Way cool

This is a weird one. An obscure 10″ that I probably would have overlooked going through the crates at a record shop. Jiri.Ceiver produced a rather challenging variety of experimental electronic music. Which is also true for the label that published most of his music, Harthouse. I have a lot of respect for their pioneering creativity, I just couldn’t relate.

But then this guy was featured on a compilation by German downbeat masters Boozoo Bajou, alongside selections by Tommy Guerrero, Paul Weller and Gregory Isaacs. A track from his second album, “Jig, Amble & Lisp”. The last one on it, and it sticks out like a cowboy in a Techno club. On his own album, I need to add. It blended in perfectly well on that compilation.

“Ycool” had a video, it’s up on YouTube and you see that little “Viva” logo – an ancient German music TV channel. Every time I hear this track I wonder what that must have felt like, to make music that will only be appreciated by a very small group of electronic music lovers, and then create a piece like this, something that seems like it was created in a fun filled session that involved a generous number of alcoholic beverages, and then this funny musical side note gets unexpected amounts of attention, turning into a small indie hit single and even getting a music video.

What’s the reaction? Being happy that you get some accidental traction? Being somehow disillusioned at the same time, understanding even more acutely that your “real” music will continue to be a niche product?

The original version “Ycool – Jiri. vs. Jinks” is very much not Techno and absolutely doesn’t sound very electronic, it’s some kind of slow, dragging bastard Blues. But that’s just an approximation, judging from the slow, dry drum loop, the deeply bluesy guitar sample and the star of the whole mix, the magnificent bass line. It’s all garnished with a few slowed-down vocal samples that seem to have been nicked from another track on the album.

The title might lead to the assumption that “vs. Jinks” indicates a collaborator, which would explain why the track is so very different. But there are no mentions of additional contributors in the notes on the sleeve. Who knows? Maybe Jinks is just Jiri after a few pints. Whatever he did to come up with it: great idea.

Not a bad one either: handing the track over to Russ Gabriel for his spin on “Ycool”. His “12 Bar Desert Mix” is cool in its own way, a somewhat dubby, loungy Drum’n’Bass version that would have been a perfect choice for Kruder & Dorfmeister’s 1996 “Conversions” mix.

If you pick up this piece of vinyl somewhere, don’t trust the label info though. “Ycool” is so slow that the folks at Harthouse must have thought this can only run at 33. But no, it’s not that slow – choose 45 for an adequate display of coolness.

Release for review:
JIRI.CEIVER – YCOOL – HARTHOUSE – 28186.0015.0

Find the vinyl on Discogs: Click