“It's hard to say. I guess a little bit of each is needed. I would like music to be art and an escape from reality. Music should put you in special states. From joy and dancing to crying and thinking. Of course, many of the lyrics also touch on social and political issues. We can not avoid this.”

Jure Tori: Satori’s Soundtrack 

SATORI, a six-piece neo-soul band from Zagorje ob Savi, Slovenia, released their captivating new single "Walking", the lead track from their debut album 'The Seat of the Soul,' (2026) out on Spotify and all major platforms. For North American listeners discovering them for the first time, SATORI arrive as something genuinely rare: a band steeped in soul, blues, jazz, and pop who have built a sound that feels both warmly familiar and entirely fresh, anchored by the extraordinary voice of vocalist Ursula Luthar and the rich keyboard and compositional vision of multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Jure Tori. The album behind it is a work of remarkable depth and ambition. 'The Seat of the Soul' was produced by Jamirko at Beyond Stereo Studio in Ljubljana. The ensemble includes Primož Grašič on guitar, Wolfram Derschmidt on double bass, Tijan Grašič on drums, and trumpet contributions from Gerhard Ornig and Jan Adamek across the album's ten tracks, with cover illustration by painter Darko Slavec and released on the Slovenian label Klopotec.

(Jure Tori / Photo by Iztok Zupan)

Tori's journey to this record is one of the more compelling creative origin stories in recent European music. Locked in his basement with his keyboards, he discovered the sounds of the Wurlitzer, Rhodes, and Hammond organ and recognised in them the palette he had always been searching for. He assembled musicians who could inhabit those sounds alongside him. There is, as he has noted himself, almost no music of this kind being made in Slovenia. SATORI are filling that space with something that belongs on the world stage, and 'The Seat of the Soul' is their opening argument.

Interview by Michael Limnios                    Special Thanks: Eric Alper

Jure, "Satori" means absolute peace. How easy is it for an artist to reach this state through music today?

Of course it's not easy. But music is a kind of yoga. At least for me. And when I'm in a creative moment, it's something that's hard to describe. There's no time. Thoughts run away. You just play, listen to yourself and enjoy the sounds. You play and develop a new song. Sometimes you just replay old songs. You develop your technique, yourself, ...

With Tori Tango, you bridged the Pannonian Basin with Argentina. What is the common element connecting these two worlds?

Emotions that flow from a song, from a musician who transmits his tones through his instrument to the dancers, to the listeners. I play my tango. My songs, in my own way. When I played solo on the accordion in Argentina and together with a poet, they said that this is real tango. That's why I think the main element is that you play what you live. That you are authentic.

Having spent three decades in Slovenian music, how has your home region of Zasavje evolved culturally? Are young musicians continuing your folk-rock tradition?

Music in my area is an important part of the culture. Quite a few young music groups have been established, and some of them are also very successful on the Slovenian music scene. Most of the groups are more rock or folk-funk. But we combined folk instruments with rock approaches on guitars, and added a brass section. That's why we are still interesting, different and appreciated.

“Globalization is definitely leaving its mark. The identity of musical genres is being lost, because we can hear blues, jazz or pop almost all over the world. And this is done perfectly. The production also goes in one direction. But there is still something rooted in us that is authentic. And you can feel it. People don't hear it, but they feel it.” (Jure Tori’s project, SATORI: a Slovenian band steeped in soul, blues, jazz, and pop / Photo by Ivan Zupic)

You have composed for animation, films, and children's books. What is the main challenge of composing for visuals and younger audiences?

My melodies are quite suggestive. You can quickly imagine a story. And the biggest challenge is to write a suitable melody for a moment in a film, for poetry, or a computer game for children. One that convinces and strongly supports the content.

With digital production dominating music, what is the future of acoustic instruments? Are we losing the beauty of "human imperfection"?

We'll see. I'm an optimist myself, because I see that there is still an audience that wants authenticity even with mistakes and imperfect playing. We are social beings. And if we lose that, then we are lost. I think that in the future there will be more and more demand for socializing, authentic, natural music that will be imperfect. At least our generation will appreciate it more and more. But young people are an enigma.

Does music streaming help local cultures stand out, or does it lead to a homogenized, identical sound worldwide?

Globalization is definitely leaving its mark. The identity of musical genres is being lost, because we can hear blues, jazz or pop almost all over the world. And this is done perfectly. The production also goes in one direction. But there is still something rooted in us that is authentic. And you can feel it. People don't hear it, but they feel it. 

How does the mindset of playing with a long-standing band differ from carrying a solo performance on your own?

The difference is huge. When you play with a band for 37 years, like I do with the folk rock band Orlek, it's very carefree and everything runs smoothly. Everything is clear. Even if something goes wrong, others find their way and resolve the situation on stage. But when you're alone, you have to play everything yourself. So there's no one to support you. Plus, there's less relaxation, which is why I don't like to do solo concerts. It's never as good as playing at home in your room, by yourself.

“Music in my area is an important part of the culture. Quite a few young music groups have been established, and some of them are also very successful on the Slovenian music scene. Most of the groups are more rock or folk-funk. But we combined folk instruments with rock approaches on guitars, and added a brass section. That's why we are still interesting, different and appreciated.” (Jure Tori / Photo by Iztok Zupan)

How much does live crowd energy affect your performance? Can a cold audience completely alter the emotional output of your music?

Of course, these crowds under the stage they give you a lot of energy. The energy flows from the musicians to the audience and back. And so we are all satisfied at the end of the concert. But sometimes the opposite happens. But that is rare.

Should music take a stand on social and political issues, or is its true purpose to offer an escape from reality?

It's hard to say. I guess a little bit of each is needed. I would like music to be art and an escape from reality. Music should put you in special states. From joy and dancing to crying and thinking. Of course, many of the lyrics also touch on social and political issues. We can not avoid this.

After so many years of composing, how do you handle moments when inspiration dries up? What helps you recharge?

I overcome this with walks in nature, sports, socializing with friends and my cats. What helps the most is a serious conversation with my partner. I also really like reading psychological books, which enrich me personally. It also helps that sometimes I write a song on the accordion, other times on the piano, even on the organ. The fact that I play in very different groups means that you never get tired of the same sound, the way of playing, ... But I miss longer summer vacations.

Jure Tori - Home

(Photo: Jure Tori)