‘You can feel the energy of the audience straight away’

It was a balmy September evening and, as so often, the two windows were open, so that even passers-by could join in the fun. Drinks were being served over the bar, whilst the packed crowd swayed to the rhythm of the band. The little bar has achieved cult status: the Kon-Tiki in Zurich’s Niederdorf. Ten years have passed since then. The Style Bakery, back then still a sort of jam session, was founded by three musician friends: Toni Schiavano, Flo Reichle and Eliyah Reichen.

The evening was a success: from then on, the Style Bakery took place every month at the Kon-Tiki and developed into a popular meeting place in the urban hip-hop scene. But the event grew so quickly that the Kon-Tiki soon became too small. Today, the event takes place alternately at Exil and Moods. At Moods, it will celebrate this Friday marks its tenth anniversary.

The band’s current line-up consists of Toni Schiavano (bass), Flo Reichle (drums) and Andreas Achermann (keyboards). “Alongside our other projects – we play all sorts of music in various bands – there’s always been our love of hip-hop,” Toni explains to me over the phone. “So ten years ago, we felt the urge to play live beats together.”

At first, they organised a few jam sessions. This led to the idea of meeting up regularly and inviting MCs to freestyle rap over the improvised beats: “Through the Zurich-based producer Sterneis, we ended up at the Kon-Tiki Bar.”

Every evening begins with a showcase featuring two or three MCs, each of whom performs a few of their songs with the band. “We reinterpret existing songs for the first time with the respective artists and give them our own flavour,” explains Flo. The preparation initially takes place without the MCs. The band rehearses the tracks on their own and only meets up with the MCs shortly before the performance – for a single run-through. “Many of them aren’t used to playing with a band. When the time comes, the energy is completely different!” says Toni.

After the showcase comes the freestyle cypher: anyone can join in, whether they’re an invited MC or someone from the audience. Participants freestyle rap to the band’s improvised beats; it’s not a competition, but rather about building each other up. Incidentally, the format isn’t just open to rappers. “We regularly have artists of different styles,” says Toni. However, freestyle is and always will be at the heart of it.

“Even though the standard of the performers was always high, the music felt different depending on the size of the club,” says Toni. A gig in front of up to 80 guests at the Kon-Tiki has a different feel to one at Moods, where Style Bakery can play to an audience of up to 450 people. Despite becoming more professional, the band wanted to maintain a close connection with the audience. For several years now, the band has therefore been playing not on stage but on the dance floor. Together with the MCs, they form a circle, standing right in the middle of the audience.

“We’re so much closer to the crowd. When you’re playing, you feel the audience’s energy straight away,” says Flo. For the organisers, one of the standout moments of the past ten years was an evening when Style Bakery brought together two exceptional guests. “We managed to get BIGYUKI on board as a keyboardist for a concert. The New York rapper Stimulus also performed that same evening,” says Flo.

To mark its tenth anniversary on 11 September, the Style Bakery is, in a sense, returning to its roots: instead of an opening concert, the programme for the evening will once again consist exclusively of improvisation: “We’ve invited over 20 MCs who’ve performed here over the past ten years – including Big Zis, Sulaya and Daniela Sarda,” says Toni. The aim is for the evening to take on more of the feel of a jam session, just like the first event at Kon-Tiki. “We’re covering a wide range,” says Flo. Alongside street rap, there’ll also be old school, trap and boom bap. The guest list includes both young artists and established names such as E.K.R. “The Style Bakery is open to different generations and musical approaches.”

This is precisely where Toni sees one of the challenges for the coming years. “The music scene is constantly evolving; in rap, new influences are always emerging. This evolution keeps the band moving forward.” What began ten years ago as a small jam session at the Kon-Tiki in Niederdorf has thus become an event that brings together generations and different musical styles, and has carved out its place in Zurich’s urban music scene with genuine dedication.