"We dance cumbia before we go on stage"

Their music can be heard around the globe: the Zurich duo with the somewhat cryptic name Okvsho have now won over around half a million listeners a month on Spotify alone for their form of jazz infused with hip-hop, electronics and a lot of soul. They will soon be concluding their third European tour with a concert in their home city. Time for a late-night mail ping-pong.

A home game is coming up soon: The concert at the Zentralwäscherei. Do you actually have a ritual before the concerts?

When the nervousness rises, we usually all follow individual rituals. But just before we leave the backstage area, we always get together in a circle and dance. Most recently, it was usually "Carolina" by El Combo Loco. We then make two or three motivational speeches and expressions of nervousness, solidarity and love.



You warm up for a jazz concert with cumbia?

It happens, yes! In general, music from Colombia, Brazil and Cuba has had a strong influence on us. Cumbia has been with us for a long time. It could well be that we picked up this song during a DJ set by Zurich DJ Luca Duran, who we really like.

In my youth, acid jazz was suddenly there. We listened to Jamiroquai, the James Taylor Quartet, Galliano, everything from the Talkin' Loud label. The boundaries between jazz, funk and rap melted away. For a few years now, with the LA and London scenes and musicians like Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Yussef Dayes, Ezra Collective, Kokoroko or Shabaka Hutchings, it all feels similar again. Do you feel connected to this scene?

In any case. Our music is also a product of this scene and has at least grown with the London scene. We have a similar musical background to some exponents of this scene, who came from hip-hop or electronic music and to a certain extent "found their way back" to jazz, but created something new in combination with their musical and cultural backpack. Our music was also more popular in cities like London and in certain respects we were able to network much faster than here. As much as we feel connected to this exciting city, it never occurred to us to move to Peckham and adopt the Cockney accent. We want to create something authentic that carries the Zurich DNA alongside the inspiration from London and LA.

You have produced hip-hop beats and flirted with electronic music. Why is jazz the basis of your musical work today?

It's probably always been that way - without us even realising it. Through the hip-hop and house music that characterised our youth and the beatmaking, we got very involved with jazz, funk and soul (among other things to find cool samples). The fact that we then ventured into acoustic instruments ourselves and labelled our music as a form of jazz only came with the emergence of the aforementioned scene in London.

The tracks on your new album "A Place Between Us" are short. Almost like trap songs. The swinging "Krawall" could last twelve minutes, but it ends after less than two minutes. Why?

That happened completely unintentionally. Perhaps our beatmaker DNA or Gen-Z attention span got the better of us. In the end, however, we opted for a short version for many tracks because it was a priority for us that the album works as a whole and certain tracks therefore also appear in the role of an interlude.

When we perform live with our band as Okvsho +experience, we also improvise a lot, which is why most of the tracks no longer have a fixed length. The songs are always expanded live with new ideas and sometimes only have the chord progression in common with the original.

Can you remember the first moment when you realised that music would play a special role in your life?

Not really, but it was somehow clear to us from an early age. One of our earliest memories is the hours we spent dancing to Marvin Gaye and other Motown albums in front of the CD player in our mum's room.


Did you grow up in a musical household?
No, not specifically musical, but definitely very creative. Our father is a designer and there are a few other people in the extended family who are artistically active. Our father instilled a passion for the creative process in us from an early age. We actually burnt our first CD together with Garage Band beats when we were still at primary school. Having a platform for all kinds of creative projects was also a reason to found our label Current Moves.



Good keyword: your label. Isn't that work that distracts you from making music?

We've always been interested in what happens before and after composing and recording. We see it as ONE process. Therefore: no! We are also not completely independent, but work together with the French label Hip Dozer for distribution. This gives us a functioning infrastructure in the background, but we can make almost all the important decisions ourselves. The fact that we decided to take this step of founding a label is also due to the fact that there isn't really a home for this type of music in Zurich, but there are definitely some artists with similar ideas, values and goals. Current Moves should also be a platform and a community.

What has been the most glamorous moment in your music career so far?

In the backstage area of Bush Hall in London, where we played last year, Guinness is served in champagne glasses. Apart from that, things aren't too glamorous. But we really appreciate the travelling and acquaintances that the Okvsho project has enabled us to make. We've already played in South Africa and Dubai, for example, and are finishing our third European tour with the concert in the Central Laundry.

And what was the least glamorous moment?

It keeps repeating itself: When we have to unload the instruments at the end of a tour and lug them back to our basement studio in Oerlikon...

What is the must-listen record this year besides "A Place Between Us"?

"Pencil In My Pocket", the debut album by Sara El Hachimi. Sara also plays in our live band and is featured on our album. The record was also released on our label Current Moves, as was "Vicious Circle", the latest single from Calalloo.

If you had the choice: Who would be the dream addition to your band?

Our live band is a dream! The line-up has only become as fixed as it is today over time. The characters of the people played at least as big a role, if not a bigger one, than their musical ability. When playing together, these characters become very visible and are fundamental to creating the dynamic we are aiming for. That's why the question is difficult to answer, as we would first have to get to know potential additions personally.

A saxophone can either be the most melodious or the most terrible instrument in the world - depending on how you use it and who plays it. What do you love about the saxophone?

That's right! I'm sure you're referring to the saxophone in the intro to our album. It's a live recording from our last concert in Zurich at Exil, by the way. We tried several times to re-record the intro in the studio with saxophonist Sara El Hachimi - also using aids such as incense sticks and dim lighting, but we never achieved the same magic and gave up the endeavour. Perhaps this is because the saxophone sounds most alive and exciting in its rawness with the sound of keys and the hiss of escaping air. That's why the saxophone is so incredibly expressive and can convey emotions and stories - when a great saxophonist plays the instrument.

Which is the greatest classic in music history for you?

The track "Züri brännt" by Akira.