Red Bull Music Academy presents JESSE and Jimi Tenor
Sax, retrofuturism and disco music
Whichever musical path you’re on, chances are you might meet Finland’s iconoclastic Jimi Tenor, in the kind of resplendent gown that Joseph would be jealous of. Originally inspired by industrial electronics and techno in the 90s – when he and his band The Shamans fashioned homemade instruments out of recyclable materials – he’s since taken his cult following on the scenic route. From jazz-tinged afro-beat with his groups Kabukabu or teaming up with Tony Allen, to psyched-out soul with Nicole Willis, to eastern bansuri Zen and sub-sonic dub with Academy alum Desto, Jimi has walked his own path, at once mindful and considerate to new and young collaborators, yet with a bittersweet tone all of his own. Here he is joined Finnish hell-raisers and Academy grads Jesse, who have been working with Jimi Tenor since 2012’s Karaoke King, fusing their unique blend of synthesized world disco. Capable of Harley Davidson levels of analogue noise, Jesse’s world of 80s workout videos, sleeveless denim jackets and ZX graphics collides spectacularly with Jimi’s own DIY mentality in a way that will likely prove too much for our familiar reality.
