Synth jazz splits the night like a rainbow through the cosmos. A skyline of cyber funk and muzak on steroids lies beyond the horizon - let’s go to funk city!
Inspired by western and Japanese groups from the 70's onwards, Stockholm-based Paradise League creates music within the realm of contemporary jazz with a touch of electronic pop. The new album is out. It's about love ♥ #heartstuffalbum
Joel Nyman (tpt), Gabriel Dahl (b), Ludwig Sievert (kb), Linus Fritzson (dr) and Oscar Olsén (g) met in 2014, while studying music in the South of Sweden. They quickly united in the name of jazz fusion and the first four held a weekly session, playing funk jams, fusion hits from the greats and a few originals. After just one performance the project was disassembled, but the following school year Nyman rallied a different group in a similar fasion (feat. Olsén).
In 2017 all five members were studying at the Royal College of Music (KMH) in Stockholm. Initiated by Nyman, the band came together as Joel Nyman Paradise. During this period they met American drummer Christian Levens, an exchange student from Texas. For various reasons the drummer seat switched between Levens and Fritzson, most notably during a tour in Estonia with Levens on drums. In fall of 2018 this alternative line-up traveled to Texas for a three week tour, performing at clubs and schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
As both Nyman and Dahl brought material to the table, the groups repertoire started to take shape. The debut Welcome To Paradise was recorded in April 2018 and released in February the following year. Shortly before the release, Fritzson quit and Finnish drummer Aleksi Ylimäki took his place. With Ylimäki on board the group set out to record their second album Let’s Go To Funk City in April 2019. This record was put on hold, as the band took time to reconsider their artistic vision and image. This led to a name change from Joel Nyman Paradise to Paradise League during summer of 2020. The release of LGTFC followed later that year.
In spring of 2021 the group recorded and filmed six new songs. This makes up their third album Megaburger (May 2022), aslo to be seen on YouTube in video format. Later that year an exclusive live video of the song Starlight Palace was released; a collaboration with saxofonist Tomoaki Baba through Kansai Music Conference Japan. This was recorded during the same session as their fourth release (their third studio album) Heart Stuff, which was released on Oct 20th 2023. During the "Heart Stuff" tour the band performed at the legendary jazz club Fasching in Stockholm.
