Peter and Florian, better known as Boozoo Bajou, are two electronic music producers from Franconia, Germany. They have been making music together for over 25 years, and have released a string of critically acclaimed albums and EPs. Their music is known for its lush soundscapes, hypnotic rhythms, and soulful vocals.
Their latest album, ‘Finistère’, is a return to their roots, with a focus on slower tempos and more organic textures. The album features collaborations with some of their favorite artists, including Steve Spacek, JULES, Fürsattl, and MODALiST.
In this interview, Boozoo Bajou discuss the concept behind ‘Finistère’, their creative process, and their thoughts on the music industry over the past 25 years, among other things.
EG: Hi, Peter! Hello Florian! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Boozoo Bajou: We are doing very well, thank you for asking. It’s autumn here in Franconia and the trees are changing color a little later than usual. Peter lives in Erlangen, and I live about 20 km south of there, in Nuremberg, which is in northern Bavaria.
EG: First of all, congratulations on the release of your latest studio album, ‘Finistère’! You must be excited to share this project with everyone. What has the initial reception been like?
Boozoo Bajou: Yes, it was about time again, we are not the fastest when it comes to a high output of music. The last four albums came out about five years apart, now we’re almost ten years since the last one came out. We like to take our time and want it to be as mature as possible for us to share our music with the public. To be honest, we haven’t gotten so much feedback yet because we’re just getting started, but what we have got is positive so far, and we’re assuming the best.
EG: So, what’s ‘Finistère’ all about? Is there a concept to the album? What kind of specific themes and ideas did you explore during its creation?
Boozoo Bajou: We had been thinking for quite a while about what title the album could have, and of course, what kind of artwork would suit it. Peter had taken this photo 2 years ago in South/West France – Atlantique, on the beach where he had been spending his holidays for years. Finistere is the name or designation for an area – not directly there – more north of it in Brittany, and in Latin means “Finis Terrae” – the end of the world. The cover photo on the beach, and the name went together very well for us – but has no philosophical-abysmal background, but rather a pictorial mood. The 1st track on the album means “Penn ar Bed” – the beginning of the world, so the whole thing is nicely framed. We don’t set ourselves any targets, the creation of the pieces happens without time pressure and organically. Due to the period of creation, there is a certain natural cohesion between most of the tunes, which from the outside could suggest a concept, but which was not there. Because of our penchant for compilations, and the corresponding order of the tracks, a whole and round picture emerges in the course of the creation.
EG: Reflecting on your 25-year journey, how does ‘Finistère’ represent your artistic evolution and growth as musicians?
Boozoo Bajou: Since we have been making music together for almost 25 years, we know each other musically almost inside out after this time together. But that doesn’t mean that there are no surprises. However, as far as the quality of what we create is concerned, our inner indicators are already very well coordinated and synchronized. We would say that it is almost a brilliant achievement that in all these years there has never been a dispute about the musical quality or what we like – and that blindly. It’s just like being a couple who have been together for a long time.
“We prefer to rely on our inner feelings and let things happen. So far, we have mostly been right with this method”
EG: ‘Finistère’ is a sort of return to your roots. What are the specific elements from your early work that you wanted to revisit and incorporate into this album? Why did you feel the need to “look back” and what did you learn from the process?
Boozoo Bajou: I would answer it differently: There is no looking back, it’s just that there are certain things that we are particularly good at together in the studio. It starts with the speed of the pieces, the slower things just suit us better than anything over 100 bpm. I would say that’s just the way it is, or it’s just more in line with our common nature. There will probably never be a Gabber album from us. So we just try to do the best we can – repetition is possible.
EG: The album features collaborations with artists like Steve Spacek, JULES, Fürsattl, and MODALiST. Can you tell us about the roles these collaborators played in shaping ‘Finistère’?
Boozoo Bajou: MODALiST is a solo project by Peter Heider. JULES & Fürsattl are from our local circle of friends. The contact to Steve Spacek went through Alexander Nut, from Eglo Records. Ultimately, it’s about a process that happens while working on the pieces, and not a strategically checked-out plan of how the album should become. We prefer to rely on our inner feelings and let things happen. So far, we have mostly been right with this method.
EG: Do you have any personal favorites among the tracks on “Finistère”? If so, could you share why these particular tracks resonate with you?
Boozoo Bajou: My (Florian) favorite piece is ‘Penn are Bed’, because we pulled out a hat so easily. In addition to that, I think it has the same mood as the songs from our first album, ‘Satta’.
EG: As artists with a rich history, what do you consider the most significant changes in the music industry over the past 25 years, and how have these changes impacted your creative process?
Boozoo Bajou: Without any ifs and buts, the digitization of music must be mentioned first. It would go beyond the scope of the interview to name all the areas here. The availability of music alone would be a big topic in itself. There are many things that we don’t like about this development. But you can’t stop the wind from blowing. The way we release songs digitally has changed for us. You have to keep the send button pressed all the time, that’s our experience.
“Since we have been making music together for almost 25 years, we know each other musically almost inside out after this time together”
EG: What’s next for Boozoo Bajou? What new milestones are you looking forward to now?
Boozoo Bajou: Maybe it sounds a bit too simple, but the process itself is the important thing for us. The possibility to just do our thing and produce music. That’s just a damn good thing we enjoy most.
EG: Thanks for the time guys and all the best!
Boozoo Bajou: Thanks for having us.
Boozoo Bajou have just unveiled their latest musical opus ‘Finistère.’ Listen here.
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