Part 2

Jazz has always had an interesting relationship between honoring its roots and exploring the unknown. What does the balance between these two poles look like in your music?

For me, the balance between honoring jazz’s roots and exploring the unknown is about weaving tradition into innovation.

Jazz’s foundation — its raw emotion, improvisational spirit, and ability to tell stories without words — is something I deeply respect and draw upon. Artists like John Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders inspire me with their ability to channel profound spirituality through their music, while contemporary voices like Shabaka Hutchings, Floating Points, and Nils Frahm remind me that jazz is also about pushing boundaries and reimagining the genre in unexpected ways.



In my music, I aim to honor these roots by embracing the emotional depth and interplay that are so central to jazz. At the same time, I strive to explore new territories by integrating modern production techniques and electronic elements.

This fusion allows me to reframe traditional jazz ideas in a way that feels fresh and reflective of my own artistic voice.

What are currently directions in jazz or jazz-adjacent communities which you personally find interesting?

I'm particularly captivated by the innovative directions emerging from labels like Gondwana Records. Their roster, featuring artists such as Hania Rani, Matthew Halsall, and Portico Quartet, exemplifies a seamless fusion of jazz with contemporary elements, creating a sound that's both rooted in tradition and refreshingly modern.



[Read our Matthew Halsall interview]
[Read our Hania Rani interview]
[Read our Portico Quartet interview]

This blend of genres resonates deeply with me, as it aligns with my own artistic vision of honoring jazz's rich heritage while exploring new sonic landscapes. The emphasis on emotional depth and minimalism in their productions is particularly inspiring, offering a contemplative and immersive listening experience.

Additionally, the broader jazz community's embrace of cross-genre collaborations and the incorporation of electronic textures into acoustic frameworks are trends I find compelling. These explorations are expanding the boundaries of jazz, making it more accessible and relevant to diverse audiences today. Those are the directions I find most interesting.

How, would you say are your live performances and your recording projects connected at the moment? How do they mutually influence and feed off each other?  

My live performances and recording projects are tightly connected, even though I’m currently focused on DJing. In my sets, I love pushing boundaries — playing tracks and genres that aren’t typically suited for a club but somehow work in the moment. It’s about creating unexpected connections and experiences that resonate.

This approach influences my recording projects, where I dive deeper into storytelling and emotion. My DJing teaches me how people respond to music in real-time, while my recordings fuel the energy and ideas I bring to my sets.

Both feed off each other and for me, it’s all about breaking genre walls and creating something meaningful.

There are various models to support jazz artists, from financial help to mentorships/masterclasses. Which of these feel like the best way forward to you?

For me, mentorships and masterclasses are the way forward. I firmly believe that while you can lose everything else, your knowledge is something no one can take away. Passing on that knowledge, teaching others and empowering them to build their own paths to success is what I think is more important.

Jazz, at its core, is about sharing and learning, and mentorship creates a direct, human connection to that tradition. It’s not just about teaching technical skills but also about passing on the mindset, creativity, and resilience needed to thrive as an artist.

Masterclasses, similarly, are a way to inspire and equip people with tools to express themselves authentically and grow within the art form. For me it is a sustainable way to give back and empower others.

Are there approaches, artists, festivals, labels, spaces or anyone/-thing else out there who you feel deserve a shout out for taking jazz into the future?

There are so many artists, labels, and spaces doing incredible work to push jazz into the future. Gondwana Records deserves a huge shoutout—they’ve created a space for artists like Matthew Halsall, Hania Rani, Portico Quartet, and Mammal Hands to innovate and blend jazz with contemporary sounds in such a fresh way.

[Read our Sunda Arc interview, a duo comprising 2/3 of Mammal Hands]

I’m also inspired by Floating Points, whose collaboration with Pharaoh Sanders on Promises is a stunning example of how jazz can seamlessly evolve through collaborations and new mediums.+



Luaka Bop is another label worth mentioning—they’ve brought projects like Promises to life and continue to amplify boundary-pushing music. Then there are spaces like Ojas Listening Rooms, which focus on immersive, high-fidelity audio experiences, offering a unique way to connect with music on a deeper level.

These are just a few examples of people and places taking jazz into exciting new territories while honoring its roots. It’s inspiring to see how they’re not only evolving the genre but also creating communities and experiences that keep jazz vibrant and forward-thinking.

The Montreux Festival intends to preserve its archive of recordings for future generations. Do you personally feel it's important that everything should remain available forever - or is there something to be said for letting beautiful moments pass and linger in the memories of those that experienced them?

Yes, I think it’s incredibly important to preserve these moments for future generations.

I hope my music outlives me, just as I’ve discovered records from artists who came before my time that have deeply moved me. There’s something magical about connecting with music from the past—it carries emotions, stories, and history that transcend time.

While there’s beauty in fleeting live experiences, having a lasting archive allows those moments to continue inspiring and touching people long after they’ve passed. That’s the legacy I strive to leave behind with my music.