After the successful 'Super-Sonic Jazz Family Vol. 1', compilation in 2019 by the Amsterdam-based festival and platform Super-Sonic Jazz - the label is back with a follow-up. More than 150 artists responded to the open call, which resulted in a compilation album with 31 songs. In the coming weeks, small digital batches will be released, building up to the official vinyl release in Rush Hour during the festival in November. In this series of articles, we will highlight multiple tracks and tell you all you need to know about some of the members of the Super-Sonic Family. After introducing Misto Kay, Y.O.P.E., Mo Wrights and Hatoon, we asked RADIOHOP some questions to answer as a band and as individual musicians.
RADIOHOP
Pictures by Tijmen de Nooy (@tdn_fotografie)
As a band, what does RADIOHOP and its music stand for?
We stand for exploring different sounds and personal connections through our music. We always look to push the quality of both our live and recorded songs, finding the right blend of emotions and musical complexity that an audience can relate to and enjoy listening to. Whilst performing, we hope to take you on a journey with our sound and share with you our personalities and friendship.
How did your participation and the song for the SSJ Fam Vol 2. Record come to be?
We met each other right in the midst of COVID-19 in October 2020. We were starting our studies and we all wanted to find other people to connect with and share our love for specific kinds of music. We found each other and immediately clicked, jamming and quickly beginning to try out our own ideas and write songs. The song 'June Hill' came from our key player Joshua Lutz. He initially composed and produced a short version of the song, then brought it to a rehearsal for us to play and bring to life. We’ve played it at quite a few live shows, but at the SSJ x Steppin’ into Tomorrow event at Tolhuistuin last December, we performed it, and KC the Funkaholic loved that song in particular, so we decided to send it in for the compilation.
I asked all individual members of RADIOHOP what they stand for as an artist and what their influences are. Secondly, I asked them what their thoughts are on the Dutch jazz scene.
Euan Jenkins - Drums
I stand for the music first, always. Before all the social media, marketing, streams, looks, and fame, the music must come first. It is the essence of what we are creating and is our personal creative expression, with which I strive to share my love and feelings, whilst connecting and playing with others. There is so much great music out there and so many influences, which means challenging and critiquing yourself in order to produce the best you can in the moment. Music is always a journey and you’ll never feel like this is it, this is finally perfect, but that’s the thing that keeps me inspired every day.
As I’ve only been in the Dutch scene for 4 years now, I still feel quite new to it. As a newcomer, it can feel more challenging than for people who have lived in the Netherlands their whole life and have been able to build their community and recognition in that community for longer, whether it be friends or family, and therefore their music more easily reaches a larger national audience. The SSJ compilation really tries to showcase all of the current talent in the country, whether they are originally Dutch or not. This allows audiences to discover the different sounds out there. Still, for me most importantly, it allows other musicians to notice their peers and in turn allows us all to support and push each other, creating a larger community with people from all cultures and backgrounds.
Joshua Lutz - Keys
Playing my instrument is my form of expressing myself. Through playing, I can create a replication of the world of impressions in my head. This process happens so quickly that it almost doesn’t leave any space for overthinking, creating a pureness of character that I love feeling and seeing when watching other musicians. I am inspired by and addicted to the zone, also called the tunnel of flow, that you chase as a musician on stage or when creating on the spot. It’s the thing that makes you forget everything else for a moment. I was always influenced by people going for their completely own thing. Digging as deep as you can to find something unique. That can be in terms of sound, composition, or other things. This sort of artistry shows intense commitment and ambition that pushes me to follow my own path and find my own sound.
I love how SSJ creates a scene for our new uprising jazz culture. SSJ is definitely one of those platforms where I love digging for new artists and checking out their music. The Dutch scene is so diverse and has so many talents in all kinds of genres that are all somehow jazz-related but are also rooted in rhythm, groove and soul. I see myself as part of that scene and I am super happy to see that it is getting pushed to an audience through SSJ.
Joel F Svedberg - Bass
I’d like to think that I as an artist/musician stand for width in genre and sound. In my opinion, while the bass is a foundation instrument, it’s also relative to the musical situation, and I try to honor that to the best of my capabilities.
It is very inspirational and necessary for the current modern jazz scene! It’s always strange to me how easy it is to miss great bands and artists in this scene when you’re actively looking for acts. This to me is where SSJ records are playing an important role in the current scene!
Johnny Biner - Guitar
Music has always been my big love, some kind of love reached me through music from many artists and I feel by receiving it lots, I also have to give it back. It’s about spreading good energies and making people forget what bothers them for a minute.
I think the Dutch music scene has incredible and lots of hidden talent and is ready for the international map and audience easily. I’m not sure, but maybe it lacks infrastructure a bit in this musical movement in terms of venues, and I hope this will grow along with it. SSJ is making a great step in pushing the scene with these releases and making sure we’re seen as a community, also publicly. I also hope for more international recognition, but I think it’s getting there.
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