What’s Happening, Goran Kajfeš?

Swedish trumpeter, composer and bandleader Goran Kajfeš is a restless musical explorer. From genre-defying jazz collectives to collaborations with pop icons, his work spans decades and styles. Ahead of his performance at Tampere Jazz Happening with the hypnotic Tropiques, Kajfeš shares insights into his creative process, recent projects and what’s next on his ever-evolving musical journey.

What’s Happening?

I’m doing well. At the moment, I’m touring with my band Subtropic Arkestra and working on completing a new album. We recently released an album titled Atlas with the group Oddjob. We’ve been playing together for 28 years, and we’re still enjoying it and pushing our music forward.

Very soon, we’ll be releasing an album on We Jazz with Magnus Carlson and The Moon Ray Quintet, featuring jazzy interpretations of songs by Peggy Lee, Sufjan Stevens, Scott Walker and many others. I’m also continuing to tour with the new group Cosmic Ear, alongside Mats Gustafsson and the legendary Christer Bothén.

Oh, and I’ve also released a duo album with electronic artist Andreas Tilliander and done some touring with Gard Nilssen’s Supersonic Orchestra. It’s been a busy but very inspiring year.

You have recorded and performed with many high-profile Swedish pop artists and rock artists from Lisa Nilsson, Eagle-Eye Cherry and Bo Kaspers Orkester to Kent, Weeping Willows, Ulf Lundell and Tityo, just to name a few. How have these experiences shaped you as musician, composer and performer?

Every collaboration is fruitful, and there’s always something new to learn. I also really enjoy working across different musical styles, and arranging horns for pop acts is one part of that.

You play in a number of bands as a leader or a co-leader – Nacka Forum, Oddjob, Tropiques, Subtropic Arkestra, Cosmic Ear – and also work regularly as a sideman. Is there a common thread that runs through your music making, connects your playing – something beyond all styles?

There are threads that connect all these bands, and ideas often spill over from one to another. But it’s always important to me that each band has its own identity. Many of these groups have emerged from ideas I couldn’t realise within a specific band, which often led to forming a new constellation. I already have ideas for two new bands – I just need more time, hopefully soon!

The music of your award-winning Tropiques – which will perform now at Tampere Jazz Happening – has been tagged with something called ”hypnojazz”. Is this a valid description or definition? And what was your idea for the band in the first place, when you recorded the one-track album Enso (2017)?

Yes, that was my idea. It’s a kind of circular music that hopefully places the listener in a trance-like state. I noticed a tendency – both in myself and others – to consume music in short snippets, influenced by social media and a click-and-move-on behaviour. This was like a “slow food” concept, which I felt was missing from how people were listening to music. It’s about creating space for reflection, meditation and dreams.

What’s going to happen?

As I mentioned earlier, we’re working on a new album with Subtropic Arkestra, as well as fresh material with Cosmic Ear and Tropiques. So I’m feeling excited about what’s ahead. There’ll be more touring with the bands, which I still find incredibly inspiring. I’ll also be spending time with my modular synthesisers – always a real thrill for me.

Goran Kajfeš Tropiques
Sunday 2 November at 17.30
Tampere Hall, Small Auditorium