As Danish jazz duo Bremer/McCoy hit the road this autumn with their latest album Kosmos, we caught up with bassist Jonathan Bremer and keyboardist/sound designer Morten McCoy to talk about music, inspiration, and life on tour. Known for their laid-back, analogue-driven sound that blends jazz, ambient, and minimalism, the duo share stories from their early days playing together, their favourite records, and what makes Berlin so special. In this interview, they give a glimpse into the ideas and experiences that shape their music – and what fans can expect from their upcoming shows across Europe.
Questions and Answers:
3 FACTS
1. Music is frequencies expressed over time.
2. Year 0 is closer to the invention of the internet than to the building of the pyramids.
3. Water had never run upwards before modern irrigation.
11 QUESTIONS
What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
Bremer/McCoy: Mostly life itself and things we meet on our way. Instrumental music is an expression of things that cannot be put into words – the inspiration can come from many places.
How and when did you get into making music?
Bremer/McCoy: We both went to a very creative, free-spirited school as kids. That’s where we met and started playing together. Years later, we met up again and started writing our own music.
What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
Jan Johansson – Jazz på Svenska
Barrington Levy – Poor Man Style
Yusef Lateef – Eastern Sounds
Studio One Dub Vol 1
Nick Drake – Pink Moon
What do you associate with Berlin?
Bremer/McCoy: Culture – Berlin is so lively and there are always interesting things happening. Also, there is so much history in Berlin, which is interesting to dive into.
What’s your favourite place in your town?
Jonathan Bremer: My favourite place in Copenhagen is a café in my area called Friheden. It’s cosy and the coffee is good :-)
If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
Bremer/McCoy: Meditate, philosophise on being. Hopefully have some fun as well :-)
What was the last record/music you bought or listened to?
Jonathan Bremer: Bill Evans – A Simple Matter of Conviction. It’s a nice, classic trio record from one of our favourite pianists.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Bremer/McCoy: Andre 3000 would be awesome to play with. We’ve always been fans of his.
What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
Bremer/McCoy: We played in Stavanger on our last Scandinavian tour, and that was magical. It’s impossible to know when the inspiration will really strike. You do all you can to make the conditions as favourable and pleasant as possible, but at the end of the day you can only hope and trust that ideas will come and you will be in a state of flow.
How important is technology to your creative process?
Bremer/McCoy: We are not very high-tech, but that being said, we do use technology a lot. For example, we have a reel-to-reel machine that we use for a delay effect, and that gives a beautiful, spacy dimension to our sound. Even the piano and double bass are essentially technology, so in that way, technology is important to us.
What can we expect from your upcoming shows in Germany?
Bremer/McCoy: You can expect to hear songs from our entire catalogue, as we will play the tunes we find most inspiring to play live. You can also expect us to be very excited to finally play in Germany for the first time :-)
Germany Tour dates
23 September – Frankfurt, Brotfabrik
25 September – Cologne, Stadtgarten
26 September – Freiburg, Jazzhaus
27 September – Dortmund, Domicil
8 October – Berlin, Silent Green
