Koop - Waltz For Koop (Superstudio/Sony)

If the on-line biography of Oscar Simonsson and Magnus Zingmark reads with a subtle sting of disaffection or makes these two sound a little surly, it could be that they are. Alternatively, it could be that the duo known as Koop are just that emotional about their mission of modernizing bebop and swing and taking a distinct left turn from current trends in funk and fusion flavored NuJazz.

Others, such as United Future Organization and some early acts on the Ubiquity label, have flirted with this concept since the halcyon days of Acid Jazz. Usually though, those groups and individuals came back to the safety of samples, loops, synthesizers and drum machines. This is not to say that Koop's second album "Waltz For Koop" is void of programming and the trappings of modern electronics. Rather, these implements are generally used alongside bongos and a traditional drum set to create ambience while more traditionally melodic instruments such as flute, saxophone vibraphone and voice receive the most emphasis.

Often, Koop's lyrics focus on the timeless subjects of love and romance, but are delivered in a melancholic tone, such as we find in their songs "Tonight" and Terry Callier's "In A Heartbeat", with Callier on vocals, a personal favorite on the album. This feeling also extends to the more ambient tracks such as "Relaxin' at Club F****n" (actually named for the Stockholm club Fusion) and "Bright Nights". Once upon a time this may have gotten Koop stuck with a dreadful tag such as "Trip Hop" and may still find their album stuffed into some record shop's "down tempo" section. If Koop's online bio makes them sound disaffected or surly, this ill-advised labeling could also be why.

"Waltz For Koop" is nothing less than a jazz album. For proof, look no further than "Soul For Sahib", which creates a modern version of 1950's California cool and immediately recalls United Future Organization's 1994 single "Loud Minority". Koop also teams up, somewhat unexpectedly, with the notorious Earl Zinger on "Modal Mile" which actually turns out to be one of the coolest of this album's many highlights with it's minimal instrumentation putting further emphasis on the classic arrangements of smokey vocal jazz performances of days gone by.

The opening notes of "Summer Sun" immediately conjure up memories of countless light sambas on Verve, and a mid-Sixties Pepsi Jingle ("Come Alive") but ultimately sets those images aside with the wonderfully well-placed vibraphone solo from Mattias Stahl. and the astoundingly smooth and free vocals of Yukimi Nagano. Don't let this name slip your consciousness, as hers is a career you'll want to follow.

We're only half-way through February, but "Waltz For Koop" may very well turn out to be one of the top albums of 2002. Koop's second album delivers a classic sound with an understated modern production that should ultimately stand the test of time, rather than sound outdated in two years time.

Koop - Waltz For Koop (Superstudio/Sony)

With the release of their second album, this Stockholm duo are keen to put the Jazz back in NuJazz. Read all about it.