Orchestral Maneuvers in the dAKAH

April 23, 2008 3:00 PM

In LA, a 63 (70!)-piece orchestra blends the styles of Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington with hip-hop, European classical music, and free jazz. Spend some time with the dAKAH Orchestra and it's founder Geoff "Double G" Gallegos.
posted by mikoroshi (9 comments total)

Are we doing jazz hip-hop again?
posted by humannaire at 3:54 PM on April 23

[But the title is a money shot, mikoroshi.]
posted by humannaire at 3:55 PM on April 23

When making music posts, folks, DON'T FEAR THE MYSPACE.

There's 3 tunes to listen to on daKAH's page.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:14 PM on April 23

Unfinished Symphony is groovy.
posted by eyeballkid at 4:33 PM on April 23

Are we doing jazz hip-hop again?
I wasn't aware we'd ever stopped.
Seriously, though, I think what sets dAKAH apart is the orchestration, the classical influences they blend with their jazz/hip hop/tribal grooves. It's a concoction that could easily come out clunky but dAKAH makes it work and the results are (IMHO) pretty crazy dope.
posted by mikoroshi at 4:53 PM on April 23

I wasn't aware we'd ever stopped.

AAAAAGGGHHHH! Make it STOP!!! Make it STOOOOOOP!

Jes' kiddin', mikoroshi. Thanks for the post.

But stop capitalizing that first a in their name. It's bugging me.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:42 PM on April 23

I think what I enjoy most about daKAH is that it (they) are going against the grain of hip hop as a confrontation, or battle, if you will, and instead settling into a more interdependent groove. Sometimes it is still a struggle to limit the "clunk", but daKAH seems more successful than most.

I see them upon that stage together and think...now that's a microcosm...but of what, I am not yet sure.
posted by squasha at 10:56 PM on April 23

I like this kind of stuff. Thanks, mikoroski.
posted by box at 4:42 AM on April 24

Interesting stuff mikoroshi and thanks for the MySpace link flapjax.
posted by haunted by Leonard Cohen at 5:52 AM on April 24