SJAKO ! / Page

Getting more and more involved with the music on Turtle
Records, this stylistic boundaries-denying label that records
music which simply deserves to be recorded and listened to,
I longed for some electric guitar rock and some exciting and/or
moving pop tunes. Since it is a Dutch label, why not pick a band
from the neighbourhood? The way Turtle records music—live to
two tracks, creating the tonal and spatial balance by playing
instead of a studiomix, the choice was immediately narrowed
down seriously. In fact, I could think of only one group up to the
task. Sjako! has been around for a while. They played the last
two decades of the last century. This album is their first statement
of the next. The group came back to its original line up of bass,
drums and guitar, and decided to try an unusual recording that
fits the label. Their new music was only rehearsed briefly and
played with lots of room for experiment and improvisation. Call it
a jazz approach. Sjako! always had a broad musical range and
taste. ‘Page’ displays this versatility by ranging from long
instrumental solos to a vulnarable little song about the pristine,
‘sober’ brain of a newborn child, all ears and eyes for lots of
exciting new impressions. Proudly listening to this first Sjako!
album on Turtle Records, I feel a bit sober myself. Sjako!’s
vigorous and confident playing betrays and certifies the trio’s
live reputation. Trust me, Sjako! indeed is a must see live band.
So in the crowd of any stage, anywhere in the future,

I’ll be seeing you.
Rob Becker

Tracks :
01) Harm’s way
02) Penny dance
03) Port Belly04) Howlin with the wolves
05) Page
06) Orleans
07) Sober
08) Marinba foot
09) Unfortunate Lee
10) End
11) BSTRCT

The music of PAGE was produced by Wouter Planteijdt / Sjako!
and initiated by Rob Becker.

all songs written and composed by Planteijdt, jams by Sjako!,
except ‘Marimba Foot’ by Heijerman, ‘Unfortunate Lee’ by Vermeulen,
‘More Trouble’ by Frank Zappa/ Sjako!, ‘Foxy Lady’ by Jimi Hendrix.

Was recorded at the Doopsgezinde Gemeente Kerk,
Amsterdam, July 31 – August 4, 2000
sound, balance engineering, recording: Fir Suidema, Harry van Dalen, Bert van der Wolf
editing: Bert van der Wolf
preproductive sample recordings at Hellevoetsluis by Richard & Wouter
Richard Heijerman drums, percussion & preproductive marimba
Thijs Vermeulen bass & vacuumsoul
Wouter Planteijdt guitars, vocals, samples & loops