SuperJazzClub: the Ghanaian collective is making waves with its diverse style
As part of our Soho Rising series, in partnership with Bowers & Wilkins, we caught up with the group who are looking to create a new space from the sounds of West Africa
Tuesday 27 June 2023 By Soho House
If there was ever an exemplary collective for creative collaboration, the SuperJazzClub is at the top of the list. Formed in Accra, Ghana in 2018, the six-member collective – BiQo, Øbed, Seyyoh, Tano Jackson, Joey Turks and Ansah Live – came together to tread new musical ground.
The beauty of the group lies in their varied talents – the mix of producers, filmmakers, vocalists, multi-instrumentalists and rappers allows for a real fusion of resources. Managing every aspect from design to music themselves, ‘people tend to ask, is it chaotic because there are so many of you. How do you write all of this?’ explains rapper and producer Ansah Live. ‘I enjoy it because you are getting different ideas from different people.’
The intention had always been to expand and change the frequented sounds that would come from West Africa. Focusing on free experimentation, expression and creating without limits, the group were looking to chart new territory, and make space for alternative and fringe modes of expression for this region and further out. SuperJazzClub tested this version of music with its first release ‘Couple Black Kids’ in 2019, and so began their journey.
Now, having taken part in a shoot for Maison Margiela’s partnership with Reebok, numerous festival performances, a European tour and our Soho Rising series in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris and Brighton, it’s safe to say the collective is making its mark.
Releasing ‘MAD’ in 2022, one of its most well-received songs to date, SuperJazzClub was propelled further with the essence of the song so true to their art and way of producing. ‘Øbed had a guitar; he and Joey came up with these melodies and then they laid them down,’ says Live. ‘We abandoned the song for so long, for like months, and we never came back to it – until about five or six months later. Øbed pulled it out of the bag.’ A unified effort as expected.
Going against the grain from dance music, which takes centre stage of popular music in Accra, the collective experiments with sound palettes that they naturally gravitate towards. These unconventional practices apply to ‘MAD’, too. ‘The whole construction of the song was to make a track that sounded super soft and super chill, but the lyric content was the opposite,’ says BiQo. ‘It’s a sweet spot for us, because it has everybody’s influence. As much as it’s so minute, it’s so special, and that’s what makes the sound magical.’
It’s easy to see why SuperJazzClub has already made waves with its innovative sound, and we’ll certainly be watching this space.
Soho Rising is our platform for championing the best emerging talent around, giving you the chance to see the stars of tomorrow first. Previous guests have included Arlo Parks, Griff, Holly Humberstone, serpentwithfeet, and Moses Boyd.
