Jakob Wins 2015 Taite Prize for the Album "Sines"

Jakob Wins 2015 Taite Prize for the Album "Sines"

New Zealand’s prog-rock heroes JAKOB have bounced back from years of injuries and interruptions with 2014’s powerhouse record Sines, which last night at the Galatos Live in Auckland was recognised by New Zealand critics as recipient of the 2015 Taite Prize. The Taite Music Prize’s purpose is to recognise outstanding creativity on a New Zealand album, as voted by members of IMNZ and judged by a select panel. The band’s received a cash prize of $10,000 in recognition of their talent.

After receiving the award, Jakob band member Jeff Boyle said, "We are honoured and completely blown away with this award. Congratulations to all the other finalists, we are so lucky to be surrounded by such awesome music in New Zealand."

Those familiar with the sound of Jakob will agree that they are in fact New Zealand’s most formidable sonic instrumental three-piece. The winning album is a vigorous and rewarding listen echoing the scope and grit of the Hawke’s Bay’s expansive landscapes. Each member of the tripartite Jakob equation a crucial part of the overall sound. Jeff Boyle’s guitar work commands massive attention with deft spiralling and formidable walls of distortion, Maurice Beckett’s bass is equal parts rhythmic and melodic, surging and pulling back like a riptide; Jason Johnston’s drums respond in kind with cloudy, ambient thunderstorms and clean, careful beats.

While Iconic bands like Mogwai, Sonic Youth, Sigur Ros and ISIS are considered Jakob’s artistic contemporaries, the band have have long since earned their own renown around the globe as a unique sonic entity. Having toured the world with the likes of Isis, Tool, Cog and Damo Suzuki, the band’s live show and sophisticated recorded output has progressed steadily over the years.

Following a string of album release shows in late 2014 and an acclaimed performance at 2015’s Laneway Auckland, Jakob are playing one final New Zealand show before jetting to the UK/Europe for club dates before performing at Dunk Festival in Belgium.

This Saturday 18 April at Auckland’s King’s Arms may be the last chance to catch Jakob perform their award-winning album on a local stage for quite some time.

ENDS

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