[image]
[title]What in the world is a ‘jaggfuzzbeat’?
We know it’s 2017 and no one really listens to rock anymore, but if you’re into rock music you’d get the references in their name. Jaggfuzzbeats is a portmanteau of three elements that capture the band’s sound: ‘Jagg’ is short for the Fender Jaguar; ‘fuzz’ refers to the fuzz pedal effect that’s present in many of their songs; and ‘beats’ are the beats in their music. Simple as that.
Wait, rock music? It’s the 21st century, people are making music with computers now. They must be some old souls looking to resurrect rock.
First of all, they’re the furthest thing from old folks with guitars. Both of them – Azrul (guitarist and vocalist) and Omar (drummer) – are 22 years old and have been friends since school. Second, we get it; it’s the renaissance age for SoundCloud producers, and let’s not get started on the increasing number of EDM shows we’ve had in KL. But Jaggfuzzbeats aren’t bothered; they aren’t too fussed that most kids are making beats now instead of picking up instruments, nor are they worried about the reception they might get. All they think about is playing what they love. ‘Nothing beats playing a real instrument,’ says Omar. Their music is a throwback to the indie bands of the early 2000s. Think early Kings of Leon but with a more lo-fi production. 
Photo: Kamil Haziq
Well, they do sound cool. Do they have any releases yet?
They do, they have just released their debut album ‘Rest Now’ on Spotify and they’re planning to drop physical releases soon. Most of the album consist of songs that have been released on their SoundCloud. Out of the eight songs on the album, three of the tracks are new and unreleased. Don’t fret though, the songs have been remastered and they sound better than ever. The songs deal heavily with nostalgia – recounting relationships (‘Little Miss Sunshine’) and the fuzzy nights we’ve all had when we were younger (‘Wasted Night’).
Okay, I’ve listened to ‘Rest Now’ and I want to hear more. Can we expect more releases this year?
For now, they’re still in the early stages of their new release. They’re writing drafts and bouncing ideas for what their next release should sound like.
Wait, I just got hooked onto their sound and now they’re changing their style?
Well, not exactly. According to them, ‘Rest Now’ was a farewell album of sorts. No, they’re not going anywhere. They’re just moving on to newer things since some of the songs on their album were written years ago, some even back from when they were still in high school. ‘We just want to give our songs justice by releasing the EP and then move on to newer things,’ says Azrul. They’re not shedding their old sound either. While they’re unsure of what their new release would sound like, they assure us that it’s probably going to be a mixture of their signature sound and some new styles.
For more info visit facebook.com/jaggfuzzbeats.