Music Review: Jana Kyomoon @ Nancy Blake's Pub

Written by Enniv Zarf
Second Life Live Music Review
Jana Kyomoon Website
Nancy Blake's Pub SLURL

On any given Saturday and Sunday afternoon, in any single music groups, we can easily get 6 to 8 different postings of concert events all around SL of a huge variety of music. Honestly how do we even pick which ones we want to attend and give our one hour of free time and a few extra lindens to.

Well I always say to try something that's different and never heard before. After all we are in Second Life. If we won't even give new music and alternative styles a chance here when it's just one click away, when in the world will we ever give it a chance in our real lives when we have to drive or buy or what not!

So I picked out the post that described the music of the artist with words such as "mix of rhythmic reflections, ambient synths and pianos." Now that's different, and Jana Kyomoon is not just different musically, even her poster and her look is unique in her own way.

I certainly won't claim myself to be a big fan of synth music being classically trained and all, especially when we think synths we think techno. But Jana Kyomoon (RL: Jan Pulsford) who is a veteran electronic musician is different and rather soothing and pleasant to enjoy.

Her mixture of synths and rhythmic loops are light and elegantly balanced. She keeps it simple with an evolving style of additions by layering textures on to one another, and to complimentary effects.

Looking at her set up in SL, she wears a purple shirt with purple hair. Her poster behind her and the panel she's standing on is also purple and neon blue. Next to her synth is a tip jar that's a red pillar with a moving dove texture on it. Which then make me sorta wish that the entire place was set up with this feeling and look to really add to the ambient sound and to create a total environment.

I am not however looking for the club environment, but more of a high art but hip style, something almost along the line of an Andy Warhol Pop Art style room and atmosphere to really create a full and complete effect, now that would be fascinating. Basically Nancy Blake's Pub, an Irish pub style build is just not really a place for this kind of music even though I respect that the pub is hosting new varieties of music. Nancy Blake's Pub, don't stop hosting Jana, I'm just saying it would be even more interesting with a different atmosphere, but I support what you are all doing!

Another thing I do want to mention is that the Nancy Blake's Pub is a supporter of the RL charity Project Children, so check them out here if you got a moment! Second LIfe is great for that.

Well back to Jana. I basically enjoyed all of her synth playing, but I'm not particularly fond of her solo melodious piano styling. But I am probably a little jaded in my own bias since I am very picky about my piano music being a pianist myself. The problem I really have with it is that although it was simple, but I thought it was lacking a bit in the techniques and so that really distracted from the performance of it. Whereas all her other electronic ambient music with loops I suppose are so much better performed.

Well I would definitely though recommend Jana to anyone who wants to get away from songs and just have some non-intrusive music on while they are working on something else. She doesn't talk too much, and her voice is not intrusive at all so it's just perfect for me even as I am writing this review.

But I can't stay the whole hour, I gotta catch another concert and give that a good review too!