Jazz, techno, punk or funk: Space Tigers

Vanja Kevresan of Space Tigers on the trio’s eclectic live shows mixing jazz, techno, funk and hardcore.

“I studied jazz guitar at university in Graz, and I’ve been teaching jazz guitar and jazz improvisation in Belgrade since 2012. However, Space Tigers is about music we love that doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with jazz. Our first record, [Real Sofa Techno Jazz Surfers], is a recorded jam session; a modern mix of funk and jazz which is played a lot in New York, but more aggressive and punk with distorted guitars. These days, we try to focus more on electronic elements, layering loops, but more like underground hardcore techno, mixing it up with odd beats, and I’m also trying to emulate synths without losing my original guitar sound. Right now, our concerts float between these two worlds, the sound of our first record, and the electronic stuff we’re currently working on. Our setlist depends on our mood and the venue, though. Sure, we like to play at jazz clubs, but why not add rock festivals to the list? We also played KitKat Club, which fit perfectly. We check out the audience, the venue, how many people there are, and then we decide if we play it more groovy or hardcore, or with a clean funk sound. We want people who don’t know a lot about jazz to find something in our music that they love despite the more difficult and complex structures.”