SuperJazzClub - OFF (Single)
Photo Credit: David Nana Opoku Ansah
Ghanaian collective SuperJazzClub release their new single ‘OFF’. Their first single since signing to Human Re-Sources, the very label that vaulted RAYE and Lancey Foux to international acclaim.
Produced by two of the collective’s members Øbed and Ansah Live with additional production from DUKE, ‘OFF’ is a masterclass in sonic craftsmanship. Emblematic of the distinct sound the collective has been carefully curating over the course of their 5-year existence.
Initially lamenting on a love turned sour, the song begins as a warm and intimate R&B groove recalling Brent Faiyaz’s work with Sonder. Seyyoh - the group’s sole female member sets the scene with an effortlessly delicate vocal. With seamless precision, the track gradually modulates into an unassuming and percussive banger where Tano Jackson revels in the possibilities of exploring a still-lingering sexual chemistry with his signature conversational rap flow.
As what has now become customary of SuperJazzClub work, ‘OFF’ defies categorisation and oscillates between juxtaposing genres, tempos and moods. Resulting in a track that is informed by 90s R&B and Hip-Hop, UKG and further garnished with jazz-inspired piano flourishes and rhythmic patterns at home with contemporary Afrobeats.
Speaking on the song’s subject matter, SuperJazzClub said: “The song is about two ex-partners who ran into each other again. One party is trying to make the other entertain the idea of them getting back together but probably just for one night. The idea for this track came about after returning home from our European tour last year. Without even listening to the song, the title gives the mood of the song away. This was a very conscious decision to get the listener to go bananas when the beat dropped. It’s perfect for the clubs but also for hanging with friends in the living room,”
‘OFF’ marks SuperJazzClub’s first dose of new material since ‘AMINA’ and the final installment of their ‘ACT’ mini-EP series which spawned last year’s ‘Too Early’, ‘Paradise’ and 2022’s ‘MAD’ which to date has become their best-performing single on streaming services. These tracks cumulatively garnered critical praise and tastemaker support from the likes of Official Charts, CLASH, The Blues Project, Spindle, The NATIVE Mag, DUMMY, Nick Bright + Remi Burgz at BBC 1Xtra and Dotty at Apple Music.
Elsewhere, SuperJazzClub made considerable strides as an in-demand live act last year. Playing a number of headline shows and festival dates across Europe including The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, Brussels’ CORE Festival, Angoulême’s Musique Métisses, Paris’ We Love Green Festival and a sold-out headline show at London’s Paper Dress Vintage. They also took part in Soho House’s ‘Soho Rising’ international concert series performing at their residences in London, Brighton, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam. This coming May, the collective will be playing London’s Cross The Tracks festival in Brixton.
SuperJazzClub concluded 2023 with a spotlight feature in The Independent’s weekly newsletter and a coveted spot in Dazed 100. The needle-moving publication’s definitive list of the next generation of creatives driving youth culture forward. Speaking on what ‘OFF’ signals for the forthcoming months, SuperJazzClub said:
“‘OFF’ is almost an audio recap of all we have learnt and experienced sonically since our last EP in 2020. It's the best description of where SuperJazzClub is at the moment; a collective of creatives patchworking various influences together to create something that is cohesive and compelling”.