(April Records)

Drivaman (radio edit)
Drivaman (album version)
Drivaman (B&B International remix)
Drivaman (Djsos Krost remix)
Drivaman (Varano remix)

Danish nujazz / broken beat outfit Malkin Zany is comprised of Tav Klitgard (trumpet), Asger Baden (keyboards), Steen Rock (turntables) and Peter Leth (drums), all of whom are seasoned musicians from various different parts of Denmark’s thriving jazz scene. This debut release from Malkin Zany acts as a bit of an appetiser for the outfit’s forthcoming self-titled album on April Records, packaging up the original and edited versions of album track ‘Driva’ Man’ (in itself a cover of the Coleman Hawkins standard) alongside some sterling remixes by the likes of B&B International, Djsos Krost and Morten Varano.

On the original and radio edited versions of ‘Driva’ Man’, Malkin Zany lay down a smooth fusion of live drums, analogue keyboards and spiralling samples, over which the powerful blues vocal of Deborah Herbert rings out, calling to mind echoes of Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald. When the trumpet lines enter alongside clattering snares and turntable backspins, drums and vinyl battling furiously in a storm of serene keys and brass, it all works beautifully and gives the likes of The Herbaliser a serious run for their money. B&B International take out the live drums on their remix, replacing them with crisp programmed hip-hop beats, and place an almost dubby bassline at the center of the mix while dubbing the original horns out through squelching keys, in a track that will delight fans of smoky downtempo beats ala G-Stone.

By complete contrast, Djsos Krost (aka Copenhagen DJs Farfar and Filip) drop the vocal completely and opt for minimalist dubstep house in the vein of Force Inc on their reworking of ‘Driva’ Man’, layering fractals of synthetic sound around a cold crisp broken-beat house rhythm and plunging sub-bass drops, in an absolute stormer that leans closer to Akufen than the usual expected warm nu-jazz reference points. Finally, Morten Varano’s remix turns things back to familiar nu-jazz / downtempo territory, throwing in volleys of Latin conga percussion alongside the horns and glistening keyboard runs, while also managing to inject a hefty dose of samba swing that’s further fuelled by some squelching wah-guitar.

A storming debut offering from Malkin Zany that neatly introduces the group’s sound while also bundling up some quality remixes from diverse ends of the spectrum – the forthcoming album sounds like it will be well worth checking out, based on the contents of this initial taster.

Recommended for fans of The Herbaliser, Nightmares On Wax, Jazzanova

Check out: www.malkinzany.com and www.aprilrecords.com