dateline 9 aug 08 – AMSTERDAM!
Planes, trains and automobiles—BLK JKS made it to Amsterdam late last night, effectively stepping out of the chauffeured Cadillac that squired them from the airport in Brussels (after 2 days of back and forth to Dublin) and on to what is arguably the finest stage in the Netherlands: Paradiso. If you’ve ever been to this club you know its guiding principles are impeccable taste in music and exquisite attention to sonic detail, and finding themselves at such an intersection BLK JKS played one of their most amazing sets to date. It was an appropriate European debut; the set combined passionate versions of their buzzed-about singles “lakeside” “transit camp” and “summertime” with deep Return To Forever passages of polyrhythmic improvisation, distorted feedback manipulation and straight-up shredding. In all it was a breathtaking approach—and perhaps a sign we might need to reassess this band even now at this early date. Thanks to Ilse the hostess with the mostess! For more reports from the road stay tuned here or check BLK JKS blog for Equinox reports.