JOEL SARAKULA

In the organizer's words:

Imagine Ray Manzarek as the frontman of the Bee Gees. That's an apt visual description of Joel Sarakula, a UK-based Australian artist who composes, produces and sings soulful pop while looking at today's world through vintage glasses, vintage clothes and long blonde hair. His music is characterized by a rich, 1970s-inspired sonic palette that draws on influences from soft rock, funk and disco: sunny, fast-paced jams for darker times.

Joel Sarakula has traveled the world in search of his muse, experiencing everything from carjackings in the Caribbean to gigs in remote fishing villages in Norway, before finally establishing his career in the UK and Europe. Since then, he has released albums such as 'Island Time' (2023), 'Companionship' (2020), 'Love Club' (2018) and 'The Imposter' (2015), which have earned him a lot of media attention.

It has been a long road to his current cult status: he started playing the piano at a young age in a suburb of Sydney, wrote and sang his own songs as a teenager and was on stage at his local golf club at the age of fifteen, playing jazz standards. "I come from humble beginnings, I'd rather not talk about that", as he sings in his 70s and boogie-influenced song "I'm Still Winning". Joel Sarakula is a permanent fixture on the festival and club scene and has already performed at the SXSW, Primavera Sound and Glastonbury festivals. A staunch internationalist, he tours with ad hoc bands that he puts together in each country he performs in: a band from Barcelona for Spain, one from Berlin for Germany and so on. This cross-cultural exchange is another echo of the 1970s, when globally traveling soul and pop artists from the USA did the same, and ensures that his live shows remain fresh, exciting and absolutely contemporary.

Joel Sarakula's latest album "Soft Focus" (2024) is a mid-career album that brings together his diverse influences and genres such as soft rock, funk and indie pop, all under the umbrella of his soft gaze and "mellow" aesthetic.

Joel Sarakula is currently working on a new album, which he will present on tour.