Sean Steinfeger w/ Jazzbois, eine elektrisierende Live-Band der aufstrebenden Budapester Jazz-, Hip-Hop- und Improvisationsszene.
You are based in Budapest. Were you all born there and what do you love about this city that makes you wanna live there instead of moving somewhere else?
We were all born here yes, although myself I’ve lived abroad in Sydney, Cape Town, Lagos when I was younger through my parent’s jobs, I consider myself to have lived abroad and experienced other cultures but for some reason I feel I am drawn here no matter what. There’s a lot of inspiration and emotion to take from here, negatives just as the positives and thats important in our music I think, especially the emotions, the frustrations and then the joys too.
If I wanna go to Budapest and dive deep into the city‘s culture and music scene, where should I need to go (venues/clubs, events, museums/exhibitions)?
Imma just list a few things: A38 ship concerts, Manyi a cool club on the Buda side, Pontoon in the summer! Lake Balaton or Nagymaros, Szentendre, Verőce. Beautiful things.
What was your first approach into music? Was it a certain concert, album or music video that set the spark within you?
I can still recall that strong memory of seeing my friends brother pick up a stratocaster in his living room and casually play the chords of Wild Thing and it was love at first sight for me with the guitar, from that day on, that was when I was 11.
Also my first concert, Springbok Nude Girls in Cape Town South Africa when I was 10-11, if you know you know:)
At what age did you start playing your instruments and what was the main motivation for each of you to choose this particular instrument?
same as above:)
How did you guys met and when you decide forming a trio?
We met through jams and bands and we kind of glued together with this formation, the real first milestone that kinda solified everything was Goes Blunt 1 though for sure.
Tell us a bit how and when you got into hiphop culture. Can you agree on some albums that had the same profound impact on you?
Oh Madlib and Dilla, I was a huge madlib fan and I still am, I fell in love with stones throw in the early 2000s, when I heard Sparkdala, then Quasimoto, Lootpack, Madlib, big big inspiration. For me though if I’ld have to highlight some pivotal big loves musically id say, Q-tip ‘Lets Ride’ 12” single, Black Sunday album by Cypress Hill, Beastie Boys – Ill Communication, Quasimoto – The Unseen.
How did you got into jazz music and which artists and albums sparked your fascination to dig deeper into this genre?
Madlib’s lyrics on ‘Jazz Cats’, man on that track he name drops some of the most insane jazz and jazz fusion references (Sun Ra, Jimmy Smith, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Gene Russell, Gary Bartz and so on) things he samples, I was fascinated by this and kind of started out searching for these artists on Soulseek back then, it wasn’t that easy to find music, so I was digging online basically via this filesharing program and I’ld search for these references, find a user, check out their music, find new things, it was literally an exploration. I found massive whole archived libraries from Blue Note, CTI, all super quality vinyl rips, it was insane. I sampled from these back then to make beats, but I was obviously also musically exploring and learning.
You are influenced by 70‘s jazz fusion. I know it’s hard but can you point out three albums that changed your approach in making music?
Azymuth – Herbie Hancock – Weather Report / Jaco albums
You have recorded and toured with saxophonist Dom Beats so far. Are there any musicians that you would love to collaborate with regardless of any budget?
Anyone who we truly understand each other with on a personal and a musical / taste level.
Until now you only worked with a vocalist once, on the 2020 EP „Mind Connect“ with rapper INQ. Are there any future plans for upcoming vocal collaborations or do you still wanna focus on instrumental music? If so which singers/rappers would change your mind in case they would approach you?
We’ve also worked with Kid Abstrakt he’s on one of our earliest tracks JASS, we’ve been thinking about and planning a kind of Jazzbois Around the World concept album, where we’ld collab w rappers from all around the globe who we’ve bumped with and had a pleasure of meeting in person or through internets. eg. Verbz, Capriisun, RxSolo, Kid Abstrakt, Unico, Slothbrite – would be amazing. But for now this just a plan on the table, hope we will have time to focus on this 1 soon.
Last summer you have played at SXSW and this year at the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival. Which gig announcement has exited you the most so far?
It’s always the latest one and the one coming up real soon is a pretty exciting one:))) but I’m not allowed to say yet.:) I’m really looking forward to our London Jazz Cafe headline show though and this whole EU tour in October. It’s gonna be an unprecedented trip.
What’s on your touring bucket list?
Argentina, Mexico, Brazil for suuuuure, Greece, States again especially Texas, New York. Montreal, too much to name.
You are probably surrounded by music a lot. What do you do outside of music to clear your head and recharge your batteries.
Billiard with the mates, cooking my moms recepies from my childhood, Theatre / Dance theatre gigs I’ve been getting to more and more lately, great to be inspired by other media of art, but also actively I try to get to gigs outside of Jazzbois ones of course, especially friends and other Budapest musicians’ gigs. To support and get inspired further of course.
You have mentioned that you are inspired by Domi and JD Beck, Kiefer and Nala Sinephro. What other contemporary artists will be on your playlist when you go on tour in October?
Too much to name of course but I’ld definately mention Telemakus, what he is doing with his crew is mind blowingly amazing, mvp that guy. Lot of Mk.Gee for me:)) Kaidi Tatham, Dominic J Marshall, Butcher Brown, ECHT! also I’ld mention a few from Budapest too: Abase (whose based in Berlin recently) SunMa, Sitmob, The Qualitons.
We literally have a playlist with constantly curated favourites:
What is your connection with Berlin and what do you already know from Club Gretchen?
Club Gretchen has hosted so many great bands and artists, crazy we’ve never made it there, but finally! We also have lots of good friends living there, for example Abase, who records and creates in Brewery Studios and also runs Oshu Records.
If you would have to spend an off day in Berlin while being on tour where would you like to go?
Probably to hang and record music w Szabi (Abase) the whole day 😀 or go and buy some second hand clothes around town 🙂
You coincidentally kick off your club tour in Berlin. What can the audience expect from your upcoming concert on 4th October at Gretchen?
We will be playing songs from the new album, Bencze is bringing his magical UDO synth for the whole ride so the sounds are definately going to be high def magical. We are also bringing our own sound king to mix all our shows in October, it’s always another level when we work with him. Smuggling crazy amounts of tour merch and vinyls with us too. We’re really looking forward to meet old and new faces likewise out there, the people is what I love the most about these shows, meeting people you’ld never meet otherwise and hearing their stories. Very inspiring, probably the most inspiring thing for me.
JAZZBOIS *live* im Gretchen: 04.10.2024. Alle Infos gibt es hier: JAZZBOIS – Magical Roadtrip 2024