Formula Indie Sessions Interview with Jan Dintheer

What is your earliest memory connected to music?

I think my earliest musical memories are of watching my father perform. He was a member of a traditional Swiss yodelling club, and I would often go along to listen. Sometimes I would even stand with them and join in the yodelling.

How did your passion for creating music begin?

I started out in a very traditional way, playing different roles in my school orchestra. Then, at the age of twelve, I picked up the electric guitar. From that moment on, I really immersed myself in music.

What’s the story behind your current music project?

In 2022, I completed my Master’s degree in Jazz Composition and Arranging. As part of my studies, I wrote music for a jazz large ensemble. For many years I’ve been fascinated by the sound that can be created with 15 to 20 musicians.

Later, I decided to revisit the music, revise the existing pieces, write some new ones, and eventually record my debut album. The compositions are highly complex and explore a wide range of themes. I often work conceptually, drawing inspiration from things outside of music.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?

That’s a difficult question. My music is rooted in academic contemporary jazz, with influences from metal, while also embracing melancholic moods and textures. Overall, it’s definitely not easy listening.

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?

There isn’t just one thing. It’s really a combination of many different ideas. One important realization is that you can get anywhere from any starting point, as long as you find the right transition. Another is that absolutely anything can become the basis of a piece of music: a number, a fruit, an abstract thought. Everything is possible.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?

My computer is absolutely essential because I use notation software to write my music. Manuscript paper, the piano and my guitar are equally important parts of my creative process. 

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?

At the moment, I’ve been listening to Yvonne Moriel and her quartet SWEETLIFE. I saw them live at jazzahead! in Bremen this April and was absolutely blown away.

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?

Whether consciously or unconsciously, personal experiences always influence artistic work. Travelling has been a great source of inspiration for me, as it allows me to experience different cultures and leaves me with impressions that stay with me for a long time.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?

I hope people discover that you can achieve and explore a great deal if you’re willing to commit yourself fully. That idea is reflected in the album’s title track, Tiger’s Den, which is about venturing into unknown places despite the risks that may be waiting there. Throughout the piece, the listener explores a cave with its twists, turns and dark passages. It was the very first composition I ever wrote for a large ensemble, a highly complex work with frequent meter changes.

What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?

That music is more important than the concept behind it. This idea has become a fundamental principle in my compositional process.

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?

I would love to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival one day.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

That’s a tough one. There are so many inspiring artists out there. The first name that comes to mind is the Metropole Orkest. It would be incredibly exciting to hear my music performed in that setting.

Where can our listeners follow and support your music?(Website,Spotify, IG, links)

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?

I’d love to make another jazz large ensemble album. Writing music for twenty musicians and organizing, financing, producing and releasing an album on that scale is a huge undertaking, so it’s never something you can take for granted.

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?

I hope they’ll discover an artist who continues to grow and evolve in interesting ways.

If you want here you can add a representative Youtube video to insert below the interview 🙂