Bohren und der Club of Gore

Founding BOHREN - members Thorsten Benning (Drums) Robin Rodenberg (Bass) Reiner Henseleit (Guitar), Morten Gass(Guitar/Piano) started playing music together in 1988 . They were friends from school and they shared a common taste for all kinds of extreme music like Grindcore, Hardcore, Death- or Doom Metal. Driven by the idea of a more unique style of music, they formed BOHREN (german word for drilling) in 1992 to play, as they called it, „ doom ridden jazz music“.
In autumn 2008 the new BOHREN-CD DOLORES appears on the belgian label PIAS. “With DOLORES Bohren’s habit of making music which often makes the listener feel like he or she is stuck in some dark room in which the oxygen is slowly and mercilessly being extracted has changed.When listening to DOLORES, listeners are sure to get feeling that – after all these years – the shutters are being raised, the windows thrown open, fresh air and sunlight are flooding into the room. Quite by chance, the most natural thing in the world, cool, crisp and brazen.”

Official Page - MySpace Page

The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - Mutations ep (2008)

A bridge between their first album on Planet Mu and the forthcoming second one on Ad Noiseam, the "Mutations EP" is The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble's coming of age. Profound and organic but dark and impressive, it is a perfect rendition of the ensemble's live shows and the proof that there is still something fresh to be done at the meeting point of post-rock, jazz and drones. A deeply emotional and original trip. Following their remarkable (and remarked) début album released by Planet Mu in 2006, the international "super group" that is The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble present with "Mutations" both a companion to their first CD and an appetizer to their forthcoming second album.

Having incorporated new musicians, learned from their numerous live shows and incorporated new influences in their sound, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble sound more mature than ever before in this 8-track, 39-minute EP, which features new tracks alongside re-works of older ones.

An act combining profound musical sensibilities (and, after all, revolving around two very well known actors of the Dutch music scene), deeply emotional harmonies and an acute ear for genre inter-breeding, The Kilimanjaro places itself once again and the confluent of post-rock, dusty and gritty jazz and low-end doom-laden drones, and comes up with a music which is at the same time warm and dark, brooding and misty, cinematic and dynamic.

From the build-up of "Caos Calmo" to the almost childish, pristine melodies of "Shadows" or "Avian Lung", The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble opens here again new paths for organic, human but massive compositions, and demonstrate that their impressive live shows can be perfectly rendered on record. The fruit of experimented and adventurous musicians' demanding work, for a breath-taking, mesmerizing experience.

Text from Ad Noiseam

MySpace Page - LastFm Page - On YouTube -

Monday Michiru

This is Monday Michiru blogging, one of the finest and most prolific jazz, pop and dance vocalists out there. Discover her latest work (from an exhaustive catalog of album releases and collaborations) called NEXUS and find out why she's TWISTEDJAZZ favourite for the last 10 years or so!

"I think the world has become less black and white and more about infinite shades which we as creators add to our palette, finding our own colors, harmonies and balance which best expresses our perspective and heart. I know I'm not black so I'm never going to pretend to be Stevie Wonder or Chaka Khan! I know I'm not Brazilian so I'm never going to pretend to be Flora Purim or Milton Nascimento! I know I'm not purely American so I'll never pretend to be Led Zeppelin! I'm not a Londoner, purely Japanese, African...I'm not a lot of things! What I AM though is a lover of music, a woman, a person who feels deeply, has compassion and sympathy, who loves to rock out sometimes or dig deep into hip hop, who is stimulated by jazz and great improvisation, who feels such beauty from classical and certain Brazilian chord structures, who is in awe of truths and dreams spoken by our poets, who feels the primeval pulse of chantings from African, American Indian or other tribal societies, who feels a certain recognition and interest in rhythms from across our vast but syncopated world...why must one be limited by the book cover we were assigned to at birth?

So I continue to find ingredients that I think work in harmony with others that I want to eat, hear, touch, see, wear, regardless of what preceded my time or is considered acceptable. The past is a map of where others have come from and should I want to revisit for reference, it helps and teaches me, but my future is yet unwritten and there's no right or wrong in my book when it comes to styles. "

Monday Michiru Official Site - MySpace Page - AMG entry -

Monday @ YouTube - Monday @ Last.Fm - Wikipedia Entry -

The Cinematic Orchestra - The Crimson Wing OST (2009)

“The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos is a new French documentary film that was created by Disney (Disneynature). The film documents the life cycle of flamingos and was filmed in Northern Tanzania…. The nice thing about this film is the original score brought to you by The Cinematic Orchestra with help from The London Metropolitan Orchestra.”
The documentary was directed by Mathew Aeberhard amd Leander Ward.

Film Trailer - Film's entry @ IMDB

The Cinematic Orchestra official

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings "100 Days, 100 Nights"

Alice Russell - Pot of Gold (2008)

New album from Alice Russell, one of UK's hottest singers!! She's recorded with the likes of Massive Attack, Mr. Scruff, The Nextmen and Quantic and performed live with The Roots and Quantic Soul Orchestra. Produced by long time collaborator, co-writer and band mate TM Juke, Pot of Gold mixes elements of classic Soul, Jazz, Funk, Rock and Blues into an irresistible concoction that will appeal to her many existing fans while reaching out to new audiences looking for the next "distinctive voice" on the music scene!! Couldn´t wait for her return!!

Text from Do Velho Ao Novo blog

Official Site

My Space Page

TwistedJazz fav did it again! High ranked in our best of 2008 list...of course!

The Bamboos: Deep Funk Masters

The Bamboos are Australia's masters of Deep Funk and Super-Heavy Soul.
Formed in 2001 and released the 7" single 'Eel Oil/Blackfoot', earning them international acclaim from the likes of Mr Scruff, Patrick Forge and Jazzanova. Their next release 'Tighten Up/Voodoo Doll' was signed by Kenny Dope (Masters At Work) and Keb Darge (Legendary Deep Funk) for their U.S-based imprint Kay-Dee Records.
Making their home at U.K's Tru Thoughts records in 2005, The Bamboos debut album ‘Step it Up’ was released jointly by Tru Thoughts and Ubiquity Records (US) in 2006. The second Bamboos long-player "Rawville' was released in 2007 and was described by IDJ Magazine (U.K) as " ...arguably the finest Funk album of the modern era"
In 2006 and 2007 The Bamboos toured Europe and the U.K, bringing their unmistakable sound to venues including The Jazz Café in London and countries including Germany, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Belgium. The Bamboos live shows have evolved into non-stop mixtape-style throw-downs that draw the links between Hip Hop, Soul, Funk and old-school Breaks.
The Bamboos have performed as a backing band for international artists including: Eddie Bo (US), Joe Bataan (US), Eddie Floyd (US), Alice Russell & The Quantic Soul Orchestra (UK)

Official Site

The Bamboos @ MySpace

King of the Rodeo video (feat. Megan Washington)