DIJF SANDERS

Dave “Dijf” Sanders is a musician whose every project is a unique surprise on its own—and his latest release, 2017’s JAVA, is no exception. Originally from Ghent, Sanders is a traveler and multi-instrumentalist producer. Since 2004, he’s been exploring the blurred lines between electronic music, jazz, and psychedelic melodies. And to do so, he draws inspiration from faraway lands.

Named after the Indonesian island located between Sumatra and Bali, Sanders’ latest album takes a psychedelic and modern trip to Java, from its smallest settlements to its cities. During this journey—which can be likened to leading 20th-century ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax’s travels—Sanders amassed an incredible repertoire with the support of the International Arts Festival Europalia and KAAP. He traveled and took recordings with American ethnomusicologist Palmer Keen for two weeks, during which time he was introduced to local instruments such as the kacapi, kendang, angklung, calung, and gamelan. Upon his return to Belgium, Sanders took these field recordings of Java’s lush musical scene and headed straight into the studio, where he collaborated with Nathan Daems, Filip Vandebril, and Simon Segers from Black Flower, a Belgian Ethio-jazz dub ensemble known to flirt with Eastern melodies. The album consists of nine impressive tracks that reflect Java’s traditions, the rhythm of both urban and rural everyday life, and the fertile nature of the island, all with a touch of jazz.