The Past, The Present & The Future: An Interview with SUPERJAZZCLUB

TEETH recently approached me to sit down and have a digital assembly with Ghana’s rising collective, SUPERJAZZCLUB. I recognized the band’s name from my Spotify suggestions, but it wasn’t until I properly gave them a listen that I realized their talent expands far beyond their geographical location and deserves international attention. I dove deeper into their newest EP Monochrome Radio and immediately understood the level of artistry this group is capable of.

Consisting of members Ansah Live, Tano Jackson, BiQo, Joey Turks, Seyyoh, and Obed, SUPERJAZZCLUB is a prime example of what you get when a group of creative friends encourages each other to push the limits of their artistry and do what comes naturally to them.

 

Eli: What is SUPERJAZZCLUB?

Ansah: I feel like we get asked a lot what SUPERJAZZCLUB is, and we often do answer, but I don’t know, because SUPERJAZZCLUB is evolving by the day. What it is, is six friends who came together to start something creative because they all had an interest in an aspect of creating. And that’s how we came about. The need to create because that’s what we were doing. That’s what we’ve been doing all of our lives. And so we just figured if we came together and we did it together, it would have much more of an impact than if we did it individually, especially coming from where we come from.

 

Eli: How did you all meet and when did this occur?

Tano: We met in different places. School, church, studio, radio stations; us trying to get our art out at that moment, and our paths just crossed. It’s pretty much God’s engineering. The first time I met Seyyoh, it was in a studio and we didn’t know what the future had in store for us. I met Ansah in high school, and then I met Obed in church, and Obed knew Joey, and then Ansah met BiQo at a radio station in a car, and Seyyoh got introduced to Ansah by a producer friend called Dopamine. And then we all connected and we realized that we could form a supergroup where we all come together to create art and put it out under SUPERJAZZCLUB.

 

Eli: Was there a moment through the process of getting to know each other where a song clicked and made you guys think – oh, wait, there’s something really special here?

Ansah: Some of us have known each other for quite long. So it’s not like, just at the beginning of SJC is when we met. I’ve known BiQo since 2008. Like Jackson said, I met him at a radio station and we’ve been friends since then, and throughout high school. I’ve known Jackson since 2008 as well. It was kind of just like a web of people coming together across different timelines. Some of us were even making music together before SJC. Myself, Jackson, BiQo, we’ve been making music since we were in high school. Then years later, we find ourselves coming back together and starting this group. So I wouldn’t say there was a particular song or anything. It was just a period where we all figured that, okay, now we know each other, but we all make different things, on a solo basis, it will make sense for us to come together as one. Even before we made the first SJC song, we were working on individual stuff. But everybody had their hands in each other’s solo stuff. Like, Obed’s first stuff that came out was something that we made together as SJC, but then that went out as Obed, and then we started making more music together and putting it out under the collective name.

 

 

Eli: You dropped your first single, “Couple Black Kids” in 2019. Then a full year later, you drop your debut album For All The Good Times. I went back to listen and I was blown away. It’s so fluid, and it sounds like something that would take people years to master. When I listen to it, I’m like, Wow, this is what you strive to make; a full, cohesive project. The album shows real creative direction, specifically, those voicemails sprinkled in. The messages are cool and plug you in. You feel like, Oh, I’m being introduced to the music just as much as this person is on the phone call. But also, you start to see that this person on the phone call is going through their own journey. Was there a reason behind the decision to include them?

Ansah: I remember when we were working on the EP and we wanted to have a theme for it, but this was even before we went into the making of the project. A friend of mine, also a friend of some of the members of the collective, left voice notes on the project. That’s basically the way that we communicate all the time. So she’ll call me, I’ll call her back, she’ll call me, I’ll call her back. She leaves messages and all of that. And she was in the States at the time, and we had begun this project, so she was super excited about it. Then we would always send her demos of stuff that we are working on. So when we wanted to wrap up the project, we kind of felt like it would be natural to tap back into our daily lives. I suggested that we use that as skits, because, obviously she’s somebody that we know, and it’s just basically her natural reaction to the music we were making at the time, and also her saying what she’s going through and all of that.

 

Eli: Even though it’s been a minute, you dropped that album during peak COVID. The voicemails felt like a little bit of a timestamp, setting the tone of what we’re going through.

Ansah: Now that you mentioned it, I personally haven’t even looked at that from that perspective. In the sense that the voicemails kind of timestamped that period in particular with what the whole world was going through and all of that. But I guess it’s just organic that it makes you feel the way because that’s exactly what was happening at that time. We were just kind of translating what we were living through, you know, to the music.

 

 

Eli: I want to fast-forward to your new project, Monochrome Radio. If you were to dive a little bit into your Instagram, you’d see that after March everything goes to black and white, while before that, it’s full of color. What does Monochrome Radio mean to you?

Tano: So right after our last single, we had mapped out a couple of things we wanted to do as SJC and give people a project. Not necessarily a full-body project, but an EP. So we got together and thought about what we could put out sonically. And also, in terms of visuals, make it make sense. Kind of like a simultaneous approach to the craft while we put out this kind of sound and it also resonated with the title.

Ansah hit me up on the phone and he said he had an idea, “Monochrome, Monochrome”. We hadn’t fleshed it out yet but we were playing around with FM or radio. I’m not sure why we were set on that, but I think because of what The Weekend had done, we didn’t want to do FM. So we stuck with “radio”, and it made sense. We ran up a couple of Google searches just to make sure things were great and that nobody already had the idea out, so we stuck with that. Then in that same conversation, Ansah mentioned his vision of something black and white and just wanted to know what I and everybody else thought about it. And I was like, hey, that’s perfect.

We tried our very best to stick with what we started because it’s a full-on project. We just wanted it to be, like you said, a timestamp for this moment as well. And however people resonate with the project, we know that the black-and-white aesthetic is going to be a part of it. Some of the records were made on tour in London and a couple in Ghana. We voted on a couple of records and the ones you hear made it. For creative direction, we had a photoshoot with a couple of inspiring black and white portraits on a mood board. And it just made sense. I feel like everybody understands what we’re doing, and just for the sake of this project, we just have to play with the vision that we have and just follow through with it.

Ansah: The decision of going with the black and white, I think universally, anything that’s black and white on screen looks like from the past. And for us, this EP, 100% of it, is influenced by music that’s from our childhood. You know growing up listening to Hiplife music, like, way back in the day. We wanted it to still have that retro effect. Taking inspiration from those places sonically, but also visually, not 100%, but taking a bit of that visual aesthetic that makes you feel like, Oh, this is from back in the day.

Tano: Yeah, the Hiplife influence. Also the 2000 hip hop influence.

Ansah: Do you know about Hiplife music?

Eli: Hiplife music?

Tano: That’s an assignment [everyone laughs].

Ansah: That’s like pop music from Ghana. That’s where we pull a lot of the inspiration sonically for Monochrome Radio.

Eli: I can also see from a listener’s viewpoint that removing the color, it’s almost like stripping things down and pushing a little more focus on the music.

Ansah: Yeah, I think what’s different from this project out of everything we have created. We really honed in on the music in terms of trying to figure out how to make it sound great. Usually, SJC spans across different genres and we do a lot of experimental stuff. But with this project, we didn’t really do a lot of that, yet we still wanted to make sure that whatever the final work was going to be, the music was as strong as possible. Because a lot of people label us as alternative music, but that’s not necessarily what we are. We are what we are at any point in time. With this project, I think that we try to make what we think our version of what radio should sound like. So we made the music that we wanted to hear.

 

Eli: I want to ask a little bit about the process of this project. What were some of the challenges? I can understand both sides of working on a team. It could be amazing because you can get so much done and so many perspectives on what is being created, but then you can also run into issues of maybe not seeing eye to eye or someone else wanting to step in and overtake. Were there any challenges you had to overcome as a team?

BiQo: I feel like over time, we have grown to trust each other’s sense of judgment when it comes to the art that we create. And that has helped us to override all the differences that may come up. And when it’s beyond us just believing in each other’s direction, we just lean towards the majority. Or what’s the utmost important for us. That’s how we’ve been able to navigate when it comes to decision-making. Just believing that each member has what it takes or that their direction is worth trying, you know?

Eli: Do you have any advice to offer when it comes to collaboration?

BiQo: I think I would say build a strong bond with whoever you’re trying to collaborate with. Get to know each other through and through. Like, understanding what their background is, and what makes them move the way they move or even think the way they think. I feel like that will give you the freedom you need to let them operate in the space that you’re in. I hope that helps.

Tano: To add to that, I feel like community is everything. And whatever we’re doing as artists is for the greater good. Like, Biqo said, you wanna leave earth with something. An act that is not selfish. You know, everybody gotta be in on it. I don’t think that we’d go this far if we were not a group like SJC. And believe in the fact that we are a collective of artists who can share ideas and that we can go further if we go together. Regardless of how much you earn, how much you contribute, as long as your presence is there. In the beginning, we didn’t know what this was gonna be. But we stuck with the fact that, Oh, I can rap, I can make beats, so I’m gonna make it with Obed. I’m gonna make it with Ansah. I’ll make it with BiQo. I’m gonna make it with Joey. I’m gonna be in the same spot where they are. And that alone propels you to the next level of dedication.

 

Eli: It seems like you lead your work and group with reasoning with community being a pillar at the core of who you are. I want to talk a little bit about the music scene and community within Ghana. How has it changed since your first debuted as SJC? And where do you stand?

Ansah: I’d say for us within the SJC community it’s something that’s a part of us, due to where we come from. It’s a part of our culture, like family and getting together, being cool with the next man. It’s embedded into our culture, it’s what we live every day. It’s counting and trusting the next person. It’s just something that we have embedded in our culture as Ghanaians. And I think that kind of seeps into our SJC foundation.

Generally, the Ghanaian scene is mostly based in Accra, the capital. Since we started SJC in 2019, I feel like in the creative space there’s been a lot of community building. There’s also been lots of other collective stuff that have come out after us in the last maybe three to four years. There’s been EJ Grooves, there’s been NGO collectors. There’s been so much community work that’s been going on in Accra in the last three to four years. You can find all of that online. I feel like it’s growing every day. More collectives are springing up, creative spaces, artist collaborations, residencies, and what have you. There’s a lot that’s been going on since 2020. There’s been a huge creative movement in Accra since we first came onto the scene. That’s good to see and hopefully, there’s more of that in Accra and the rest of Ghana. And the rest of Africa as well.

Tano: Before we started, there was Serb Ghana, and they were very instrumental and still are, shout out Sandy, in creating a space for us to just come kick it and have a home aside from Ansah’s moms. It pretty much hasn’t changed. But then there’s been a lot of other collectives too, which you see are doing amazing. And it’s beautiful to think that it’s not going to stop. So, yeah, it’s just a lot more visibility, like people putting Accra and Ghana on the map. Even if it’s not SJC. You know, there’s somebody else doing it. There’s some recognition and we appreciate the visibility that Accra and Ghana is having at this point.

 

Eli: With social media and the internet overall, becoming an international star is much more attainable than it used to be. For example, I come from Mexican heritage living in San Diego, California. But because of Spotify algorithms and what I’ve listened to in the past, I discovered SJC. As you continue to grow, do you feel like you have to represent Ghana or is it something like, it’s in us already and whatever we do is an extension of representing Ghana? How do you feel or go about that?

Joey: From the start, if you pay attention to our music, you realize even the sound collection is tapped in from the legends. Like the Osibisas, we used to have legends who already started this and took it to another level. And for SJC, we just tapped into that and then modernized and added whatever we wanted. So yeah, we do represent Ghana in terms of sound and culture, because all of us are born and bred in Ghana. But also when it comes to making music, the base is not just that we make music for Ghana. We make music that everybody will enjoy, love, and vibe with.

I believe music can bring people together from every part of the world. That is one of the reasons why you see people in festivals singing, and some people don’t even know your words, but they are dancing. You see all types of races dancing and vibe to your songs. I believe we just do music globally. Music that everybody would like to jump to.

Eli: That’s worded very well. It’s actually something I truly do believe within your music, it’s timeless. In ten years people will still enjoy it because it’s quality music.

Joey: I have a question for you.

Eli: Yeah.

Joey: What is that SJC record that you can play on and on and on and on?

Eli: Oh, man, that’s tough. I’ll say this, the first record I was introduced to was “Uno”. A banger, super vibey. I like to listen to music that’ll set the vibe of where I’m at and what I’m doing. “Off” sets a tone you can listen to at any moment of the day and it’ll just flow with you. But there is even some of your older work, like, “Cellular” or “Until the Morning” that just hits.

 

Eli: What’s your favorite track from your new EP?

Ansah: Hmm. Mine at the moment is “911”. Before that, a few months ago when it dropped, it was “Off”.

Joey: For me, this is a tough question. I have two favorite songs: “911” and then the other is “Fade”.

Eli: That’s the one with the acoustic guitar, right?

Joey: Yes.

Eli: Very 2000’s. When I heard that, that’s when I was like, I get it now, I see the vibe. There are plenty of moments throughout the EP where I can see the influences, but that one in particular, the guitar – wow. What would you say, Tano?

Tano: I fuck with all of it. But I believe “Loose” has a sweet spot. I don’t know. It has replay value, and I just like “Loose” a lot. “Fade” is also a banger. But, man, I gotta give it to “Uno”.

BiQo: My favorite song off the EP has to be “Uno”. I also love “91”1 because, for me, it just put me in a space where I had to rediscover myself in terms of what I could do with my voice. So anytime I sing that, I feel like it’s very special.

Eli: You guys just dropped a music video for “911”. I honestly would love to see more music videos in general, because I can tell you guys have a real eye for a cinematic approach. And I’m even talking about some of the older videos too, like “Mad”. It has those continuous shot of you guys hanging out and everything, if I’m not mistaken.

Ansah: Yep, that’s the one.

 

Eli: What are your influences cinematically? It seems like you put just as much effort and energy into creating your visuals as you do with your music.

Tano: Thank you for recognizing the work we put in our visuals as much as you do for the sound or the sonics. Some of our influences come from childhood movies and the music videos that we watched on MTV or whatever channel it was. Right after school, we came home, threw our bags on the couch, and just sat down to see what was playing. I personally consumed a lot of Hype Williams and Spike Lee. I love his approach to whatever it is that he puts out, he makes sure that it will be able to make sense after 20 years. You can come back to it.

Also, it’s not just one person’s idea when it comes to making up these music videos, or approaches to cover art, or rollout plans, or photographs. It’s just us bouncing ideas and trying to make sure that, you know, whatever we’re cooking has all the ingredients possible. If I’m losing out on a particular thing, the next man cannot. The next person can have that input. So it’s a mixture of what we all listened to or watched growing up that has influenced what we put out today and what we’ll put out tomorrow.

 

Eli: I want to fast forward a little bit. I don’t want to hold you guys up for too long, but I just want to talk a little bit about the future. I know you have your first headlining Europe tour coming up. What are your thoughts and feelings on that? Anything you’re particularly looking forward to?

Ansah: Yeah I feel like it’s a huge milestone for us. We have our first headliner European tour coming up, but we started making music as SJC in a small room somewhere in Accra. Last year we were able to do a headline in London, which sold out. Then we did some festivals. And now moving into the headliner, it’s just huge to be able to see that it’s possible and we can do it. And all of this is a result of 12 us coming together, spending time learning about the things we want to do and actually executing those and seeing them come to life. It’s a beautiful feeling.

We’ve been rehearsing a lot, so we are looking forward to it. I feel like it’s going to be super special. A lot of people have mentioned to us that they love the shows or the festivals that they’ve seen us at. There’s been a lot of positive feedback, but I feel like this headline will be different in the sense that it’s our very first headline tour. So we are putting our all into it at rehearsals. We are restructuring and trying interesting things. Looking forward to it!

 

Eli: What can your audiences expect from this tour?

Ansah: If you’ve followed our music and everything that we’ve done so far, you know that you can’t really expect anything. You can’t have an expectation because it’s always something different. It’s always something fresh. And so that’s what we are looking forward to doing this time around. Obviously it’s going to be a better show than you’ve seen us put together. I can’t say too much, but, yes.

Eli: We’re coming close to the end of the year. What does next year look like for SUPERJAZZCLUB?

BiQo: I think we’ll continue our journey to world domination. We see ourselves taking new territories and spaces in terms of where we’re going to be performing, and reaching new audiences. Definitely more expansion.

Tano: Let me just say this quickly. We’re going to try different themes. Different things in terms of sound and aesthetics. Hopefully a lot more festivals. Yeah, just continue to create music that we love and that everybody’s going to love as well.

Ansah: I don’t know about the last bit, about “everybody’s gonna love as well”. [Everyone laughs]

I say that because we’re always working on something. For us, it makes sense and it sounds good to us. But we don’t know how people are going to end up interpreting it. We just create something that’s true to us and try to push the line a little further and see how much further we can experiment with things. Yeah, it’s looking like a very beautiful year up ahead and all of that.

 

Eli: I have one final question: What do you hope your audience and viewers take away from your music/content?

Ansah: For me, it’s just believing in yourself and believing that you can do whatever it is that you’re doing. Doesn’t even have to be music. Just believe that you can do it. I feel like it sounds very cliche, I’ve heard it from so many of my favorite music artists or whatever, but I feel like just working towards what we are working on, that’s really what it is. Outside of our music, I want people to just believe in themselves and whatever they’re doing. Because that’s what we did and that’s what we’ll continue to do. We believe in what we are doing. That’s how we built it to this point. That’s how we are going to build it to newer heights. So whoever’s listening to our music, whoever’s listening to us, it doesn’t matter where you’re from, it doesn’t matter what you look like or any of that stuff, it’s believing in what it is that you’re doing. Sometimes it can be difficult to believe in what you are doing or believe in yourself. Sometimes you need reassurance. If you believe, you’re going to work towards it and you’re not going to give up on it. You’re going to keep going and that’s how you’re going to find your breakthrough.

Eli: Beautifully said.

BiQo: To add to what Ansah said, there’s always been a line that has stuck with us from the beginning and it goes, “Define the stereotypes”.

Ansah: I haven’t heard that in a long time, but yes, that’s been the essence.

BiQo: Yeah, more so just going with what you believe in and not finding a problem with being different and just dreaming and executing. That’s how we live.

Tano: Yeah that’s what’s up. I want to add that everything we’re gonna say right now may sound very cliche, but one time I watched a video of Tyler The Creator receiving an MTV ‘New Artist of the Year’ award. It was the year 2011, I think VMA’s. He was in a tie-dye t-shirt and he went up there with Odd Future, the whole crew, except for maybe Earl. He said something like, “Wherever you are, just do your shit. You can do it. Anybody can do it so long as they stick with the fact that they’re going to do it.” So if we’re going to be out here doing this independent thing like Tyler, like Frank, anybody that actually started on their own, it’s pretty much what we’re gonna preach. We’re just gonna say, keep it going and never give up. Just do it for the fun of it. And all the recognition is gonna come.

 

You can listen to Monochrome Radio EP in its entirety below. Check their website and Instagram and catch their London show @ Colours Hoxton on October 10th.