Vol. 2. What's your type? I think most often when that question is asked it's in reference to people who we may or may not be interested in, but it well applies in any and all questions of tastes and preferences. It is helped and streamlined, immediately, by the usage of things such as categories. For example, if you go to a restaurant, before the very first time you eat there while you may not know what EXACTLY they cook, you have an idea of which type of food they serve based on its name or some other characteristic which you do not even have to go into the place to understand. When it comes to music, we have these wonderfully helpful things known as 'GENRES' which are immediate and superficial identifiers of what you can expect to hear from a particular artist or sound and though they may not always be wholly accurate (as we've discussed in the past), they do aid to at least point you in the right direction of what you may be looking for. When you get into the 'meat' of looking at certain genres, you can also begin to distinguish between sounds within them as well. For example, "Dancehall" can mean a variety of different things - from the most harmless of dance-inspired tunes to the mass-murdering displays of Bounty Killer, Mad Cobra and the likes... but we place it within the same category (even though it clearly is not) (I mean REALLY). Soca music, on the other hand, does do a fine job in differentiating itself with 'groovy' and 'power'; the former being, essentially, an infectious brand of Caribbean Pop music, while the latter can often be found on the road between Dancehall and Heavy Metal. The actual artists, themselves, can also be very involved in not only defining the sound for the entire style of music as far not only what they do but the standards that they set for those who are to come later (I don't have to tell you (having already mentioned, arguably, THE most influential star the Dancehall has ever produced in this review) -- as well as their peers -- and they can also come through with certain characteristics and sounds which become signatures of an individual and are downright delicious traits which you and I (whether we realize it or not) cling to and celebrate (that was a very long sentence). In Roots Reggae music, specifically, where there seems to exist more uniformity in sounds and where you will typically find less in the way of.... eccentricity, than in the Dancehall (there isn't an Alkaline in Roots Reggae music, for example), there tends to be these wonderfully SUBTLE exhibitions of diversity and today we will take a look at someone with an approach and a manner ever so slightly, but FANTASTICALLY, separating him from the pack.
If you were to ask me of who in modern Reggae music I would most recommend to someone just getting into the genre that I thought may be the best 'entry point' for them, I'd likely say Tarrus Riley. The artist has a very CLEAN style and refined PRESENTATION of his music which, at least in my old ass, grizzled opinion, would make it very digestible for someone just really experiencing the vibes for the first time. I'd also give you names such as Etana's, maybe Ziggy, Steven & Ky-Mani Marley and a handful of others. Within that next lot, I'd like to think that someone who has popped up on our radars just within the past dozen years or so would also appear, the always-welcomed Joggo. The Surinamese/Dutch artist would make a HEAVY entrance courtesy of one of the strongest debut sets that I've heard.... hell, maybe ever, 2011's "Modern Rockers Vol. 1" and, in doing so, immediately displayed himself as someone not only to listen to at the time, but to also keep an eye on moving forward.
How did he do that, exactly??? If you listen to "Modern Rockers Vol. 1", even all of these years later, a pair of things stand out: The first of those and the most relevant for us today was the clear fact that Joggo had either gone somewhere and developed or had been born with such a powerful natural gift. He was extremely talented! The little I know of his youth is that Joggo, born Jurgen Seedorf was a footballer at a high level, having spells at both Real Madrid and Ajax as a midfielder. One of his brothers, Clarence Seedorf, had a FINE career - spending years at Ajax, Madrid, Inter, AC Milan and the Dutch National team. At the end of his football career, Joggo CLEARLY had a backup plan and it brought him to the musical world, THANKFULLY. The other thing that stood out in regards to that first album was Joggo's clear influence by an older sound of Reggae music. Along with the most obvious trait being the title ["Israel Vibration say, 'play me on your MTV'. 2010 wi deh now, still no Reggae to see"], the actual music on that release (as brief as it unfortunately was), was saturated with a more vintage Roots vibe and Joggo utilized it to his absolute best in delivering one of the better albums we've dealt with in the history of this blog. So I'm going to go ahead and presume that Joggo didn't stumble into a studio one day in Holland, on accident, and messed around in the booth, discovering that he had some talent in a genre like old school Roots Reggae music. The more likely scenario is that it was a lifelong interest of his and he probably dabbled in music during his athletic campaign. I love when I have older albums that I've reviewed and can go back and read my thoughts of and see how I feel about them years later. In this case, it was nearly eleven years ago when we looked at "Modern Rockers Vol. 1" and it has not lost a shread of luster in that time and, having not heard it in quite awhile now, it's sounding excellent (if you haven't heard it (shame on you!), it is very easy to find now, definitely feel free to stop reading this review and go and check it out) (I'll wait) (back?) (okay let's continue). Tunes like 'Strong Black Woman', 'DJ Play Me Some Roots', 'Peace and Love' and the all-conquering 'I&I Know' stand up today as high as ever and, pretty much every selection on that big drop remains well worth a spin. The one critique I had for "Modern Rockrers Vol. 1" was, despite how DENSE it may've been, it was still only eleven songs spread across less than forty-three minutes. It kind of latched on to you and got you nice and hooked.... and then it dropped you off somewhere and it would take Joggo a good four years to come back and pick your ass up which is precisely what he did in 2015 with his sophomore full set, "Conscious Love". While "Modern Rockers Vol. 1" would come via Jah Decko and Dredda Records, its followup would find Joggo taking things behind the scenes to the next level and sending it through his own (I guess it's his label. Would be kinda strange if it wasn't, wouldn't it???) Joggo Music Productions (if you are curious, and you might be, Dredda Records are still around as far as I know, releasing "Amsterdam Revival" from Miriam Simone just a couple of years back now). Clocking it at a full hour across fifteen songs with an intro and outro (more on that in just a second), "Conscious Love" would INSTANTLY progress ahead of its older sibling and, most fortunately, it would continue to build upon the GORGEOUS foundation set by "Modern Rockers Vol. 1". Let's talk about it! Let's do it!
I brought up Tarrus Riley's name not too long ago not only to make the point but also because in a sorta/kinda way, Joggo reminds me of the star. It isn't that he really sounds like Riley, he does not. Joggo is not as refined or as polished (virtually no one is) and he doesn't sound like he grew up going to fine music and singing schools across the world. He's far more rugged and rough around the proverbial edges. Where the two are similar, at least in my opinion, is in how they both present their music. I can't think of a Tarrus Riley song that I've heard and thought that it was missing something glaringly. I may not love or even like ALL of them, but the work always comes through as if that particular selection was EXACTLY as the artist intended it to be in that moment. Maybe time has changed it for them, but at the time, it seems as if they got what they were wanting. Such a unique characteristic often leads to some amazing music and you need not go any further than even the Intro/title track of Joggo's second album, "Conscious Love". There's an old Turbulence album by the name of "Hail To The King" which had a similar intro/title song that I am bringing up because, off the top of my head (though I'm sure something else has to at least be in the conversation), it's probably the only intro that I can think of being as good as this one ("Hail To The King" was a pretty good album) (I want to say that Capleton also had a great one as well once upon a time). This thing is golden and, at more than two and a half minutes, it almost comes off as just quick but FULL tune. The intro is also a fine example of what I just said in regards to Joggo and Tarrus Riley's levels. He gets SO much out of it and it also serves the purpose of setting the stage for what is to follow (SERIOUSLY: If you wanted to call the intro the finest song on this album, I'd disagree with you, but I wouldn't hang on to the argument too much). Another of the album's biggest selections, 'Come Down', is its first complete offering and it continues the quality run established by our intro. This one is a fairly straight-forward social commentary, aimed at oppressive society ["I and I ah testify when babylon ah fall down now"], from Joggo's end and I simply must mention the guitar player, whoever he/she may be because they dazzle, especially during the later portions of 'Come Down'. Things get positively JOYOUS next courtesy of the GORGEOUS praise that is 'Everytime I Go Away' - the single best tune to be found on the whole of "Conscious Love" to my opinion.
"BECAUSE MI ROOTS AND MI KING ARE MI DIAMONDS AND MI KING
Mi nah go leave mi culture cause mi know it a mi strength
Such a natural beauty when I pray and risen
It makes mi overstand mi own feeling
So when mi did done deh deh, mi ready fi blaze
Work so hard sometimes, mi nah sleep fi days
But mi know di road mi ah trod and haffi keep it this way"
This one really struck me as being about HUMILITY. It's about giving thanks in both times of joy and hardship and appreciating what you do have regardless of what you're going through. I also need to mention the riddim. Though you may find one or two better compositions on "Conscious Love", the one backing 'Everytime I Go Away' is sterling and it GRIPS the tune (and helps to give it a very pleasant vibe which ties into what is being said), making for an even stronger offering. A later piece of a similar theme also registered with me EXTREMELY high, 'Jah Almighty'. Again, this one has a very nice and upful vibes to it and Joggo puts it to good usage in giving praise. He also, delightfully, channels Bob Marley during one of the most memorable passages you will find at all here. For me, 'Jah Almighty' was the album's second strongest tune altogether and sticking with the same topic, also check 'Rasta Deh Pan The Rise', yet another mighty effort in praise of His Imperial Majesty. Though not as strong as either 'Jah Almighty' or 'Everytime I Go Away', 'Rasta Deh Pan The Rise' definitely has its shines and has its moments as a fairly straight forward (but BEAUTIFUL) offering. The riddim on that tune is exquisite and, clearly (and deservedly), Joggo is proud of it as he is quick to point out its origins at its beginnings, "It's a Joggo Music production!". "Modern Rockers Vol. 1" featured a couple of combinations with the one to grab attentions on paper being 'Strong Like Lion' as it tapped Turbulence and the aforementioned Jah Decko, "Conscious Love" also had a pair of tunes featuring guests, with the one that leaps out at you, 'The Change', bringing in the lovely Chantelle Ernandez who.... immediately continues to make us all wish that she were far more active than she was as, not only is that voice as beautiful as it always is, but she also says this:
"Oh government, why you loot and plunder your own just to satisfy yourselves and your friends?
Sell out your owna people and your country for a kingsize bed
You seem to forget-
We're one in the same
WHAT YOU DO TO US YOU DO TO YOURSELF
Cause in the end, together we fall and together we rise"
I don't know what shes up to these days, but it's been an unfortunate few years since I can recall hearing anything from Ernandez and that's too bad. The other tune here which took the helping hand of another artist, 'Can't Breathe', was also very nice as well. Joggo pulls in fellow Dutch born of Surinamese heritage, Le Prince for the golden social commentary. The track behind this one has a wonderful old school appeal to it, which would have made it perfect on the first album and it's not sounding too bad on "Conscious Love" either (it would also work for Joggo's next album and the one after that and the one after that...). I don't know too much about Le Prince, but he did release an album by the name of "The Journey" just last year so I may check it out someday. You may want to do that as well, but before you get there, also check the WONDERFUL 'Revolution Warriors' ["Wi are revolution warriors and we gone fight until wi see freedom"]. It won't take much time, because the tune is entirely too damn short, but I'm pretty sure that you will well enjoy what you hear. This one is kind of a call to action because I get that not only is Joggo saying that HE is apart of the revolution, but that You and I and everyone else is welcome to join him. With that being said, the vibes of the piece are more laidback and highlighted by a downright hypnotic background singer/s who almost sounds, dare I say, Dezarie-ish at times (biggup Dezarie) (whatever she may be up to these days). The delightfully licked 'Keep It Burning' was a single from "Conscious Love" and it was also, seemingly, like the tune preceding it here (which I'm going to tell you about right here) 'A VIBE'. Both 'Keep It Burning' and 'Take It Slow' brought in a very unplanned and organic type of quality. They had similar directions -- about taking time to appreciate some of the less obvious, but extremely pleasing, aspects of life and having REVERENCE for those things and moments -- but neither one seemed to come through as very strict or rigid (and that would have taken away from the message of both, in my opinion), but they found their way, respectively, as two of the best songs on this album. And speaking of a song that didn't seem to have a great deal of mapping out beforehand - I saw the title 'University' and I can remember thinking that what I was going to be listening to was some a track espousing the wonders and values of an education, but what I would ultimately take away from this song was that it was about maturing. Joggo deals with relatively basic ideas ["We don't want no greed, all we want is love"], but he deals with them in terms of SEEKING them and, of course I'm an overthinker, so I come away from 'University' thinking that his idea of attending a university (or at least the one he's referring to here) is one almost entirely internal. It doesn't hit me as tough as either 'Keep It Burning' or 'Take It Slow', but I'm thinking, hearing it now, maybe I should spend a bit more time on 'University' - it couldn't hurt.
The name "Conscious Love" not only served the purpose of... providing this release with... a title (because that's what album titles do) (DUH!), but it also describes the actual music here as well. After dealing with the "conscious" side of things, much of its latter stages covers the "love". Not the strongest of them (although it is close), but likely the most interesting is 'All Around The World', which is a remake of a classic Pop tune by Lisa Stansfield from the 1980s. As random of a selection as it may be, on paper, Joggo does definitely make it work, unsurprisingly. About halfway through, 'All Around The World' hits another gear (it 'Reggaefies') which is well enjoyable and, like I said, there is a stronger love song on "Conscious Love", but it isn't by much and credit goes here for taking a risk. The solid 'Private Performer' was another single and while it may not change your life (it won't), it is sure to get your fingers tapping and your head knocking. There is a value in that and 'Private Performer' has it to spare. 'Sugar Love' is a bad title. It just is, there's no way around it. We have to acknowledge it. What results does not rank amongst my favourites on "Conscious Love", but it wasn't the overly sappy..... sugar love, piece that I was bracing for. And while it isn't nearly as joyous as 'Private Performer', the riddm on 'Sugar Love' is POWERFUL. There is an intoxicating saxophone in there somewhere that does not dominate, but so perfectly adds to things and I would LOVE to hear an instrumental of this one. The best love[ish] song you will find here is 'When Things Go Wrong' and I think Joggo knew it when he made it as he says early on, "when things go wrong, you should listen to this song". He is correct. Though it does focus more on the falling apart of relationships, for some reason 'When Things Go Wrong' makes me smile and it always has. There's just such a TIDYNESS to the vibes. As I said about Joggo's music, in general, this one makes me feel like he got EVERYTHING out of it that he wanted. It is a lovely song and, unless I'm forgetting something big, the best of its kind that's he has ever made for me. The final full song on "Conscious Love", 'Thank You', sends us back to the conscious side and it does so mightily.
"Six years long, struggling for my life to be-
Normal again, cause that time - it just wasn't me
Whoa Jah, didn't knew that people were finding me
We give thanks to Jah cause He gave me a family
Who always guiding and protecting me
Without them, oh Jah, where would I be?
No joke, a true story
Only if you could know the pain I had inside of me
The pain I had inside of me
Oh Jah, thank you for saving my life!
Oh Jah, without you I would not survive!
Mama - thank you for the day that you gave me life
Father - cause it was you that stayed by her side
I won't forget, Jah Jah, what You did for me
Hard times, but that time You were like a shield for me
Discipline of miself, mi wife and kids kept empowering me
Even things went bad, oh Lord, yes You always stood beside me
Jah Jah look at me now
Seems like I never went away, always was around
Nuff a dem thought that they stolen my crown
BUT THE CROWN I'M WEARING THEY WON'T SEE CAUSE THEY JUST DON'T KNOW!
They just don't know!"
'Thank You' is a giant bit of gratitude from Joggo to several of the people, The Almighty and his family, who helped him through a tough spot in his life. I like drops like this which're so specific because they're more relatable. It just seems like Joggo was down on his luck for a few years and such things happens to many, many people - myself included. Lastly, our Outro is the second half of the wonderful Intro (fits so nicely, doesn't it?!). If you place them together as a single song and you want to call THAT SONG the single best on "Conscious Love", I'm not fighting you much, if at all, on that. By themselves they are glorious, together, even more.
Overall, what's my type? Joggo's music is my type. In a relatively small amount of output (and I am including in that, "Love Ova War", which would become his third.... album-ish thing in 2019. It was only nine tunes and I don't feel right calling it an album, but whatever you want to call it -- album or EP -- it was very impressive), he has managed to thoroughly make a fan out of me. Given the fact that he has had four years in between all of his projects, I'm anticipating hearing new material from Joggo relatively soon and that's exciting for me, even just in theory. Listening back to "Conscious Love" (and a lot of "Modern Rockers Vol. 1", by extension) these days - I feel much of the same vibes I can recall originally getting from the first album around the first time we heard it. He just has this very PRODUCTIVE quality to his music which, as I said, gives it such a full and COMPLETE type of sound. However I attempt to (and fail to) explain it, Joggo's music will likely always find space on my players. Want to know why? Take a listen to "Conscious Love" and I'm sure you'll figure it out. Well done.
Rated: 4.35/5
Joggo Music Productions
2015
Digital
