Anatole Muster at Band on the Wall
Johnny James, Managing Editor
Ever wondered what it would sound like if you combined the hedonistic peaks of electronica with the technicality of jazz and the maximalism of hyperpop – all led by an accordion? Of course you haven’t. Nor has anyone, ever. Apart from Anatole Muster, a Swiss London-based producer and accordion phenomenon, who’s coming to Band on the Wall this April.
At only 23 years of age, Muster has already found a sound that sets him apart, propelling him to perform all over the world, selling out out shows everywhere from London to Los Angeles while appearing at well-respected festivals like Montreux Jazz Autumn of Music and Rio Montreux Jazz Festival. He’s also collaborated with genre-bending heavyweights like Tennyson, Kiefer and Louis Cole, and won fans in the likes of Jamie Cullum.
His first album, Wonderful Now, released in 2024, found Muster journeying through a wild array of styles, collaborating with musicians from across the board, including singers like M Field and Juliana Chahayed. Muster’s own voice features a lot, too. It’s the first time he’s sung on his music, and it brings a beautiful, vulnerable edge to tracks like ‘Girl in my dreams’ (above).
On that track and many others, Muster’s technical proficiency on the accordion is wild. Although it’s not a traditional jazz instrument, the way he plays it, with unmistakable melodic phrasing – it really works. But it’s just one tool in his arsenal; he creates most of the sounds you hear on the record, while writing the lyrics and producing everything.
An instrumental highlight is ‘Auntie Mable’, which starts with a voicemail Muster received from the aforementioned Louis Cole (2024 Grammy nominee for Best Alternative Jazz Album): “Hey man, I tried to record some drums for this track and they’re not very good…I think it’s cause I s-u-c-k”. Cole then proceeds to burn the house down with an outrageous, bouncy drum track, while Muster improvises breezy accordion melodies, cushioned by warm synths.
On the poppier side of things, the title track is the one, featuring internet-sensation singer Juliana Chahaye. A sugar rush of trancy synth stabs, wistful accordion solos, and nostalgic, breathy vocal lines combine on the most immediate track on the record – and one that shows just how versatile a writer and producer Muster is.
Album number two is already lined up, with Hopecore dropping sometime in May. It’s hard to predict where Muster will go from being “wonderful now”, but we look forward to getting a taste at Band on the Wall.
