Indie
SJ Hoffman
Steven Borgerhoff (b. 1975) waited until he was 43 to release as SJ Hoffman his first album, so it took him quite a while to gain his momentum; thus the title of the album: “The Long Now” (2019). Despite the wait, it was never a matter of if for Borgerhoff, but always when. SJ Hoffman's sound is characteristic: atmospheric, intimist and somewhat dark pop. His goal is clear and ambitious: just as he was caught a thousand times by someone else's music, he hopes to touch someone with his music. Because music is emotion for SJ Hoffman, not an intellectual activity, rather an expression of what you otherwise cannot express.
Just over a year after the debut album, there was already the successor “Waves Holding Time” (2020) that sounds more adventurous and experimental than its predecessor, but still carries that clear SJ Hoffman stamp. Together with Clairval, SJ Hoffman embraced lockdown life to record 'Sweet Seclusion' (2021), which received 4.5 stars from HUMO, with the Belgian tastemaker calling it wonderful and especially surprising. SJ Hoffman plans to release his new album 'Redeeming Grace' at the start of 2025. The album will lean on the piano more than before. Inspired by Jackson Brown's 'The Pretender' and Leif Vollebekk's works, he aims to make a record that enters jazz and soul territory every now and then. Backed by a skilled group of jazz muscians, he delivers a strong collection of songs, produced by Sam Pieter Janssens.