Ever hear of electroswing? It’s a new genre combining modern dance music with classic swing dance tunes that has been gaining popularity around Europe in recent years.
One of, if not the, pioneers of the new genre are Parov Stelar, a jazz electronica band from Linz, Austria who are heading to Prague on November 10 to play the Lucerna Music Bar (tickets available from Ticketstream).
The group has become a YouTube sensation with their catchy swingalong tunes, which have also graced plenty of TV commercials a la Moby’s Play.
Speaking via email from Russia, where the group is touring in support of its latest record The Phantom, Marcus Füreder alias Parov Stelar said he and his band were looking forward to returning to Prague after April’s sell-out show at the Palač Akropolis.
“That was a magic event,” Füreder recalls. “When you have a concert for the very first time in a new country, well, you don‘t know what you should expect. But at the end the entire band was stunned and surprised. What an audience!”
Parov Stelar is also releasing a new five-track EP called The Paris Swing Box next month to mark the band’s fifth anniversary.
“The crowd will hear a lot of the new stuff,” Füreder says. “We always try to keep our shows fresh and up to date.”
The Linz DJ producer and record label founder described the new disc as “a box full of beats and the charm of a forgotten era.” In this case, it actually is a box, because the band wanted to hark back to the heyday of music packaging with a limited edition box set.
“We involved a painter who did the cover, label prints and inlays,” Füreder explains. “’Cause in our digital age….well how should I say – sometimes I miss the organic power of a physical record.”
Füreder adds that he is already working on the full length follow up to The Phantom which will be less floor-filler and “more in a jazzy, cinematic listening direction.” He hints at a few celebrity names that may be making guest appearances on the new record, but declines to name names.
Asked if he had anything to say to his Czech fans, Füreder replies: “Ladies and gentlemen – we LOVE you and can’t wait to have another great night in an amazing city such as Prague. Prepare yourself – we will have a loooong night!”
The Velvet Violin could not have summed it up better. In the meantime, check out the band’s video for Matilda, which has garned almost 1.2 million views on YouTube to date.
Comments are closed.