The Jass B’stards Release ‘Dead Bossa Nova’, Using Faustian Archetypes To Symbolise a ‘Dance with Death’

The Jass B’Stards recently released a single ‘Dead Bossa Nova’ with a video which uses footage from the 1926 FW Murnau movie ‘Faust’, with an introductory theme from a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest staged in Barcelona in 2003, scored by lead vocalist Stefan Kaye.

Keeping in line with the story of Faust, the song’s theme revolves around the seductive and destructive allure of a malevolent force, symbolised by a demon and the mysterious ‘Dead Bossa Nova’ dance. It explores the idea of succumbing to forbidden desires and facing the consequences of making deals with dark powers, resulting in an inescapable dance with death, akin to a Faustian pact with the devil.

Interestingly, the video is a labour of over two years with the band action edited into the actual scenes from the 100 year-old movie and the song predominantly features a live recording that has been carefully mixed to achieve a studio-level sound quality.

Watch the ‘Dead Bossa Nova’ video here and head to The Jass B'stards' artist page for more information.

Words by Urmimala Mukherjee