Jan Gazarra

Jan Gazarra has a knack for charming the ladies, which we learn from the very intro of the record. This rings true when the last note is played. We are transported from beginning to end through a body of beautiful songs and changing states of emotion. "Love Rules" is a record that dissects and celebrates love. Sometimes in the manner of Marcel Proust and sometimes like a soap-opera on cable TV. Those who open up to it, won't remain unscathed.



Be it intoxicating happiness, unbridled anger or deep melancholy, Gazarra's slightly cracked voice mirrors most varying emotional conditions like a faceted prism. It tells us of brief encounters and lost passion, of clear, starry nights and familiar streets. The stories merge to create a feeling that lives in the magic of new beginnings.



Gazarras lyrics are marbled with popular quotes and his music sprinkles subtle elements of R'nB and Minimal Techno between the lines. This offers a colourful base for his song-writing, which relies on polyphonic guitars and gentle beats. With deft fingers, he moulds catchy tunes that stick in your head for days. The record is comprised of exactly ten such songs that cover a range from the dance floor hit "The Actress" over upbeat hymns to delicate gems like "Saint George Lullaby".



"Love Rules" contains many declarations of love, but one of the most beautiful ones is dedicated to Hamburg's quarter located at the central station, St. Georg, where Gazarra lives at the heart of a busy music scene. In "Upstairs Of Social Hell", he contemplates the scenes below from his window like a dandy, only to drop his guard in the next moment and face us like a small boy in his late thirties, offering his most moving moments in staves, refrains and closing pieces that overflow like a dam in the rainy season.



The album is being released through "Sunday Service", which is reason for great exitement for everyone involved. Jan Gazarra is a great post-modern songwriter who has brought us an album for people in love and people who look forward to falling in love again, because it promises the eventual return of the ever-changing.



"Love Rules" is Jan Gazarra's second solo album after "I've Come To See You Once Again" (Ladomat, 2002). As in his debut album, Jan Gazarra worked with various guest-musicians and producers for "Love Rules" such as Peter Kersten (Lawrence), Benjamin Wild, Alexander Polzin, Andi Maid (Kid Alex), Carsten Meyer (Erobique, International Pony) and Jörg Follert (Wechsel Garland). A promotional tour with a complete band is planned for the end of the year. Beside his solo project, Gazarra also plays with the Stoned Eagles (12-inch on Mirau Musik in autumn) and in a proper rock band, Black Star, whose debut album can be expected in the coming year.