Oonops Drops Schallplatten & CDs

Review: During their first European tour in May 2023, Tokyo-based Jazz trio Nautilus received a raucous response from concert visitors. In response, Japanese label Oonops Drops decided to press their last gig of the tour at the legendary King Georg in Cologne, Germany on limited mixed media. This one's for all the concert-goers, who'll now get to soak up the very same vibes heard back in May. This cross-section of songs spans the old to the new, though all originate from a fresh multitrack recording session; going so far as to recapture the mood of the event with canned clapping and whistles, the vibe of "being there" is emulated to a T, with 'Stone Ground Seven' and 'Expansions' coming as exemplary bottlings of Nautilus' joie de vivre.

Review: Japanese jazz fusion trio Nautilus present one of seemingly many new full-length records, Pacific Voyage: a starry, late-summer opus touching on yacht rock and 80s city pop. Breaking from their sublimely variable EP-craft (instrumental four-trackers, one-off covers of pop songs, etc.) Pacific Voyage follows a long thread of inspirations, reinterpreting many of the classics of the city pop era that decisively informed on their nonetheless jazz sound. Songs like the heavily sampled Bobby Caldwell song, 'What You Won't Do For Love', as well as Toto's 'Georgy Porgy', hear a completely new coat of paint and fresh interpretation translated into now and tomorrow.

Review: Tokyo-based jazz fusion trio Nautilus have presented their brand new album, Pacific Voyage in various formats and the is s a nice yellow wax version. It's a breezy summertime soundtrack that blends sunny Yacht Rock with a hint of cool 80s City Pop as the trio reinterprets classic hits from this era and add fresh spins to songs like Bobby Caldwell's 'What You Won't Do For Love' and Toto's 'Georgy Porgy.' The album also features tracks from artists like Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald, Shuggie Otis, Nohelani Cypriano, and Toshiki Kadomatsu, all given the special Nautilus treatment. Guest appearances include UK soul singer John Turrell, German rap legend Toni-L, and Japanese soul artist Ryuto Kasahara.

Review: German label Agogo set up the Oonops Drops series to carry more of the classy contemporary jazz funk and broken beat they're known for, and who better to call on for an LP than Nautilus and their orbiting projects? Toshiyuki Sasaki's group are dab hands at limber, expressive grooves, and that comes through on the A side as Nautilus lay down some pitch-perfect covers including Gil Scott-Heron's 'The Bottle' and William DeVaughn's 'Be Thankful For What You've Got'. On the flip, Sasaki and Anna Sato offer some original tracks from their side-project, with Sato laying down powerful vocals over raw rhythm sections which don't hold back on the funk.