By Mark Derricutt

Artist: Jakob

Date / Venue: Saturday March 19th, 2016 - Kings Arms, Auckland

I can still remember the time I discovered Jakob, it was shortly after the debut album Subset of Sets was released in 2002 -  a friend knew I was lover of unconventional music and also originally from the Bay so gave me a Christmas present that would make me a lifelong fan.

Since then, everytime I see them live I recall memories of old friends, new friends, good times, bad times, melancholy and euphoria - I blame this on the instrumental nature of the band's music, without a vocal line or lyric to tie me to the band's own vision of the songs I'm left to my over thinking mind to fill the void left between the gaps in the landscape of music laid out before me.

Opening up the evening was Auckland psychedelic riff heavy act sere, a four piece act straddling the genres of drone and trippy stoner rock - minimalistic yet heavy tunes delivered with an intensity that kept you wondering where each moment was about to turn - this is definitely a band to keep an eye on if your tastes bend in that direction.

I'd love to write more about the actual performance of Jakob; but like a well oiled machine they delivered just like every other time I've seen them live, however don't let that lead you into thinking it was a disappointing show, or a show not worth seeing - whilst the band deliver a faithful rendition of their recorded offerings the live show is that and much more - a sonic wall of musical emotion and intensity that drives over the audience - lifting them out from whatever or wherever they just were to another place (the aforementioned zoning out of thoughts and memories).

The only downside to this is I find the show itself falling into a hazy memory like a dream that lingers from sleep throughout the day - vivid and yet blurred, important somehow and yet trivial in the grand scheme of things - it's gigs like this that I also find to be magical, the continue on far beyond the physical performance and become memories of their own to recall.