Nu Jazz — a modern style combining jazz improvisation, electronic music, and soul groove. History, key artists, and its influence on the lounge and downtempo scene.
Nu Jazz (also known as electro-jazz or future jazz) is a modern genre that blends jazz improvisation with electronic music, funk grooves, and a lounge atmosphere.
The genre emerged in the late 1990s as both a response to the renewed interest in jazz and to the growing popularity of the electronic music scene.
History and Formation
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Late 1990s: In Europe and Japan, DJs and producers began experimenting with jazz harmonies, live instruments, and electronic beats.
The pioneering projects included:-
Jazzanova (Germany) — creators of the term nu jazz,
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St. Germain (France) — fused house and jazz (Tourist, 2000),
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Koop (Sweden) — jazz blended with soul vocals and broken rhythms,
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Nuspirit Helsinki (Finland), Bugge Wesseltoft (Norway), The Cinematic Orchestra (UK).
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The genre quickly became associated with “intelligent lounge” and sophisticated electronica.
Sound and Characteristics
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Rhythm: ranges from downtempo and broken beat to smooth house.
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Instruments: live instruments — saxophone, double bass, keys, percussion — are combined with electronic samples.
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Character: melodic, deep, with a refined atmosphere and an improvisational spirit.
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Influences: acid jazz, trip-hop, lounge, soul, funk, deep house.
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Mood: relaxed, intelligent, yet rhythmic and sensuous.
Key Artists
- Jazzanova
- St. Germain
- The Cinematic Orchestra
- Koop
- Bugge Wesseltoft
- Nuspirit Helsinki
- Parov Stelar
- De-Phazz
- Lemongrass
- Kruder & Dorfmeister
- Nicola Conte
- Club des Belugas
Modern Scene
Today, Nu Jazz is an integral part of lounge and chillout culture.
Its sound can be heard in restaurants, art spaces, and festivals such as Montreux Jazz Festival and Sonar Barcelona.
New artists blend jazz with neo-soul, deep house, lo-fi hip-hop, and electronica.
Nu Jazz remains one of the most flexible and “intellectual” forms of contemporary music — a bridge between tradition and technology.
“Nu jazz is the space between improvisation and algorithm — live sound breathing through a beat.”
Nu Jazz is music of freedom, form, and feeling.
It proves that jazz isn’t dead — it simply learned to sound digital.
