The reason of what attracts the international artists to come and settle down in Indonesia may vary, but no matter what it is, we should feel happy when they decide to come and stay here. That will open up the chance for our great local talents to be exposed internationally, and who knows, the could even capture the atmosphere and be inspired with it.

The highly creative Bulgarian-born artist who loves to travel Martin Denev is one of the artists who chose Bali as his home for the next one year after being lived in other countries around the world. He released an album with Demajors entitled “Stolen Blessings” a year ago (available in our online store: http://store.jazzuality.com/products/martin-denev-stolen-blessings/ ), and now he continues this fruitful work with the new album, “Martin Denev Meets Colonel Red & Other Survivors – Bamness” which was officially released on December 17, 2011 at Portico, Senayan City, Jakarta.

In this album Denev extends his collaboration with Colonel Red into a new height. Being friends for quite some times has enabled them to find a lot of passions in common and to build solid chemistry to each other. The result is massive, that’s what we felt after listening to this album. There’s the words “Other Survivors” in the title, refering to the other great multi-national artists who he spotted when he was still resided in Rotterdam.  There’s the amazing young jazz/soul singer also from Bulgaria Ruth Koleva, the smokey-bluesy Nuria Manzur, trumpetist Ventzi Blagoev, contrabassist Michail Ivanov, drummer Vassil Voutev (aka Soulization) and percussionist Fer van Duuren with his wild and full of energy conga playing. With this album Denev aims more into the clubbing party people while still maintaining his ‘habit’ of bursting out the jazz chords in the most electrifying way. His passion, his energy and talent are inspiring. Not only we can be entertained with his music, but we can learn a lot from his experience and everything else he possesses inside.

We met him personally and set out an exclusive interview a couple of hours before he performed for his second album release party. A really friendly man who can cheer people around him not only with his joyous and infectious groovy tunes but also by his familiar presence. Accompanied by a bottle of beer and cigs under the beautiful night sky above, he shared to us many things about his past, current and future stories, about the album, the nutritious collaboration with Colonel Red and everything beyond. Let’s dig more about this very interesting artist through the interview below.

First of all, congratulations for the new album. It’s called Bamness, what does it mean?
Thank you very much. Bamness is like a play of word..It’s like an expression that I use when I really want something and go for it..you know, BAM! Bamness. Kind of my own slang let’s say..I made it up.

Does this album in any way continue what you have started with “Stolen Blessings?”
Yeah of course, in a lot of ways. It’s like the prolongation of a line. This album is different though. The last album was more eclectic..like I was more searching for certain direction. I had a lot of material and I needed to channel it and put it into context. For this one, I was more focus into a certain style. More groove..that’s what my preference for now. I tried to emphasize the beat and the groove. Soundwise it’s different too. It’s more club oriented.

Club oriented?
Yes, for club audience, with broader music interest, broader background..club people who already have knowledge, looking for my action in different stages of music.

Since you still put a lot of jazz in your music, have you ever thought of introducing jazz to the club audience?
It doesn’t happen like a conscious vision..but it’s a natural process. I’m a jazz musician, I came from a line of jazz musicians..that’s what I studied, that’s what I’ve been into for such a long time and that’s the language I’m talking. The jazz language, that’s my type of expression. But at the same time I like clubbing a lot and I had to work a lot in  clubs as DJ..so in big period I put myself into this too.

So you sort of combine these backgrounds into your music..
Yeah..musicwise, it’s a natural combination for me. But not intentionaly that I have to combine something. It just happens.

I was surprise when I listened to your first album. I found a lot of bop and other ingredients like Latins while at the same time the beat can be so perfect to dance as well. It’s not an easy thing to do, but you worked it really well.
Well, I hope so.. if it makes you dance and it’s reasonable and it feels natural..that’s the idea (laugh)

Colonel Red was in the first album too right? And now I think he got bigger role in Bamness.
Yeah, realy big role..that’s why I gave the title Martin Denev meets Colonel Red. We are friends in musical terms, also he’s a good friend of mine. We used to live in the same city in Rotterdam, and he’s a foreign guy living in that city like me..I was a Bulgarian living in Holland and he was a British guy living there.

So how was it all started?
That really happened from hanging out, having a glass of wine..we invited him to come to our house. I was having some ideas and presented them to him and he said, “Well, I have ideas for that also..let’s combine it.”  It became also a very natural process. At some point I love to put a material that I got after I was here in Jakarta..I went back to Europe with the idea to end my European period.

Would you share more about this decision to end your European period?
I don’t want to live in Europe anymore. I wanted to move somewhere else. I said to myself, now it’s time to explore a different lattitude.I had lived in Spain, Carribea, Bulgaria..I was like, now I want to live in Asia. I feel the place. It’s happening, young, it’s boiling..so there’s a lot of horizon opening. That’s what I feel. And there are a lot of possibilities..it’s not old and tired, it’s totally the opposite. And in Indonesia I always felt good. I came first time in 2002, then I was here in 2005 then 2010..and my conscious vision was, okay, let’s just move to Indonesia! But first I wanted to finish my European period with something in my hand, with some kind of creation. So I went to Holland with the idea to record an album, finish my club kind of period there..you know..it was a major stage of my life that I wanted to close and go ahead.

I didn’t really know what kind of album I was going to make. I didn’t have the clear idea. For about half a year I really focused in that and it was during the cold Autumn-Winter period, so it’s easy to get into yourself, started getting into things and put a lot of materials with Colonel Red. It’s like really a big thribing force we put into this album. We did a lot of search together.. he’s really a good friend of me and my girlfriend..

So it’s easy for your to build a chemistry with Colonel Red.
Yeah, but most of the vision that’s been involved was my creation. For me music is a very intimate activity. You can’t have that job with just about anybody. You need to feel very comfortable with them first.

In other words, you have to be familiar with them.
Yeah, in so many occasions, in different levels..in more honest even level.

Colonel Red has added some philosophical wisdom on life, love and self-consciousness too in this album right?
Yes, Colonel Red brings a wide revolutionary in his ways too. He contributes a lot to the sound. I’d like to think that it sounds 21st Century. It’s not my portion to say that, but I love to think that anyway (laugh)

We noticed that you also brought multi-national ‘survivors’ with you in this album.
True. There are people from Germany, England, Holland, Mexico, Bulgaria, all kinds of people. Holland is a very cosmopolitan place, that people don’t even notice it anymore. It just happens. A lot of people come from different places and backgrounds. That’s normal, especially in the circle of musicians. I like that. It brings some extra flavors, it’s interesting.

You’ve toured with Vanessa Freeman too. You met her in Indonesia if I’m not mistaken?
Yeah I met her here some times when she came with Kyoto Jazz Massive in 2009.. I love her singing, she’s one of the best nowadays. She has so much collaborations, all kinds of albums. So I invited her to a journey for a festival in Bulgaria. She came together with Colonel Red. It was a really good experience for me. We did some gigs in Holland too. I initially wanted to invite her more, but she got a baby..I wish her all the best though.

But in the future you will probably collaborate with her again right?
Oh yeah for sure. We’re friends, it shouldn’t be a problem. You just need an opportunity. Many musicians  being countered in your journey.. you keep looking in the back and think if there’s a chance and opportunity, I’d love to do it. That’s how it happens. That’s also a process. I invited a lot of my musician friends to join to be a part of it. For me it’s one of the biggest pleasures when I hold the album in my hand and show it to them. I love to involve them in that. I feel the very strong connection in a very pure, musical way.

Since you are now in Indonesia, are you thinking of collaborating a lot with our artists here?
Of course. That’s also my idea. Now I stay in Bali but definitely not just stay there. I want to go around here in Asia to work. Bali is more like base, I’d like to go from there. Now I’m working with some musicians that I’m very happy with such as Matthew Sayersz, Millane Fernandez, Demas Narawangsa..

So far, what do you think about the Indonesian talents?
I encountered Indonesian musicians already for long time. You have a lot of talents out here. It’s somehow a musical nation..people here like to play, to sing. And you have a lot of jazz festivals in here. I went to Java Jazz Festival like three times, so I’d say that I have idea what people do and what’s I have to do. But I never really doubted it. I mean nowadays people are exposed with so much information and they can proof it a lot. Back in the past you didn’t have the recording, you didn’t know anybody, you didn’t have any close community as your fans… but now it’s a different ballgame. People know what’s happening. It’s all there for you to get it. So there are a lot of young people here that can play. Pretty much everywhere the level is very similiar.

Back to your musical exploration, I personally captured some ‘rebellious’ act in your music creation. Like you don’t like to be inside the box, when you like it you’d go for it sort of thing. Rebellious, is that who you are?
The thing with me is that if I want to offer some things I want to know in a way that not a conventional thing, you know..it’s not going to be just another pop song that you’ve already heard a thousand time before. If I want to come out into work I got to know that have something to say. But I don’t want too freaky about it. I’m not like making experimental. I love to check new things, I love to go a bit out of the box like you said, combining different styles..

Some people might come and ask you what your music style is called. How would you answer that?
I don’t necessarily want to speak certain style even when people sometime asked me like “what do you call your music”, I don’t really know. Well..it’s kind of jazztronica but I don’t know how to label it.

But definitely you created something new. Yes there were a lot of bands who have been playing jazztronica for long time, but still your music is different.
Oh that’s a compliment for sure. It’s also not my conscious vision to sit and think I have to make something different.. it’s almost like when you want to make a short story, you want to say something that you really know. I think it’s very logical. I don’t pretend like I’ve covered the warm water, you know what I mean.. I don’t want to think that oh, I’ve created something completely different like I come from space or from the sky (laugh)..I come from the line, very visible line of music and style. I know what’s inspired me and why I create this in certain way, something like that.

You must be some kind of observer too, right? You love to learn and absorb everything you hear, feel and see..
Yeah for sure. I like to observe. I like to know what’s going on, what people is doing, how and why I like something..you know, things that strike me and drive my attention “hey that’s nice, that’s something.” I always feel like I want to absorb pretty much everything. I want to know what people do to this instrument. I love to check things. If there’s some kind of gap in my information or my knowledge, I like to feed it up. I can’t know everything in this lifetime, but I love to know the basic idea about all kinds of stuff.

And I always look up to this experimental, underground artists like London scene or something.. people who love to push things a little bit forward. It’s very risky because it brings consequence. You don’t get huge recognition, or huge followers also. But I realize that. I don’t think of selling a million of album, I don’t aim for that. That would be great if that happens, don’t get me wrong (laugh), but that’s not my main focus. I just love to do everything that I feel and I want to get the right audience that would connect to that scene. I guess my creation is more like ’boutique’ kind of item. So it’s not really pop music, it’s not necessarily have to be radio friendly.

Then you met these guys from Demajors..
It’s difficult to find exposure, but you know when the exposure is there, put it out with these guys in Demajors label that understands what I mean. I really love that. They are not like the huge major label that don’t really care about what you feel. I feel the connection with them, stylistically, musically, personally.  I feel like talking to somebody who understands about my feelings.

This label is progressing very well in the industry as well.
Yeah, they are really happening. I once read the Indonesian Rolling Stone magazine and there was an article of 20 best Indonesian albums. 7 of them or something were from Demajors. So this label is really happening. They do it because they love it. I love to do this with them.

Being a globe trotter, how do you face the different kinds of people?
The music doesn’t necessarily connected with geographic. It depends where you play and to who, who’s your crowd. I have seen certain kinds of people everywhere. When you travel a lot, that’s what you realize. People are very often the same in different sides of the world. Again it’s not about geographic. It’s about group of people who you go to and being connected with.

Then again music is a universal language right? The crowds would feel connected when they love the music despite of the language, nationality and so on.
Yeah. This connection always work both ways. The crowds get what they give and vice versa. There’s no exact formula for that though..I don’t really know what happen. It’s a bit.. magical? (laugh)

Back to your Bamness album, what do you feel about it when it’s done?
I’m very happy with the result. It’s another period of my life that I stand fully behind. I feel happy even with the artwork (the cover design was made by Agus Makkie). I get so much compliment about that. It gives you big benefit. I love holding it in my hands. It’s like holding your baby. When you know it happened from zero, you worked it in several months and there you have it, very touchable and visible.. the feeling is amazing.

You also did it very fast too. The first album was released around a year ago, and here you have a new one already.
Yeah it happened fast. I felt a bit in a move. I felt I had to drive, I felt the ‘Greater Force’ were with me.. it goes like a muse, it’s not like something happen everyday. So when it’s there, I had to go for it. Because as an artist sometime you have ups and downs, you don’t really know which way to go, and all kinds of other obstacles. So when the opportunity comes, you just go for it. I didn’t really have to push that. It just happened and I just said to myself, let’s focus now..That’s my main ability and that’s what I’m going to do. Forget about everything else and let’s finish that.

This album is going to be released internationally, not just in Indonesia right?
Yes it’s going to be everywhere. In Indonesia it’s just out. We’re trying to get into compilation also. With the label, we get different exposure in different place..and it’s going to be distributed in many other platforms like Amazon, etc.. it’s going to be out there.

What do you think about the future of jazz?
It has always been happening…jazz musicians in every generation have always tried to combine styles, to explore new ground, People like Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, those open minded people, they always loved to move ahead of time. They grabbed anything around, like rock, fusion, hiphop, whatever.. trying to combine it, incorporate it..

And the border is getting lesser right? It’s quite difficult nowadays to categorize the music in a small, narrow boxes..
Yeah, it also happens naturally. There are a lot of jazz musicians out there are really open minded. They love to play different styles, not strictly only into one thing. It’s not like Ornette Coleman listened to Charlie Parker all night long, you know what I mean? People love to do and hear different things.

And music is something very dynamic too, including jazz don’t you think?
Yeah, for me too. I mean, sometimes I just want to see the 50s, very plastic, minimalism. There’s been different period of my life. The other thing is that in some points you can go all kind of ways as musicians. You can go particularly to jazz album, you can do solo piano album, you can do movie score and so on.

How much your classical background helps you in your career?
It helps in a lot of ways. I learn the classical for a long time. I think it’s a great way to answer the music world.. I think it gives a lot. Those classical musicians, that’s the real avant garde. You think much before anybody else. That’s the real pioneer let’s say. Even jazz musicians have to look up to classical ones in so many ways to evolve. Also in various piano level like phrasings, harmony, technique..you learn about solfege, chamber music, music literature, common knowledge..you are exposed into this world fully. Even when you don’t really play it, the essence is still there. Even in the way I play, sometimes it’s just there. So it gave me a lot. The comfortable of playing your instrument, when you play simple thing, where it came from, classical gives you a lot of compliment and confidence..that’s what I get from my classical background. It’s a very rich world. I feel lucky to be exposed to that. I’m sometimes still not aware that my play is actually come from that background.

You mentioned earlier that you like to work with friends you already familiar with. How important is the circle of friends to you?
It’s very important. I have a lot musician friends and DJs that we exchange a lot of news and thoughts. When I was about to leave Europe I was like, “oh man..who’s gonna cook me now with new stuffs..” but luckily enough, I got people around here who are also happen to be music lovers, who are very curious. So I don’t feel the lack of new stuffs.

Glad to hear that! So hopefully it’s going to be a new, wonderful journey for you in Indonesia.
Yeah, yeah, for sure. It already is.

There’s one song in the album which I remember when you played it in Java Soulnation Festival. It’s called “Quiet is the New Loud”. What’s that all about?
It’s like a personal exploration, personal experience that I was thinking about. Often people are ready to uneccesary conflict..you know, trying to force their own opinion.. so I wanted to say “no need to scream, no need to shout,quiet is the new loud”, that’s the reffrain. You can read the lyrics to know more, it’s there in the album. I wrote it only for a few hours actually.

Alright. Any last note?
I’ve been into this business for about 20 years. But it’s something new for me to be in front, you know, like making my own albums or works. It’s been only for the past 2 or 3 years. It’s been a great experience. I just want to keep developing, keep staying open minded, keep being curious, keep the enthusiasm about whart work has to offer.. not just staying in one place but keep moving.

Okay, once again congratulations with the new album, Bamness. Wish you all the best with it.
Thank you very much!

Get in touch with Martin Denev through his websites: http://martindenev.com and http://reverbnation.com/martindenev, facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=627677645 and twitter: @MartinDenev

Interviewed by: Riandy Kurniawan
Photographer: Agung Hartamurti Wirawan (Portico), Omar Arif Maulana (Java Soulnation Festival 2011)

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