Nujabes Album: “Modal Soul”

Nujabes is the Beast from the East. I know Beast probably wouldn't be the best word to describe this producer, but it's the only thing I can think of using besides "AZN SENSATION", and how whack is that?

Many people I know associate music made in Japan with the defecation widely known as J-Pop. I can't really make an accurate decision on how nice J-Pop is or not. I rarely listen to anything I can't understand in my favorite musical genre, Hip Hop, so there's no reason for me to check anything out in a genre I don't like in a language I CAN understand. Anyway, I first discovered the work of Nujabes on the cartoon "Samurai Champloo", like many Americans have. As a Hip Hop instrumental aficionado, I've listened to hundreds of producers and their products. From Pete Rock to Just Blaze to RjD2 to Prefuse 73 and so on... I'm a sucker for a sick sample. So it's safe to say that when I heard "Battlecry" (Samurai Champloo's introductory theme), I had to find out more about this Nujabes cat who made this beat.

One of my friends (who happens to be Japanese and an avid Hip Hop fan) let me listen to her copy of Nujabes' first LP he released in 2003, "Metaphorical Music". That showed me that "Battlecry" wasn't just an instrumental fluke like most of the producers working in Hip Hop today have had. If anything, "Battlecry" is one of the more lackluster songs in Nujabes' catalog. I burned myself a copy and bumped it for a good while in my car and at home. Then I heard that he had another LP out, "Modal Soul". I searched high and low for a copy, but alas, great producers who originated in America are hard enough to find, so finding one who operates out of Japan would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Eventually, I came across the LP in Canada on vacation, and it was like Christmas in July! June to be precise, but who cares? "Modal Soul" was everything I expected and more.

As a producer, Nujabes has grown a lot in my opinion from 2003 to 2005 when he released the said product. Nujabes has always had a cool jazz influence over his beats, and thankfully that hasn't changed. The beats he crafted for this LP are all A Grade. The few emcees he chose to rap over some select gems aren't the best, but they flow over his tracks like they've worked with him since 89. From American underground artists like Cise Starr and Substantial to Japanese talent like Shing02 and Uyama Hiroto, each featured artist brings something special to the track to make it shine. It'd be hard for me to pick a few standout tracks because of the amazing job Nujabes does to weave all of the songs together. Without a doubt, I believe this is the best work Nujabes has done.

I know that not many people will get the chance to experience some these very impressive beats, and that's a shame. If Nujabes were to release some of his stuff in America and work with some of the artists who have a stable fanbase, there's no doubt in my mind that he'd be one of the premier producers this side of the western hemisphere. But maybe he's not doing it for the fame? Maybe he's just doing it to make good music. I don't know. Either way, I hope he doesn't make me wait too long for the next LP. Get this album however you can.

Jerrod R.

Like the other reviewers, I too discovered nujabes from Samurai Champloo. After a bit of research via pandora, I decided to go ahead and purchase this album. I have not been disappointed, just not blown away. "The Sign" and "Feather" are outstanding tracks. As a radio DJ, I would play these two songs often if not for the profanity. Unfortunately, only a handful of the tracks contain any vocals and the repetitive piano-based, instrumental grooves are not enough on their own to impress. The album ends with a string of 7 or so instrumental tracks, and as such is not well balanced. I think that nujabes would have been better off hiring a few more MCs and lyricists for the remainder of the album. All told, I would recommend this album for anyone looking for a breath of fresh air in a world saturated by commercial and shallow hip-hop. I would love to see nujabes push his music a bit further, because there are some great songs and ideas here. Just not enough of it.

EDIT: (I'm going to try to ignore the $57 tag and judge Nujabes & Co. on the artistic merits of their work.) A year has passed by, and I've been able to listen to the album more. I've got to point out the lyrics in "Ordinary Joe". I didn't realize it for a while, but the words are intelligent and compelling unlike anything else on the album. It is fitting that "Ordinary Joe" stands out musically as well, with a lo-fi flute solo and an almost lazy (in a good way) vocal performance from Terry Callier. It has become my favorite song on the album. "The Sign" still holds true, and the instrumentals have grown on me.

I've still got to keep "Modal Soul" at four stars, though. As catchy as the instrumental grooves are, they aren't much more that four bars repeated for a few minutes. They might set an nice ambiance if you're otherwise distracted, but I (as you may, too) have trouble doing anything else while listening to music.

Vocal tracks = 5 stars. Instrumentals = 3 stars. Why is there only one solo taken on an album called "Modal Soul"? Note to hip-hop: you are not jazz, stop referencing it so much.

BTW, if you like "Modal Soul", you'll probably dig "Metaphorical Music" as well. It is as good as "Modal Soul", and a bit more balanced. I had to import that one from a j-pop website.

Another great find from Japanese hip-hop culture. I don't care all that much for rap per se - often deleting the vocal tracks found on his records - but the instrumentals Nujabes crafts are beautiful and trance-like. His Samurai Champloo stuff is really worth your time as well, especially the "Reflections" collection.

It's a shame that he died so young.

You may also want to check out a rare mix-tape of his that has been floating around the net for some time called "Sweet Sticky Thing I + II." It's a lot of American r&b/soul from the seventies, but Nujabes utilized his sharply-honed DJ instincts to craft what might be considered the finest mix-tape of all-time.

RIP Nujabes

Like everyone I first heard Nujabes from Samurai Champloo. Since Chmaploo i have been hooked to everything that he has put out. If youre a fan of Nujabes, forget the price and get this CD in your collection NOW!! I only give this cd 5 because thats is as high as I can rate it, but this is a 10 if you ask me. I like all the songs on this CD but my favorite would have to be Flowers and World's end Rhapsody.