Lemongrass
Espelkamp, Germany
Stories from the Ocean
Behind the Music
LemongrassThough English is not my first language, this did not hinder my excitement to be involved in the project as I resonated with the overall message of The Outlaw Ocean. I immediately utilized my creative impulse to create the music. I want my music to be able to transfer peaceful, soothing and empowering emotions. I want my music to show listeners that there is still room for hope and courage despite the dramatic and dark topics presented in The Outlaw Ocean.
About Lemongrass
The Lemongrass project was founded in 1996, in times when the world of the lounge and chillout genre were an undiscovered open field of creativity, which turned out to be the perfect playground for the musical interest of Roland Voss. Early days reflect his passion for cool rhythmic grooves. Later on, NuJazz, ambient, hip-hop, R&B, deep house, soul and lounge also made their impact.
Roland’s highly acclaimed debut album called “Drumatic Universe” came out on a small German imprint in 1997. Soon after, one of the hottest electronic music labels at the time, Mole Listening Pearls, was so impressed that it signed him straight away. When “Journey to a Star” was released in 2001, it became a timeless beauty considered one the most influential tracks for modern lounge music. Over time, a few more Lemongrass songs reached this height, such as “Feel Good,” “Got It On The Dancefloor,” “I Miss You (feat. Jane Maximova)” and “Blue Skies In Your Eyes.”
Ever since Lemongrass’ fourth album, “Windows,” got released by Water Music Records for the U.S. territory, Lemongrass became a big seller overseas. Lemongrass is big in Japan and Russia. The label “Receptortune” released four albums and took the band on three live tours across Japan in the early 2000s.
In 2019, Lemongrass was invited by NYT journalist Ian Urbina to participate in the highly acclaimed “The Outlaw Ocean” project, which resulted in the release of the EP “Stories From The Ocean” in January 2020.