It was 15 December 2022, and I was on a ICE train from Paris to Kiel, Germany. I recall there was some football match (the seminfinal of the World Cup) going on, and I was in a middle of – or should I rather say amidst – a moving situation.
Suddenly, I overheard a conversation between a man and a woman, they were speaking about Paris, culture etc., they were speaking American English, and it felt very international, and I recall, the guy was on the way to Berlin, a DJ, on his way to a gig. I added some remark in English, just to show, that I also am international, can’t remember what I said, but this is not so important.
At some point he got out, probably due to changing train connection to Berlin. I told him I had this music promotion site, and he told me his Insta (Instagram), I told him about BigUpMusic.com (Insta: @BigUpMusic_com), and we exchanged contacts.
So that is how I connected with DJ Lord Jazz > Insta: @lordjazzlotug
Back then, I was living in Paris, and my ex, the film producer from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Karishma (https://www.karishmachoudhury.com/) had just split up with me, or we had split up with eachother, anyways, and had left me before Christmas, so I was sort of feeling a bit wary and had the blues, and I was clearing our flat, Rue Jean-Jaurès 100 in Villejuif, South of Paris, (great flat, 3 rooms, but without proper heating, and with two old fashioned French style windows, which made the winter almost unbearable temperature-wise), which we had shared, where new windows were supposed to be installed in January, so it wouldn’t be so cold in the next winter, so, basically, all plans lost, and me on my way to Kiel, Germany to get a Citroen Jumper, and get all the stuff out, to eventually hand over the flat back to the owners (French: propriétaires).
Actually, I returned to Paris after having slept over in Kiel on 15 December 2022, planning to find a flat mate and not give up my Paris plans, and there was one response to my flat-sharing ad, WG-Gesuch (French: Demande de colocation), and a job interview, but too late, hence January 2023. So in retrospective, I wonder where I would have been, if I had stayed put in Paris, would it have worked out with the co-tenant, and/or with the job?
These are crossroads in life, which I now associate with Portishead – Roads, or Coldplay – Parachute (album, especially the first two songs Don’t Panic and Shiver). Karishma and I attended a Coldplay concert, when I arrived in Paris 14 July 2022, on the French National Holiday with fireworks on the autoroute. And yes, half a year later, it was a tale of breaking up, having gone all in, and acknowledged that we should have observed eachother more, before moving together after a long distance relationship. In any way, it was life changing for me, the whole experience, and returning to my place of birth, Paris, reconnecting to my French roots. And whenever I hear the song I promise by Radiohead, I will think of the last days in this flat near the metro Louis Aragon, when she silently left me. I will remember the walks in the sunshine, alone on Rue d’Italie, with my flipflops, knowing that times are a changing, understanding each Love Song probably of all times, especially Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye, and what has this got to do with DJ Lord Jazz and HipHop? Well, Eminem’s new album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) has just been released, 2024 is going to be very interesting, historic year, and I survived. I also think this is what music, especially HipHop, is about, being honest, spitting out lyrics that tell the honest truth about life. Although not having referred to any song in HipHop culture by now in this post, I will say, Guts Over Fear – Eminem, really does sum up, what I went through back then, and if it weren’t for HipHop, Dancehall, Sean Paul feat. Sasha – I’m Still in Love With You and many other artists, including Milky Chance – Flashed Junk Mind and The Magician feat. Years & Years – Sunlight, I do not know, if I had been able to pull through. So I hope this may serve as an inspiration, to never give up!
Also, as I now have mentioned mainly male artists collaborating with female artists, I do want to emphasize two bands, I recently heard here in Leipzig, Germany, with female vocalists:
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- Dakka Skanks with female vocalist Clara Dyrne (played on 23 June 2024 at Augustusplatz, Leipzig, where I heard them live – https://www.dakkaskanks.com) – ska, punk, soul, reggae – this band actually needs an own more detailed promotion post > Insta: @dakkaskanks
- Hum4n Being with female vocalist Claire Wulf (just had a release party and first gig at Werk2, Kokille, Leipzig on 22 June 2024 – rock & cover songs (I heard them first time playing outside/busking, covering Just Like Heaven – The Cure (Acoustic Cover) at the Saxony Bridge, when I was invited to their first gig) here is a link to Just Like Heaven – The Cure (Acoustic Cover) > Insta: @human_being_offiziell
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6UB-Qgo5lF
I especially am happy about the release of Underserving Man, as I did advice the singer Claire Wulf to release this song on Youtube, after I heard it sung/played live on 22 June 2024 at the Kokille, as it is very unique.
Here is the intro from Youtube to the song, which of course sounds even greater live:
“We all have this woman in our lives. A friend, a sister or perhaps even our mother. We love her dearly and she lights up our lives. But… there’s a man in her life bringing her down, crushing her spirit and her beauty. We’ve been helplessly watching for weeks, months or even years. But, no matter what he does to her, she won’t leave him. We want to be good listeners, not overstepping our boundaries with our advice, chosing our words ever so carefully. But inside, we may be screaming and shaking her! If she keeps on letting him ruin her life, she will lose her heart, her mind and her soul – to an undeserving man. This song gives voice to the desperate frustration and anger we feel with our loved ones in this situation. We love you and we see you.
For more content and concert announcements, follow us on instagram: @human_being_offiziell Credits: Music and songtexts: Claire Wulf Music and composition: Jose Armando Contreras Mendez Drums: Nicolas Rivera, Producer: Bruno Rudolph Albarran Photography: Oliver Kraus Instagram: @oegonblick ℗ 6729949 Records DK.”
So yeah, life stories, and now I am writing this (very unconventional and personal) promotion post, today, from Little Paris, as Goethe called Leipzig, and yes, man, DJ Lord Jazz, thank you, everything does happen for a reason.
Eventually, I moved the stuff out exactly New Years 2023, with the two neighbours in the 5th floor partying, and me carrying all to the lift (from 6th floor), to then drive out of France on 1 January 2023 in the morning, hardly haven slept, and, not planning it, actually almost doing exact the same thing/move one year later, New Years 2024, however, this time from Kiel to Leipzig, which then was postponed to 24 March 2024, and this is done!
I recall telling DJ Lord Jazz about my situation very briefly, including why I was on this train, and his very wise response was simply “Everything Happens For A Reason”. It was only a minute or two, standing in a German ICE train, and yet, now, on 24 July 2024, I finally can talk about it. Now I am in Leipzig, and happy to say: Yes, everything happens for a reason, and DJ Lord Jazz i a really cool DJ, whom I am proud to introduce on BigUpMusic.com with this funny and legendary life anecdote.
So yeah, these epic life episodes make up who we are, and now I am glad to fully understand, who I actually met, on this casual day, and check out more of his art.
In this sense: BigUp DJ Lord Jazz!
Photo Credits:
https://djlordjazz.com
My exact train connection was:
Ihre Reiseverbindung und Reservierung Hinfahrt am 15.12.2022
Halt Datum Zeit Gleis Produkte/Reservierung
Paris Est 15.12. ab 08:54
Mannheim Hbf 15.12. an 12:17 3
TGV 9551, 1 Sitzplatz, Wg. 17,
Pl. 52, 1 Fenster,
Nichtraucher unten,
Carre,
Res.Nr. 8769 1211 2607 58;
STADRV
Mannheim Hbf 15.12. ab 12:32 2
Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe 15.12. an 14:43 3
ICE 370
Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe 15.12. ab 15:21 3
Kiel Hbf 15.12. an 18:42 3
ICE 74