>> Jazzanova
bio: It’s about the space “in between” and not about the known & static !
Sonar Kollektiv was founded in 1998 by Berlin's internationally renowned DJ and producer team JAZZANOVA. The intention was to create an independent record label and publisher connected to a worldwide independent distribution network.
With more then 200 catalogue releases over the few last years, among them well known artists like ÂME, DIXON, WAHOO, FORSS, MICATONE, CLARA HILL, GEORG LEVIN, NUSPIRIT HELSINKI, AZYMUTH, FAT FREDDYS DROP, BENNY SINGS, DOMU, DIMLITE, SLOPE, MOONSTARR, ROBAG WRUHME, EVA BE and of course JAZZANOVA themselves (their compilation The Remixes 1997 – 2000 sold more than 150.000 copies worldwide!). Sonar Kollektiv can claim to be one of the strongest and best-known German labels of our time, furthermore Sonar Kollektiv runs the two sublabels; Best 7 which is mainly devoted to dub sounds and Innervisions devoted to club and house. Additionally the label has established two very successful compilation series in the last years: Secret Love (part 3 scheduled for late 2006) and ….mixing (part one with JAZZANOVA sold more then 30.000 copies worldwide; part two is scheduled for 2006 with ÂME and part three scheduled for 2007 featuring GILLES PETERSON!)
Label heads JAZZANOVA are widely known as figure heads of a genre that used to be labelled NuJazz, but it can hardly be described by the limitations of words like “New” and “Jazz” today. Through their outstanding work as DJ’s, artists and producers they have become forerunners in the further development of this and many other genres. Helping to stretch its borders while gradually incorporating various influences ranging from dub to brazil, jazz to house; African music to downbeat and even techno to minimal electronic music. Their openness to all kinds of sounds and genres has helped them to be a part in some of the most important musical developments of the last decade. Influencing a broad range of well known international and national artists and creating a truly contemporary sound.
While establishing the Jazzanova universe through their numerous releases and their remix work for many well known artists such as MASTERS AT WORK, CALEXICO, COMMON, LENNY KRAVITZ, 4 HERO, INCOGNITO, URSULA RUCKER, TRÜBY TRIO, IAN POOLEY, MJ COLE, U.F.O. etc. JAZZANOVA have formed with their label Sonar Kollektiv a platform to help to further define their musical universe, illustrating the wide range of music they are dedicated to. Not styles and genres, but rather the relationship of those to each other is the driving force behind them and the label. With this in mind it’s logical that JAZZANOVA named their first album In Between back in 2002, since their focus is indeed the space “in between” and not the known or static. This space – the space between the genres, between acoustic and electronic, new and old, club and home – the hybrid – this is JAZZANOVA and this is Sonar Kollektiv !
As “in between” is one important source for the understanding of the labels work and output, “quality” is another. Since its early days Sonar Kollektiv releases feature music beyond the average commercial standards. All members of the Sonar Kollektiv family (you may as well say collective since this is the translation of “Kollektiv” and chosen as part of the name for a reason), all musicians, DJs, graphic designers, artists, friends and families involved in the projects try to protect the idea of quality in music, design, live presence and label work no matter which individual sound or style is featured. To keep this high standards Sonar Kollektiv always tries to progress with each new release. Many international renown artists, such as ATJAZZ, CAPITOL A, KING BRITT, VIKTER DUPLAIX, RECLOOSE, TIEFSCHWARZ, MAURICE FULTON, I-CUBE, MADLIB, HERBERT, BEANFIELD, BUGZ IN THE ATTIC, JAZZY JEFF, KOOP etc. have been attracted by this approach, leading to many collaborations with Sonar Kollektiv for productions and remixes over the recent years.
Through the associated booking agency Best Works (founded by well known Best 7 A&R Daniel W. Best) the label has established a constant live presence for its artists at all major international clubs, events and festivals. JAZZANOVA and the Sonar Kollektiv artists are regular guests at clubs like Liquid Room & Yellow Lounge (Tokyo), Fabric, The End & Ministry Of Sound (London), Nitsa & La Paloma (Barcelona), Batofar & Rex Club (Paris), Metro (Chicago), Cielo (New York), Paradiso (Amsterdam), Vega (Copenhagen), Zouk Club (Singapore), Club 5 (Washington), Lux (Lisbon) etc. And events & festivals like Detroit Electronic Music Festival (Detroit/USA), Montreaux Jazz Festival (F), Sonar (Barcelona), Amsterdam Dance Event (NL), Cochela (L.A./USA), 10 Days Off & Pukkelpop (B), Blue Note Festival (Genf/CH), North Sea Jazz Festival (Gent & Capetown), Tokyo Jazz Crossover Fest. Sonar Kollektiv and JAZZANOVA are also regular guests at many big UK festivals like Homelands, Southport Weekender, Big Chill, TDK (London). A network of residencies representing the Sonar Kollektiv sound all over the world is under construction with Berlin (once WMF now Bohannon & Weekend) and London (Jazz Cafe/Warm) already established and more cities to come.
Sonar Kollektiv artists & JAZZANOVA have been invited to feature on many well known radio shows, BBC Radio One shows like Gilles Peterson, Pete Tong, Essential Mix, Blue Room have all had JAZZANOVA / Sonar Kollektiv features, as have Kiss FM, XFM and other UK regional stations. Songs released on the Sonar Kollektiv label have also enjoyed regular plays and have been charted by radio-stations across the UK and worldwide.
Over the recent years the label and JAZZANOVA have been supported constantly by the music press with features and cover stories. International music magazines like Straight No Chaser, IDJ, DJ Mag, Mixmag, Face; Wire, Touch, Echoes, Clash, Flux, I.D, Dazed, Groove Magazine, XLR8R, Coda, Traxx (F & E) and the mainstream press like The Observer Music Monthly, The Independent, The Guardian, Time Out, Metro El Pais, Südeutsche Zeitung etc have covered the label. Sonar Kollektiv & JAZZANOVA titles have been licensed to well known Indies and all major companies (EMI,; Universal, WEA; Sony, BMG). They are featured on more than 450 compilations worldwide among them: Gilles Peterson Worldwide (Talking Loud / Mercury), Fabric 25 & 26 (Fabric), DK Kicks (K7!), Novatunes, St. Germain des trés Cŕfe to name a few. Titles have been featured on film and tv scores like Six Feet Under, CSI Miami, Nip/Tuck and many others. Recently JAZZANOVA released their second mix CD on the well known Jazz lable Blue Note named Blue Note Trip 2 - Jazzanova, sequel to the extremly sucessfull first part.
Upcoming releases on Sonar Kollektiv feature albums by well known artists like SOULPHICTION, ISOUL8 (aka VOLCOV), CLARA HILL, MARKUS ENOCHSON, HENRIK SCHWARZ (Remixing) , WAHOO (aka DIXON & GEORG LEVIN), CHARLES WEBSTER & ATZAZZ as VERSIONS and beloved EVA BE. Furthermore JAZZANOVA themselves will release an soundtrack for the musical Belle Et Fou and a compilation with Brazilian music accompanying this years soccer world championship named Paz E Futebol plus they are spearheading the launch of a new mix CD series named ...broad casting containing only Sonar Kollektiv exclusive tracks. Later this year the already very succesful mix CD series ....mixing (which is - oposite to ..broadcasting - not limited to exclusive tracks but has the broader approach featuring licensed tracks from other labels as well) will be continued with ÂME ...mixing (followed in 2007 by GILLES PETERSON). Furthermore with Edition Modern SK will add a new chapter to their highly acclaimed series of compilations featuring rare jazz from eastern Europe, and Sonar Kollektivs folky side will be explored again on Secret Love 3. At christmas time the year will be closed with SK's first book (plus CD) named cookbook presenting the labels spicy side. Mmmmh!
While Innervisions is starting to release their 12" from September on independently their album releases will stay with Sonar Kollektiv and Innervisons 10, the first compilation summing up their story so far, is scheduled for late autum. Release number 10 will feature all club smashers from this already classic 12” series including Rej by ÂME (featured on many “tracks of year” lists and almost everyone’s playlist for months from MICHAEL MAYER to DJ HELL to GILLES PETTERSON - 12.000 pcs. sold so far) and MARCUS WORGULL’s massive club tune Dragon Loop, plus their latest strike (sales passed the 8000 mark after only one week!): HENRIK SCHWARZ / ÂME / DIXON feat. DERRICK L. CARTER - Where We At EP. The last two 12” on Innervisons through SK will feature FRANCK ROGER and ATJAZZ.
Upcoming on Sonar Kollektiv are part three to five of the 12" accompanying the JAZZANOVA ... broad casting CD with ÂME / AGORA RHYTHM, NORMAN WEEKS and CAPITOL A plus singles by CLARA HILL with KING BRITT, SLOPE, 2x ISOUL8 (with OSUNLADE and JUST ONE) and WAHOO. Recently released are 12" by FAT FREDDYS DROP, JAZZANOVA and CLARA HILL with CHARLES WEBSTER & ATJAZZ plus another one with VIKTER DUPLAIX (to name just a few).
With this outstanding releases ahead 2006 might become Sonar Kollektivs best year so far and certainly the music featured will further prove their unmatched ability to explore and bridge the space In Between and fill it with quality music.!
in brief:
Sonar Kollektiv is the label of internationally renowned DJ and producer team JAZZANOVA. one of the strongest and best-known German labels more then 200 catalogue items! label roster includes well known artists like JAZZANOVA, ÂME, DIXON, WAHOO, FORSS, MICATONE, CLARA HILL, GEORG LEVIN, NUSPIRIT HELSINKI, AZYMUTH, FAT FREDDYS DROP, BENNY SINGS, DOMU, DIMLITE, SLOPE, MOONSTARR, ROBAG WRUHME, EVA BE very success full compilation series: Secret Love and ….mixing (part one with JAZZANOVA sold more than 30.000 copies worldwide!) international renown artists like ATJAZZ, CAPITOL A, KING BRITT, VIKTER DUPLAIX, RECLOOSE, TIEFSCHWARZ, MAURICE FULTON, I-CUBE, MADLIB, HERBERT, BEANFIELD, BUGZ IN THE ATTIC, JAZZY JEFF etc. have collaborated for productions and remixes with Sonar Kollektiv two sublabels: Best 7 & Innervisions
JAZZANOVA are widely known as figure heads of the NuJazz genre influences ranging from dub to brazil, jazz to house; African music to downbeat and even techno to minimal electronic music. remix work for many well known artists like: MASTERS AT WORK, CALEXICO, COMMON, LENNY KRAVITZ, 4 HERO, INCOGNITO, URSULA RUCKER, TRÜBY TRIO, IAN POOLEY, MJ COLE, U.F.O. JAZZANOVA - The Remixes 1997 – 2000 sold more than 150.000 copies worldwide! two years later JAZZANOVA first album In Between was a huge international success associated booking agency Best Works guarantees constant live presence at all major international clubs like Fabric, The End & Ministry Of Sound (London), Liquid Room & Yellow Lounge (Tokyo), Nitsa & La Paloma (Barcelona), Batofar & Rex Club (Paris), Metro (Chicago), Cielo (New York), Paradiso (Amsterdam), Vega (Copenhagen), Zouk Club (Singapore), Club 5 (Washington), Lux (Lisbon) and events and festivals like Detroit Electronic Music Festival (Detroit/USA), Montreaux Jazz Festival (F), Sonar (Barcelona), Amsterdam Dance Event (NL), Cochela (L.A./USA), 10 Days Off & Pukkelpop (B), Blue Note Festival (Genf/CH), North Sea Jazz Festival (Gent & Capetown), Tokyo Jazz Crossover (J), Homelands, Southport Weekender, Big Chill, TDK (UK) Sonar Kollektiv artist have been invited to feature on many well known radio shows: Gilles Peterson, Pete Tong, Essential Mix, Blue Room, for BBC Radio One plus shows on Kiss FM, XFM … Their music is regularly played and charted by radio-stations across the UK and worldwide. Sonar Kollektiv is supported constantly by the music press with features and cover stories in Straight No Chaser, IDJ, DJ Mag, Mixmag, Face; Wire, Touch, Echoes, Clash, Flux, I.D, Dazed, Groove Magazine, XLR8R, Coda, Traxx (F & E) plus mainstream press coverage by The Observer Music Monthly, The Independent, The Guardian, Time Out, Metro El Pais, Südeutsche Zeitung .. music by Sonar Kollektiv artist is featured on more then 450 compilations, film and TV scores worldwide: Gilles Peterson Worldwide, Fabric 25 & 26, DK Kicks , Six Feet Under, CSI Miami, Nip/Tuck to name a few upcoming album releases by: JAZZANOVA (Belle Et Fou O.S.T.), SOULPHICTION, ISOUL8 (aka VOLCOV), CLARA HILL, MARKUS ENOCHSON, HENRIK SCHWARZ (Remixing) , WAHOO (aka DIXON & GEORG LEVIN), CHARLES WEBSTER & ATZAZZ as VERSIONS and beloved EVA BE.…. upcoming compilations are: JAZZANOVA …broad casting, ÂME …mixing, V.A. - Paz E Futebol, V.A. - Innervisions 10; V.A. - Secret Love 3, V.A. - Edition Modern, V.A. - cookbook … upcoming 12” feature: FRANCK ROGER, ATJAZZ, ÂME / AGORA RHYTHM, NORMAN WEEKS, CAPITOL A, CLARA HILL with KING BRITT, SLOPE, 2x ISOUL8 (with OSUNLADE and JUST ONE) and WAHOO.
recent massive club tunes:
upcoming 12” feature: FRANCK ROGER, ATJAZZ, ÂME / AGORA RHYTHM, NORMAN WEEKS, CAPITOL A, CLARA HILL with KING BRITT, SLOPE, 2x ISOUL8 (with OSUNLADE and JUST ONE) and WAHOO. Rej by ÂME (featured on many “tracks of year” lists and almost everyone’s playlist for months from MICHAEL MAYER to DJ HELL to GILLES PETTERSON - 12.000 pcs. sold so far) Dragon Loop by MARCUS WORGULL Where We At EP by HENRIK SCHWARZ / ÂME / DIXON feat. DERRICK L. CARTER (sales passed the 8000 mark after only one week!) Flashback [Jazzanova Mixes] by FAT FREDDYS DROP Boom Clicky Boom Klack by JAZZANOVA
recent press reactions & awards:
Sonar Kollektiv voted label of the year 2004 by Gilles Peterson / Worldwide Award FAT FREDDYS DROP voted Band Of The Year on BBC 1 / Worldwide Award 2005 ÂME - Rej voted best tune of the year 2005 by Germany’s biggest Dance Music Magazine Groove Sonar Kollektiv voted label of the year 2005 in Benelux biggest DJ Magazine DJ Broadcast cover story JAZZANOVA IDJ October 2005 cover story ÂME & DIXON & HENRIK SCHWARZ Groove January
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