Parov Stelar and Band

Parov Stelar and Band

Parov Stelar and Band is the live project of Marcus Füreder, who lives and works in Linz, Austria. The act develops around a mix of jazz freedom, house groove and breakbeat, with a sound that sits between the club and the home listener. Its music is associated with nu jazz, electro swing, electronic, house and trip hop, and it is built around the idea of carefully arranged, functional productions.

Line-up and development

The live band forms in Linz and includes a core trio of musicians. Markus Ecklmayr plays saxophone and studies jazz saxophone at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz; he becomes a founding member of the live band in November 2005. Stefan Hölzl, the bass player, is born in Rosenheim, Germany, studies at the Anton Bruckner University in Linz and also becomes a founding member of the Parov Stelar live band. Andreas Lettner, a session drummer based around Linz and Vienna, joins the live band in November 2006.

Ecklmayr starts saxophone at the age of 11, passes his examination in 2004 and plays regularly with jazz musicians and other acts. Hölzl begins on violin as a child, takes up electric bass at 13, and has played in groups including The Royal Drive Affair, Notown Mash and Cyberfunk, performing hundreds of shows worldwide. Lettner works across different bands and artists, including Mono&Nikitaman, Sk Invitational, Lylit and [midshi], and presents himself as a versatile drummer able to adapt to many styles.

Style and activity

The project is rooted in the underground and focuses on detailed structures and themes. It combines the freedom of jazz with the drive of house and breakbeat, and Marcus Füreder also DJs and spins vinyl internationally. The live band is presented as an extension of that approach, bringing the recorded material into a performance setting.