[re:jazz] - Nipponized (2008)

With "Nipponized" [re:jazz] present what is already their fourth studio album on INFRACom! Together with the live CD / DVD album "Live at Motion Blue yokohama" which came out in spring this year, "Nipponized" forms a thematic duet on the land of the rising sun in the best [re:jazz] tradition. Besides original compositions the album also contains version of songs by Japanese artists such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kyoto Jazz Massive, DJ Krush, Pizzicato 5, Jazztronik, Towa Tei, Logic System and Mondo Grosso.

As well as mixed-genre versions of these Japanese club classics there are three brand new tunes on the album from the pen of [re:jazz] leader Matthias Vogt: "Threesome", "You'll See" and "Emperor".

It was a great honour and pleasure for [re:jazz] that they were able to win over well know Japanese jazz singer akiko for the recording of "Twiggy Twiggy". akiko is the first Japanese female singer to release on VERVE (Universal Japan) and has put out more than 6 studio albums there since 2001. Yasuharu Konishi the founding member of Pizzicato Five, who currently works closely with akiko was also in the studio to supervise akiko's vocal arrangement.

Following tour-dates in autumn to support the release of the album [re:jazz] are once again looking forward doing a tour of Japan in February. Beside the tunes on their new album [re:jazz] has reworked the tune "Star Cachsers" after a peronal inquiry from 4Hero. This one to be added on a remix album 4Hero scheduled for release this autumn too.

As well as the new [re:jazz] album Matthias Vogt - mastermindand band leader behind [re:jazz] is also releasing another new album in January 2009 (Coming up for Air / INFRACom!), which he has recorded as a trio with [re:jazz] drummer Volker Schmidt and bassist Andreas Manns. At the same time as "Nipponized" , the new Motorcitysoul, Vogt 's electronic orientated project, album "Technique" is coming out in september on the english label "Simple". It is clear with such a diverse output in just one year what a great creative force Vogt and his by now internationally respected projects represent. What is more, with [re:jazz], the most successful of all his many projects, he proves his consistency and can be counted as one of the most interesting German artists around today.