What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.
The band began several years back. It was the distant 1998 when we played using the name “Adolf Plays The Jazz’ for the very first time, while the first track heard outside the rehearsal studio was “the Prozac Nation”, which was used for the soundtrack of a short film in 2003. Beyond that for the next 15 years Adolf plays the jazz released 5 albums and an equal number of eps , we also performed in Athens and in various places in Greece while exploring our sound. In recent months, we have been boosted with new members, so an attempt is made to redefine our sound, which can be described as a meeting of the Swans with Angelo Badalamenti.
Provide us with some info about your latest release…
Our latest release in the year 2015 was “Tinder”. We could say that probably it’s one of our darkest albums containing enough shogaze n noise elements. We tried to impart these new elements through our lives back then. Probably it’s our least post rock album.
Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?
Our most basic influence we could say that it’s the environment in which we exist n been living. Athens, this hideous but alive at the same time city and how people choose to live, has always been the place of our influences. Of course bands such as mogwai, sonic youth, gy!be, swans, joy division n have a nice life, are surely names that we owe to refer to as our influences.
In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?
It’s kinda hard for a band to characterize its sound as special or distinctive. The audience must be able to decide about that. We always wanted to mix and combine diffrent styles of music filtered from our own spectrum so that we can create something authentic. Something we can call it ours.
Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…
3 Albums: Swans – Soundtracks For the Blind, Sonic Youth – Evol, Ride – Nowhere
3 Movies : David Lynch – Lost Highway, Roman Polanski – The Tenant, Andrei Tarkovsky Nostalgia
3 Books: Franz Kafka – The Trial, Albert Camus – the fall, William Barrows – Naked Lunch
Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?
Both studio and live performance are really enjoyable, as long as we play well.
Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?
We were banned from a gig because of our name. Surely not a funny one. We realize that nothing can be taken for granted these days, especially due to the fact that as we speak, the Far right parties have been increasing their power as well as their influence to the mass. Our name may rise many questions and doubts, but we think that our ten year presence has managed to prove that we stand against any racist,fascist, homophobic act as well as any form of authority.
Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?
Collapse, it is the longest one.
Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?
We are working on new music. Hopefully we will have a new lp in 2019, as well as a number of gigs.
Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…
It is a fact that back in the early ’00s when we started playing we wanted to deliver a cinematic “touch” to our music,so we chose a more indirect way throughout instrumental composing. However, nowadays things have obtained a more direct / urgent character. So many times a need for singing is necessary. We have already composed our first songs with vocals, which you are going to listen to our next gigs.
Photo credits: Pinelopi Gerasimou (2nd one)
Curated by: Christos Doukakis
Recommended listening:
Connect with Adolf Plays The Jazz:
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Adolfplaysthejazz/#
Bandcamp: https://adolfplaysthejazz1.bandcamp.com/