"My goal with each song is to have a signature producer element. It’s my version of a guitar solo."
“I am excited to see boundaries becoming increasingly blurry.“
“I aim to project and propel the tradition. It's a lifelong pursuit.“
"A singer is a messenger. Your only goal is to make sure the message gets through."
“Drum brands mean nothing to me. But the quality of the sounds determines everything.”
"The ability to customize, experiment, and constantly push the boundaries of sound is what keeps me inspired."
"Creation is hope in this physical world. For me, there is no option for survival without it!"
“The control and precision you have in software and the endless possibilities with automation – they fuel my creativity.“
"Speaking and singing out is what we use to connect with each other. We should all respect this kind of power."
"I like to dig deeper into my own practice and find undiscovered territories."
"I use a lot of imagery to create situations that can be understood differently depending on what the listener wants to hear."
"I really dislike fundamentalists who judge artists for wanting to experiment with different genres."
“There are many ways of defining what improvisation is. I don't think one definition is enough for me.“
“I look at singing as if it was working out: I just make sure to get my reps in.“
“I’m drawn to the tiny sounds that get lost in everyday life. It’s like each one carries a bit of someone’s story or life.“
"The guitar, the studio—they’re tools to unlock something beautiful."
"I was interested in the parallels of making music and making pots."
"In the Zulu culture we sing no matter what. Weddings, funerals, whether we are mourning or celebrating - we sing."
"To some, if you can’t play a standard, you’re not in the club.“
"Making music often feels like an archeological process."
“It might be a really bad idea. But I take every song we make very personally.”
“Jazz is both about group communication and cultivating one’s unique individuality. That seems like a good philosophy for life.“
"No instrument can express who we truly are as authentically as the human voice."
“Groove doesn’t come when you’re consciously trying to create it. It appears when you let go.“
“I have the ability to calm my music down. But for this album I chose not to.”
“Modern jazz is no longer confined to a genre. It embodies a creative spirit where experimentation is key.“
"I'm a kind of dreamer. I don’t like to express myself concretely and clearly all the time."
The Montreux Jazz Residency believes that personal encounters are more important than masterclasses.
“I don’t discard ideas. I revisit them years later with more appreciation and knowledge.“
"People would communicate and understand each other more if we listened. But that’s not humans' first reaction."
“I don’t seek validation from purists. What excites me is the freedom to experiment and innovate.“
"You could call my entire process a preset."
"I am seeking the ability to transition from music to visual art and vice versa without pause or need to recalibrate."
"People talk about sound neutrality. But it doesn’t really exist."
"I’ve encountered profound bodily experiences through music. It’s a complex and undefined realm that goes beyond description."
"Music has a way into our body and into our hearts that words will never have."
"Music is a gift that allows us to distill our emotions into sound. I need to use it daily."
"I’m a fan of speaking the truth. One should never be afraid of trying and sharing ideas and thoughts."
"Most artists don't want to say anything. They just think: fuck, I need three more lyrics for our new songs."
"Electronic music has a kind of pull. It pulls the mind into different places."
"The tone of the collaboration is what's most important, rather than the exact model."
"Some words fight the song. It's like the furniture won't fit through the door and you have to shave off a corner."
"I'm all about the actual performance. I want to know that the music is real."
"If music has a certain amount of noise in it, I like listening to it more."
"Disco has its own depth—whether it’s the production, how it brings people together, or how it reflects the culture of its time."
"Technology can become a supermarket. It gives you music made by statistics and formulas."
"The sound of frying in a pan is beautiful in my ears, It can be very diverse and dynamic."
"We tune out the drone and humdrum of everyday life. But the sounds are still there."
"The key to improvisation is to release yourself. And when you've been released—who knows what’s gonna come out?"
For Thanasis Kleopas and Theodoros Koumartzis, the Lyre connects science with art – allowing the heart to come to the fore.
"There’s a moment of stillness after a release. You’ve given so much of yourself to something, and now it’s out there on its own."
"Making Art for Art's sake is becoming less important than building bridges."
"We launched our label, and one of the biggest clubs in Paris agreed to give us the keys to the club once every two months. We couldn’t believe it."
"My voice is an essential part of how I express myself and connect with others."
"I'm not sure there are rules for sound design. I'm also not sure there are rules for harmony."
"I do not regard my music to be an expression of emotions or feelings - but as an expression of musical ideas and of the unfolding of time."
"The voice manifests the body. The life pulse. The blood and the spirit. The here and now."
"We’re absurdly lucky to be here. So why do we flirt continually with the end?"
"It's not exciting to do what you can. It's exciting to do what you can't."
"Sometimes it feels like walking into a pub. Other times like stepping into a church."
"Listening means paying close attention. Hearing is more of a passive action. I feel some people mistake the two."
"Children in schools are told to keep quiet most of the day. From a healthy voice point of view this is not helpful."
"Sound comes at us from everywhere. In each unraveling instant, we rummage through that pile instinctively, we focus and we discern."
"All my collaborations are first and foremost human adventures."
"It takes incredible calm to feel comfortable making art about happiness."
"I'm not from a DJ background. I wonder how much this album will serve the dance music purpose."
"When performing, I always lead myself into “trouble” at least once."
"Giving yourself limitations is a great way to be creative. It pushes you to dig deeper."
“When a group of people listen and search together, it creates that fluid place.”
"It can get intense. But everyone is striving for the best possible outcome."
"When I make my sounds, I always remember that they should take me to experiencing truth."
"We are constantly searching for ways to make a better world through questioning ourselves, our fellow humans and the things we build and destroy."
"Hong Kong's discotheques in the 70s and 80s were the epitome of desire."
“I do not find it useful to record many versions of the same thing. It makes me lose interest in what I’m doing.”
“Once the music is out in the world, you have to let it be and live its own life.”
"Everyone knows that I don’t really do edits. It puts all musicians in a different mindset."
"I don't see the point of making music if it doesn't leave a mark."
"Connecting with tradition, but also forging your own path - it's a beautiful balance."
"My spine has twisted around my saxophone. I’ve literally grown together with it."
“The humanization of electronic music separates basic from advanced artists.”
“I myself might not even understand what a work is about. Therefore I can't expect others to do any better.”
"I have a lot of respect for machines and the sounds around us. I try to use them with my heart."
"We wrote a tune in a water tower with a 20 second reverb. Unfortunately, we can’t play it anywhere else."
"The ideal setting for the lyrics of my new album? A music that disappears."
"No one chooses to look how they’re born. But what they have to say and believe is their choice."
“Prince and Stevie Wonder were constantly creating. Doing it will make you better."
"At some point, equipment stops being inspiring and becomes a limitation."
“I could never lie to myself. I want to create with sincerity and honesty in my heart."
"Belgian disco has always been a bit surrealist. It is made with the Belgian humor touch."
"It’s really important to be curious about different sound languages to explore our own, and the common soul."
"The lines between inventing and inventively re-arranging are blurry."
"Electronic music is escapism, it’s a dream, it’s fantasy, it’s the unknown."
"It’s not necessarily about fun, but about creating something meaningful."
The Cosmic Vastness of the Inner World: A Deep Dive into the Work of Sound Artist Caterina Barbieri.
“The main part of the ritual is the deadline."
"On the Caribbean coast, if a neighbor plays loud music, sometimes that's viewed as a gift to other people."
For The Harpoonist, the Harmonica's reeds allow it to soar into the heavens.
"We produce most of our music in a grim, windowless, and slightly smelly rehearsal room. We find it very conducive to work."
"There are certain things I can’t express properly if I don’t sing them."
“People sometimes see this band as a novelty act. But this is the music we all love."
"Having plants as co-creators is a new development in my creativity."
"I’ve learned a lot from technically minded producers. But sometimes you just have to ask: Does this sound good?"
“It’s an artist’s responsibility to turn their ideas into things that can impact and make change.“
“Music isn’t language. That’s crucial to its fundamental cultural function."
For Ghenwa Nemnom, the Qanun is a complex instrument with a wide spectrum of tonalities and keys.
The Montreux Jazz Festival's archive is one of the music world's biggest treasures. It is also at the heart of a paradox.
Organs, Tunings, Leaf-Blowers: A Deep Dive into the Work of Composer Kali Malone
“Sometimes when you're recording, you ask yourself: Who is this? Is it really me!?"
"The trumpet is always with me. It’s in my bed right now, next to me."
"I love the sound of ice cubes moving in a big, solid whiskey glass."
“An EP is the musical Goldilocks; not too hot, not too cold. Just right."
“There's a song of mine that I've recorded four different versions of. I still don’t feel I've captured it."
"I find the rhytm of escalators quite interesting. Clack clack clack clack …"
“If I don’t bring my honest self to the table, it won’t make it."
"Every day you play a note, it's a totally different sound, a totally different universe."
“Singing is very physical. Music making is very physical. Just watch us and you'll see the sweat!”
“Writing a song is a journey of many steps."
“An idea waits for me, almost in a patient way, to be discovered."
"We always try to start from a place of simplicity."
"The idea of control within music always felt kind of counterintuitive."
"I see circles between words and music. Sometimes parallel, often intertwined."
“My process is too unpredictable for me to have any structure or routine that would help me."
"Jazz means freedom, self expression. It’s all about the imperfections, not about being perfect."
"The sound of the melting Morteratsch Glacier deeply moved me. There is so much history in every drop."
"Your personal limitations are your identity, not the gear or instruments."
"I really like the noise when our dogs eat their crunchy food. It is soothing in a way."
"Usually, what seems like a mistake, makes sense in the end. When it doesn’t – I’m in trouble."
"Human recommendations are central to the music discovery experience."
"Electronic music can possess a specific kind of nostalgia. It feels like an open door to write something new."
"We do not choose to be surrounded by sound. We already live inside it. It is our ocean."
"Sometimes, technology is seen as a new God. That’s a dangerous path to follow."
“I want to shine a light on things that nobody wants to look at."
"Jazz is a culture, with deep social and political relevance. When these aspects are considered, the jazz aesthetic becomes more open and inclusive."
"All I really long for in a singer is truthfulness. If I don't believe them, it’s pointless."
"Every song you’ve ever heard was created by a little orchestra inside your brain."
"Some chords are always true, no matter what the lyrics say."
"Are we perfectionist? Yes. Do we explore different options? Yes."
"Being from Detroit helps me understand this oversaturated music market - because we were the first to do it."
"I don’t think anything will compare to being in the same room with humans making music."
"There’s never a starting or stopping … it’s a never ending process."
"Music feels like freedom. Improvisation feels like free falling."
"The term jazz is losing more meaning by the second."
"There are so many exciting stories that have not yet been told."
"Every city has its own vibe. Berlin feels very raw and fresh."
"The cyber world is trying to catch up with what has always been there in Africa since ancient Kemetic civilisations."
"Recording this album was a liberating journey - akin to exposure therapy for a habitual worrier like myself."
"Being able to experiment with my voice without a microphone has been really interesting."
"I want collaborators to have complete musical freedom. Too many words in advance can destroy that."
"I’ve had 40% of my tongue removed. I’ve had to learn to sing a different way."
"Misunderstanding is one of human beings’ most profound features."
"I seek to master the breath that brings me freedom in my singing."
"Singing has always been a mystery for me. It still is!"
"In the best moments, I am really transported somewhere else."
"Sounds will always carry a watermark of the place they came from or the creature who made them."
"The trick is to let yourself be led astray in the right places."
"The process of knowing oneself is related to the process of growing as a musician."
"Reading makes me want to write. Strong writers make me want to be a better writer. There’s not one without the other."
"Writing songs is like chipping away at stone to find what’s underneath. As if it’s just waiting there."
"I collaborate almost exclusively with enthusiastic specialists. They don’t need to care about time and money."
"In electronic music, we are gods creating our own universe. It's total freedom."
“We need to express who we are to each other. Music does a good job of that.“
"Sometimes it's a little limiting to just work with your own voice."
"People crave human connection even more in this age of hyper-connectivity. I want to make sure I’m always present in my work."
"I’m always disappointed when a record isn’t just two side-long instrumental pieces."
“Jean D’Arc armed herself to fulfil her mission. Sometimes music feels that way.”
Dexter+Franz about a reel to reel tape deck with a monumental impact on workflow.
"The purpose of being an artist is to show what's inside you. But it's always good not to get stuck there."
“As a woman in a male-dominated musical genre, I have been isolated and patronised from a young age.“
"To live life is to collaborate."
"I call it the buzz: Frequencies that touch us, remind us of home, or a lover, the ocean, a feeling of bliss."
"We should pay more attention—no matter the sense, no matter the tool, no matter the method."
“The process of showing up fully to whatever it is, and bringing it all to that moment, creates something.“
"Turning to improvisation for me was a process of decolonizing myself."
“An evening of YouTube can really push forward something buried within you.“
"The word ‘music’ derives from an ancient word for “magic”. Music is magic."
"There is nothing more uplifting than the sound of a loved one quietly snoring whilst you are awake reading."
"I am in dialogue with all living things in some shape or form."
"The idea was to invite a group of friends and retreat to this desert house for two weeks. In the end, Franz was the only one to commit."
"The performance doesn’t really matter for me. I don’t even know how to perform most of the parts."
“Not taking a stand against what’s happening in the world is convenient.“
"I think we should teach self sufficiency in schools. Not how to sell yourself on Tik Tok."
"There is no ‘fix’ or ‘update’ for the legacies in these technologies."
"The music follows its own course. We don’t try to divert it."
“I can’t stand going through manuals to learn about how things work. I just start twisting knobs.”
"There are many times during an improvisational situation where you are not searching for anything … it is just happening."
“I can do many other things than music. But it is what I get the most life from.“
"Bands like Radiohead or Phoenix seem to have a good internal balance of friendship, ideas, hard work and method. We like that."
"When you’ve got that student mentality, the discovery never ends."
"I don't try to be different as a drummer. But I don't stop it either."
"We could never recreate this again."
"My singing has improved since I started learning to tap my feet while singing."
"Many artworks labelled as "plant music" are problematic because they emphasise the processing and not the plants' sensibility to sound."
"I can't say for certain. But we probably didn't get everything wrong."
"We think we’re controlling the process. But the result confirms that we’re really not."
"If you had told a Renaissance artist they were original they would’ve thought it was insulting."
"There are still so many great songs out there. I want to go grab one of them before someone else takes it."
"I totally have misophonia. But no worries, I’ve found a support group online."
"Fuck what the people want! Our music isn’t supposed to be comfortable."
"You can't replicate human creativity that easily with artificial means."
"Songwriting, to me, is just letting yourself be led in new directions."
"Groove, Swing and rhythmic feel? To me they’re just concepts. Made up belief systems."