised and the DJ sets dropped.The band's adrenalin-fuelled live sets started to create a buzz on the Tokyo live scene, and in 2003 they became the first unsigned band to perform at Japan's Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The 3 day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan...
. They were well received there and in the following months record companies were scrambling to offer contracts. JVC
JVC
, usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...
Victor won the battle, and summer 2004 saw the release of the mini-album Pimpin.
The album was a critical and, for a jazz release, commercial success, and this together with constant touring paved the way for the release of their first full album, Pimp Master in early 2005. The album captures the sheer power of their live performances as well as higlighting their individual musical talents. Two tracks in particular, "Waltz For Goddess" and their cover of "A Wheel Within a Wheel", caught the attention of DJs abroad, and they began to receive heavy air-play on Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson , is a DJ, record collector and record label owner from London, UK. Through his labels Acid Jazz, Talkin' Loud, and latterly Brownswood Recordings, he has been associated with the careers of well-known artists of the 1990s such as Erykah Badu, Roni Size and Jamiroquai...
's Worldwide radio program on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
in the U.K.
Summer 2005 was a busy time for the band, with the release of their second mini-album, Summer Goddess, and their first live dates outside Japan. Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson , is a DJ, record collector and record label owner from London, UK. Through his labels Acid Jazz, Talkin' Loud, and latterly Brownswood Recordings, he has been associated with the careers of well-known artists of the 1990s such as Erykah Badu, Roni Size and Jamiroquai...
invited them to play at Cargo in London, and Jazzanova
Jazzanova
Jazzanova is a German Berlin-based DJ/producer collective consisting of Alexander Barck, Claas Brieler, Jürgen von Knoblauch, Roskow Kretschmann, Stefan Leisering, and Axel Reinemer. Formed in 1995, the group is one of the foremost proponents of the nu-jazz, chillout and jazz house styles of music...
invited them to play in Berlin.
They spent the rest of the year touring in Japan and Europe, and they were also featured in the live broadcast of the Gilles Peterson Worldwide Awards in 2005, where they were awarded the John Peel Play More Jazz Award.
A second full album, Pimp of the Year, was released in spring 2006, showcasing innovations that showed a development of their sound, as well as one or two tracks that marked a new departure.
2006 also saw the official release of Pimp Master in Europe on Compost Records and the UK on Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings
Brownswood Recordings
Brownswood Recordings is a London-based independent record label launched in 2006 by DJ Gilles Peterson.-Artists include:* Ben Westbeech.* The Heritage Orchestra.* Soil & "Pimp" Sessions.* José James.* Gilles Peterson.* Elan Mehler.* Ghostpoet....
label. They continued touring constantly throughout the year, taking in Britain, Italy, France,Serbia, Belgium, Germany, Slovakia and Croatia, as well as an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...
.
March 2007 saw the release of their third full album, Pimpoint, on the Victor Entertainment label, which features thirteen tracks.
Soil & "Pimp" Sessions' song "Paraiso" is the opening theme for the anime Michiko to Hatchin
Michiko to Hatchin
is a Japanese animated television series. The show is produced by studio Manglobe and directed by Sayo Yamamoto, her first directorial work. The two eponymous starring roles are portrayed by noted Japanese film actresses Yōko Maki and Suzuka Ohgo respectively...
.
"Agitator" Shacho announced during their performance at the Relentless Garage in London that their latest album 6 was due for release on 26 April 2010 in the United Kingdom. No other release locations were confirmed by him at the time.
In 8th December 2010, Soil and "Pimp" Sessions released their album, "SOIL&"PIMP"SESSIONS Presents STONED PIRATES RADIO", containing 20 tracks. All of the tracks (aside from the occasional skit tracks) are covers, arranged in various ways using their style. From reggae to calypso to their aggressive jazz sound, you can hear tracks like "Walkie-Talkie Man," "Beat It," & "Imagine."
Around September 2011, they have announced that a new album will be released shortly, and that released was, "MAGNETIC SOIL", containing all new material of 15 tracks (except track 2 is their rendition of the Brecker Brothers' piece "Some Skunk Funk"), including a new version of the track "Summer Goddess."
Studio albums
- 2004: Pimpin'
- 2005: Pimp Master
- 2006: Pimp of the Year
- 2007: Pimpoint
- 2008: Planet Pimp
- 2009: 6
Studio albums (in Japan)
- 23 June 2004: "PIMPIN"
- 9 February 2005: "PIMP MASTER"
- 21 July 2005: "SUMMER GODDESS" - (mini album)
- 8 March 2006: "PIMP OF THE YEAR"
- 17 July 2006: "PIMP MASTER" - (European version)
- 7 March 2007: "PIMPOINT"
- 21 May 2008: "PLANET PIMP"
- 16 September 2009: "6"
- 8 December 2010: "SOIL&"PIMP"SESSIONS presents STONED PIRATES RADIO"
- 5 October 2011: "MAGNETIC SOIL"
Singles
- 1 December 2004: "Suffocation"
- 8 February 2006 "Crush!"
- 11 November 2006: "" (DEATH JAZZ ver.)
- This single is delivered only in a digital download with "Shiina RingoShiina Ringo, known by her stage name , is a Japanese singer-songwriter, music composer and music producer. She is also the founder and lead vocalist of the band Tokyo Jihen.She describes herself as ""....
× Soil & "Pimp" Sessions" name.
- This single is delivered only in a digital download with "Shiina Ringo
- 7 February 2007: "Mashiroke"
- 23 April 2008: "STORM"
External links
- SOIL & "PIMP" SESSIONS Homepage
- http://ukvibe.org/index.php/interviews/soil_pimp_sessions Interview Shacho by Michael 'The Dood' Edwards 'UK Vibe' July 2010
- Soil and "Pimp" Sessions Gig Review by Michael 'The Dood' Edwards 'UK Vibe' July 2010
- Review of SOIL & "PIMP" SESSIONS
- SOIL & "PIMP" SESSIONS on Last.fm