By Jonny Bakes
I’m no stranger to intricate, often instrumental, music. Hell, I’ve been listening to prog rock and metal since I was knee high to a grasshopper! So, when I came across the opportunity to review this album by Hong Kong-based guitar maestro, Jason Kui, I couldn’t resist the temptation to indulge myself.
Jason is a touring and session guitarist who has worked with many well-known artists in China and Hong Kong and now has branched off on his own to create some fantastically intricate instrumental music. This started with the 2017 release ‘Absence of Words’ and now the journey continues with this latest release ‘Naka’. Journey is probably the best word that could be used to describe this latest effort from Jason, as each track is inspired by the surroundings of a specific location which leads to a significant variety of styles and moods. In fact, the title itself, ‘Naka’, is the Japanese word for “in-between” which hints at the real contrast you’ll find in the album. There’s a real mix of heavy and melodic tracks and you’ll also notice some real contrasting moods as you work your way from track to track.
Leading single, ‘Pixel Invasion’, was inspired by the neon lights of metropolitan Japan that Jason experienced while on tour through the country. This starts with a short chiptune introduction before leading into a melodic guitar riff that leans more on the heavier side of the spectrum. At a first listen I would pin it down to being similar to some of Trivium’s more melodic work, but with a healthy smattering of 8-bit sounds for that extra special touch.
Contrasting this, there’s the breezy anthem in the form of ‘Naka’ that sounds something like a cross between a chilled classic rock summer tune and the theme from Top Gun. The inspiration for this track can be traced back to Jason’s trip to Nashville where his imagination was captured by the numerous music clubs and bars that little the city. This also explains the distinctly country twang to this song, that is enhanced by the use of violins.
Completely catching me by surprise is the incredibly funky number ‘Games Brown’ (Hey!) which clearly takes at least some of its influence from the Godfather of Funk himself, James Brown. I challenge any of you to not be moved by this track! It’s got such an incredible rhythm and bassline which is guaranteed to get anyone up and dancing. To have something like this hidden away on a predominantly guitar-driven album was a fantastic surprise that’s for sure!
Jason Kui really has a talent for conveying feelings and emotions through his music, and to manage this without using any vocals or lyrics is not only very impressive, but also allows his music to cross language barriers and become universal. This may not be the kind of thing you are used to listening to, but it certainly should be something you consider checking out. You may find that you like everything on this album, or you’ll find that only one or two really float your boat. But I do believe that this is one of those albums that has a little something for everyone, I mean with an album as varied as this it’s hard not to please a lot of people!
- ‘Naka’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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