Search - Nav Katze :: Gentle & Elegance

A new direction of sorts

Kevin O'Conner | 11/07/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Gentle & Elegance [sic] was Nav Katze's follow-up to the remix album Never Mind The Distortion. Taking their cue from that album, on Gentle & Elegance the group adopted a more sequenced, synthesizer-based sound, dispensing with guitars almost entirely, as core member Miwako Yamaguchi and producer Yuji Sugiyama assumed most of the songwriting and performance duties (core member Naoko Iimura appears only on tracks 1 & 6).This new approach worked surprisingly well. The production struck a fine balance between the synthesizer-based arrangements and the "traditional" Nav Katze sound, moving the group in a new direction while retaining some of the more familiar elements (particularly the vocal harmonies) of the group's sound.Perhaps the best examples of this balance are the gorgeous, ethereal "Heaven electric", and "Tightrope", which could have fit in nicely on one of the earlier albums in a more guitar-based arrangement.For me, the other highlights on this album are "Ready to go", which is actually kind of - dare I say it - peppy, and the title track, an ambient-flavored instrumental.Though another remix album would follow Gentle & Elegance, the group chose to combine remixes with the new songs: remixes of three of the eight new tracks are also included. All are superfluous, and their placement is unfortunate. Rather than put them at the end, the remixes immediately follow the original versions, thereby interrupting the natural flow of things. Still, that's what your CD's programming function is for.Equally unfortunate is that, not counting a sequel to Never Mind The Distortion, Gentle & Elegance may turn out to have been Nav Katze's swan song. Their official site has not been updated since 1997, and their listing on the Victor Entertainment site has disappeared. If you are at all interested, I suggest getting this before it goes out of print..."