Bas Jan

Bas Jan’s latest album ‘Baby U Know‘ was released on Lost Map Records 28/01/2022.

“The point where The Slits and The Fall meet SLapp Happy and the Iliad, Bas Jan do high-art pop on a low budget, their violin-heavy second LP another showcase for the untogether brillliance of Jarvis Cocker collaborator Serafina Steer“ 9/10 MOJO

” Full of emotional U-turns, musical detours and conversational leaps, Baby U Know demands and deserves undivided attention.” 4/5 UNCUT

It “recalls the off-kilter mantras of The Slits and The Raincoats, especially the slightly sinister act of adoration that is You Have Bewitched Me, but adds a cool, satirical gaze and eerie strings to the mesmeric mix” according The Scotsman. 

“Baby U Know marks a consolidation of Bas Jan as a four piece,” says Serafina. “It was recorded at Cafe OTO in London over three days and then finished with Capitol K at the Total Refreshment Centre in London in September 2020. Getting the Arts Council Funding and making the album represented a coming together out of the solitudes of 2020, carving out the possibility of a future for the band at a time when Brexit and Everything cast all those things very much into doubt or, at best, made them a very low priority. The time constraints of having to finish the record before one of the band entered third trimester of pregnancy, and with a winter lockdown pending, probably added a rawness to these recordings. It’s kind of a pragmatically hopeful record.”

Bas Jan’s debut album ‘Yes I Jan’ was released on Lost Map Records in February 2018. The record features the combined talents of Steer, Sarah Anderson (electric violin & OP1), Jenny Moore (drums) and Emma Smith (bass guitar). It was recorded by Capitol K, Leafcutter John and Leo Abrahams. The album launch party took place at Total Refreshment Centre, Dalston with Steer, Emma Smith (violin) and Rachel Horwood (drums) and Sarah and Jenny joining for ‘King Of Holloway Road’, support from SDF.
This was followed by a remix mega mix tape- ‘Yes We Jan’ featuring remixes by Natalie Sharp (aka Lone Taxidermist), Jason Buckle (All Seeing I), Benge (Wrangler), Hannah Peel, Ube Babae (aka Rachel from Trashkit, Bamboo and Bas Jan), SDF, Chooc Ly Tan (FKA Spacerwoman), Danelaw, Lunch and Gameshow Outpatient (composer Matt Rogers).
They have been championed by BBC 6 Music’s Marc Riley. Bas Jan have performed (at The British Film Institute) & recorded with Jarvis Cocker on an adaptation of ‘Likely Stories’ by Neil Gaiman for Sky (See ‘Listen’ below). They have performed live at Serpentine Summer Pavilion in london, Green Man, End of the Road and Supernormal, as well as BBC 6 Music Live and Radio 3. Last summer they performed at Berlin’s Wassermusik Festival ‘Brexit- Goodbye UK and thank you for the music’, along side Scritti Politti.
In November 2018 they released ‘Instant Nostalgia’ EP on 12 inch vinyl with Rachel Horwood on drums and Emma Smith on Violin. The album launch took place at Five Bells in New Cross with support from Clementine March. At that time, they also toured the UK supporting Drinks (Cate Le Bon and Tim Presley). 

 Reviews for Bas Jan’s debut album ‘Yes I Jan’-

 “MESSY MAJESTY”, UNCUT 9/10.

“BEAUTIFULLY FRACTURED ART-POP”, MOJO 4*.

 “DAY-TO-DAY STORIES FULL OF UNCANNY POP PUNK MAGIC” , THE QUIETUS. ‘Yes I Jan’ was also included in The Quietus albums of 2018 list.