Sumooi by Sumooi

OUI058: Sumooi / Sumooi

Sumooi is the newborn project of Daniel Jonkers (Sonic Hug, N∆BOU), Leonard Steigerwald (ALIGAGA, BSFOE) and Stan Maris (Kreis, Kin Gajo), an acoustic trio navigating the space between composed ideas and improvisation.
Their self-titled debut album features original pieces by all three members, shifting between calm, spacious moments and rhythm-driven interplay.

Unusual in their instrumentation, the trio finds form in fluidity, drawing the listener into each moment — a thoughtful first release from a group listening closely, to each other and to the music as it unfolds.

Style wise one can recognize influences of Scandinavian artists like ADHD or Skuli Sverrisson and Belgian artists like Joachim Badenhorst or Ruben Machtelinckx.

In Luminousdash: 'Sumooi paints seven landscapes in yellow, ochre, and brown—or was it pink, red, and purple?—on their debut EP. Melodic and soothing, in a language that primarily aims to reassure, and we could all use that now and then.'

Stan Maris - accordeon:
Stan Maris is a Belgian accordionist and composer, primarily active in the jazz and improvised music scene. Besides his solo work, he is the bandleader of the folk-jazz-cinematic trio Kreis and the jazz-groove/hip-hop hybrid trio Kin Gajo, which was nominated for Jong Jazztalent Gent 2024. Other projects include the free-improv trio Ocean Eddie and the more textural bands Suura and Erem. Stan has worked and played with artists such as Sofia Jernberg, Robert Landfermann, Joe Talia, Praed Orchestra, Nate Wooley, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, and others.

Leonard Steigerwald - piano:
Leonard Steigerwald (born in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1992) is a Brussels-based musician.
After many years as a drummer, during his studies at Conservatorium Maastricht he discovered a strong fascination for the piano and decided to pursue his further musical life on this instrument.
After a bachelors degree in Maastricht followed a masters degree at Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel under the guidance of musicians such as Diederik Wissels, Stephane Galland & Jeroen van Herzeele among others.
Ever since leaving the conservatory in 2021 he is very active on the Belgian music scene being a sideman/co-leader of multiple projects such as: ALIGAGA, Abstract INC., BSFOE, Sumooi, Jazmyn with which he has performed a number of concerts all over Europe and has recorded more than 15 albums.

Daniel Jonkers - drums:
Daniel Jonkers, 1993 born in Geleen (The Netherlands) is a Brussels based drummer. He is very active in the music scene in and outside of Brussels since moving there in 2015. He completed his Bachelor of Music at the Conservatory of Maastricht in 2016 with Ron van Stratum and Arnoud Gerritse and he finished his Master of Music with, among others, Stéphane Galland, Kris Defoort and John Ruocco in 2018.

Daniel performs in all kinds of bands with many different constellations where either he co-composes/arranges music for or is active as a sideman.

Some currently active bands are: Aligaga, Sumooi, Nicolas Thys “Sound Circus”, N∆BOU, Louise van den Heuvel “Sonic Hug” or Lennert Baerts “Profound Observer & Bert Joris”. 

In 2025 he will release several compositions written by him under the name “Whispering Trees” together with Yu-Ting Li and Vitja Pauwels on the label Télès Music.

Off is a Belgian based label founded by Alain Lefebvre in 2007. You can visit the full site at:
https://off-recordlabel.blogspot.com

Instagram
Facebook
Twitter