Anaves Music is an explorative reggae music label. Led by Austrian producer, Sebastian Schwager, their interpretations of the genre are incredibly multilateral and thrive on cross cultural references. They borrow from hip-hop, R&B, soul, blues, and funk to celebrate the fluidity and versatile grace of reggae as a genre. ‘Bass Jam’ is the label’s latest musical production. A twelve-track album featuring over ten collaborating artists. With creative ideas and presentations blending on a spanning scale like this, the tracks play like recorded jam sessions. You can hear the creative passion, the improv, the subtle synchronicities and diversities. Listen Now!
1. Congratulations on the release of your album, ‘Bass Jam’. Really enjoyed the eclectic interpretation of reggae that it came with. What sparked the creation of the album and what do you want your listeners to take away from it?
The album mostly consists of previously released tracks. The basic idea was to push and promote these tracks again in the form of a joint album. And there were new songs. The idea of a debut album was also an incentive in itself. Listeners can expect a cross-genre listening experience, with the focus on Jamaican music in all its variants.
2. Stylistically, you’ve always been one to color outside the lines. What would you say was the primary appeal of reggae to you? And how does its essence allow you to make it your own?
Reggae is the basis of my musical approach, just as it was the basis for the emergence of many music genres in the history of music, e.g. hip-hop or jungle music. There is so much uplifting energy in the offbeat feeling with that bass melody in the focus. And I try to develop this feeling further with other influences from trap, lofi or jazz. Reggae and Jamaican culture has been with me for more than 20 years and I probably won’t be able to get rid of this habitus.
‘Rise Again’ opens the album. Featuring Bandulu, the track rises and falls slowly like the waves of a calm sea. The groove is mellow and the beats evolve through dynamic arcs; touching on reggae and then some hip-hop. It sounds like the contemporary version of Harry Belfonte’s style with its lo-fi ethos and slow-evolving sonic characters.
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The vintage passion for reggae as a soulful endeavor is what you’ll see in ‘Reggae Resurrection’ showing Awa Fall. They drive to its essence and revive the genre’s connection with peace, revolution, one love, and community. ‘Follow Dis Yah Sound’ with Dr. Ring Ding. A complete blend of hip-hop and reggae; intermingled in the most complete and comprehensive way. ‘Purification’ ft. Kol EE aka King D is marked by similar characteristics.
3. We see a lot of collaborations on the album. Can you tell us a little bit about the artists you worked with and how they contributed towards bringing your vision to life?
Without these great artists the album would have been difficult or even impossible. I really love this form of collaboration. An instrumental is created at home on my laptop or in the studio, and afterwards a singer sends me the vocals for it. It always feels like a present for myself when I get the vocal stems. I choose the international singers because I’m a fan myself. For local artists, I also see my label as a kind of platform to introduce them to a wider audience. Lyrically speaking, they have a lot of freedom in our collaboration. But there are texts that I wouldn’t release on my label.
4. Who were some of the reggae artists that inspired you? And how would you say the genre has evolved into the 21st century?
Many reggae artists from Germany introduced me to reggae in the first place, for example Gentleman, Seeed or Patrice. I’m also still a fan of many great Jamaican artists of the 2000s, such as Sizzla, Lutan Fyah or Capleton. On the one hand, cool developments are currently taking place, but on the other hand, the same porridge is often cooked over and over again. But it will probably always be like that. More innovation within the genre would be desirable.
Tracks like ‘Lo-Reggae’,‘Forward Dub’, and ‘Still Dub’ dilate on the blues contained in reggae, letting it take the lead. We see some jazz flows, funk brackets, and even EDM quotients flowing into classic reggae rhythm signatures. ‘The Secret – Three Lake Music Remix’ and ‘New Seed’ featuring Thera P sparks the album with fresh ideas. It goes deeper into the EDM-reggae fold, sparking it with some Latin pop.
5. ‘Bass Jam’. What is the significance of the title and how does it pull the theme of your album together?
In Bass Jam, the bass plays a central role in every track, be it through the melody itself or through the mix and mastering. DJs and people from the industry have already told me that the bass is very dominant in most tracks. Also, for me, any kind of soundsystem party is a form of bass-heavy session. Thus, the cover artwork of the release fits in with this.
6. Finally, what are some of the projects/ releases that you’re currently working on?
The album marked the completion of my biggest project to date, including in terms of marketing and promotion. Now energy is free again for new projects. There is still a riddim compilation project, as well as a few singles that will probably be released in the fall.
All these tracks effectuate a connection between the contemporary and classic; not only within the reggae fold but across the genre board. Everything is worth exploring, with each idea presenting itself as an endless thread of possibilities. If you want to be inspired by intuitive artists with great creative design, then this album is definitely the way to go.
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The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music!
You can listen to ‘Bass Jam’ by Anaves Music here –
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