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Welsh maybe, but
Jakokoyak may very well have schooled at Air and Mellow’s French
ambient establishment. This is one man’s chilled out journey and
it’s pretty special. There is a Beta Band, Super Furry Animal prog-ness
about it, but it’s more cut down. Unlike the aforementioned Air
and Mellow, Jakokoyak hasn’t opted to sing in English, but has
stuck to Welsh and that adds an extra interest somehow because I
suppose 90% of us will have to guess what each song is about.
To date, Jakokoyak
has released the award winning debut album 'Am Cyfan Dy Pethau
Prydferth'. Rhys Edwards aka Jakokoyak has produced a kind of
low-profile Selected Ambient Works, recorded between 1998 and 2015,
and consisting of collected instrumentals and vocal pieces. 'Am
Cyfan Dy Pethau Prydferth' (the title comes from a badly translated
poster spotted in Cardiff, and means For All You Beautiful Things)
was released in 2015 and was released in Japan during 2016. Opening
song Eiddil (previously heard on Boobytrap's A Step In The Left
Direction) sets the agenda nicely, with laid back beats and breaks,
easy funk and understated vocals. Much of the rest of the album
continues in the same vein. But while it may be heavy on the
ambience, Am Cyfan is far from being background wallpaper. Recorded
with harmonica, melodica, guitars, keyboards and vocals, the
Jakokoyak sound is seductive, perfect for late night smoky bars and
rainy nights.
"It's always
good to hear original homegrown new music, and Jakokoyak is one of
the most different acts to have come onto the Welsh music scene in
some time. Certainly cuts like the easy swing of Ar Dy Gefn Bounce,
and the beautiful, timeless Home, suggest this is a talent well
worth looking out for." BBC Wales Music
Jakokoyak has just
completed a short tour of Japan to promote the new EP, titled
Flatyre, which will be released early in January 2006. He supported
the Super Furry Animals at Tokyo's Liquid Room and will embark on a
UK tour very soon.
January 12 2006
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