JBK or Jansen Barbieri Karn, is the name by which former

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

and Rain Tree Crow band members

Steve Jansen Steve Jansen (born Stephen Ian Batt, born 1 December 1959) is an English musician, composer and record producer. Biography Jansen was a founding member of the band Japan (band), Japan, along with his brother David Sylvian (vocals, guitars and ...

Richard Barbieri Richard Barbieri (born 30 November 1957) is an English musician, composer and sound designer. Originally a member of new wave band Japan (and their brief 1989–1991 reincarnation as Rain Tree Crow), he became the keyboard player in the prog ...

and

Mick Karn Andonis Michaelides (Greek: Αντώνης Μιχαηλίδης; 24 July 1958 – 4 January 2011), better known as Mick Karn, was a British musician who rose to fame as the bassist for the art rock/ new wave band Japan. His distinctive fretles ...

recorded several albums of music, all released by their own

Medium Productions Japan were an English new wave band formed in 1974 in Catford, South London by David Sylvian (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steve Jansen (drums) and Mick Karn (bass guitar), joined the following year by Richard Barbieri (keyboards) and Rob Dean ...

label, between 1993 and 2001. After the band project Rain Tree Crow was disbanded in 1991, the remaining three members decided to create a recording label so they could continue to creatively collaborate as well with other artists, without any pressure from record companies. Also without a principal songwriter, like

David Sylvian David Sylvian (born David Alan Batt; 23 February 1958) is an English musician, singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the late 1970s as frontman and principal songwriter of the band Japan (band), Japan. During his time in Japan, Sylvia ...

, they had the freedom to express their ideas and experiment. The band's music style was an experimental, ambient, progressive art rock with influence of electronic music. In their studio and live recordings JBK also collaborated with

Porcupine Tree Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...

frontman

Steven Wilson Steven John Wilson (born 3 November 1967) is an English musician. He is the founder, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter of the rock band Porcupine Tree, as well as being a member of several other bands, including Blackfield, Storm Corrosi ...

, fellow ex-Japan member

Rob Dean Rob Dean (born 23 April 1955) is a British musician turned professional illustrator, who rose to prominence playing lead guitar as a member of the English New wave music, new wave band Japan (band), Japan from 1975 to 1981. Biography He is fr ...

, guitarists

Aziz Ibrahim Aziz Ibrahim (born 19 March 1964) is a British guitarist. He was born in Longsight, Manchester to Pakistani parents on 19 March 1964. He is best known for his work as guitarist with Simply Red, The Stone Roses (post- John Squire) and their fo ...

David Torn David M. Torn (born May 26, 1953) is an American guitarist, composer, and producer. He is known for combining electronic and acoustic instruments and for his use of looping. Background Torn has contributed to recordings by artists as diverse ...

Sugizo , born and better known by his stage name Sugizo, is a Japanese musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist and violinist of the Rock music, rock band Luna Sea since 1989. Sugizo started his solo ...

Masami Tsuchiya Masami Tsuchiya may refer to: * Masami Tsuchiya (Aum Shinrikyo) (1965–2018), member of the Aum Shinrikyo movement *Masami Tsuchiya (singer) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. He rose to prominence in the late 1970 ...

, saxophonist

Theo Travis Theo Travis (born 7 July 1964) is a British saxophonist, flautist and composer. He is a member of Soft Machine which he joined in 2006 while the group was still using the "Legacy" suffix and was a member of Gong from 1999 to 2010. Biography Tra ...

, and vocalists Zoe Niblett, Robby Aceto among others.

Discography

; Studio album: *1993 – ''Beginning to Melt'' (Medium Productions) *1999 – ''_Ism'' (Medium) ; EPs: *1994 – ''Seed'' (Medium) *2016 – ''Breakable Moons (Session Outtakes)'' ;Live album *2001 – ''Playing in a Room with People'' (Medium) ; Compilation album: * 1999 – ''Medium Label Sampler'' (Medium)

References

External links

JBK's Bandcamp
{{Authority control Art rock musical groups British experimental rock groups British electronic music groups British ambient music groups