Artist Profile – Jef Stott
I was recently back in Joshua Tree, California for the 7th Annual Joshua Tree Music Festival, where I have been a volunteer since the first of these fantastic music festivals. I was thrilled to learn that Jef Stott would be performing twice at the event. First it was his performance with his group, the Embarka Sound Project, and then the next day he performed with Jossi Fine, an amazing bass player and world musician. Both shows were amazing, mixing sounds from the Middle East and the West. Jef is a true world musician, and although the Oud is his main “axe”, he can break it into various instruments. I had a chance to meet and talk to Jef after the second show. I found the history of him fascinating. He has a very diverse musical background, being a musical anthropologist, and has collaborated with and produced many talented musicians.
We had a short interview. Here is the first part:
>I’m here with Producer/Songwriter Jef Stott, who just finished a great set with Yossi Fine. You also performed last night with the Embarka Sound System with Hooman. What is it like playing and producing artists with such different styles and backgrounds?
“Well, for me, playing with artists from all over the world is what matters to me. Each person brings with them a sensitivity and orientation to their culture that is expressed through their music. You can learn a lot about someone and their heritage by playing with them. Even people from different regions within the same county have different versions of the same tune. Regional rather than national differences, smaller, more subtle changes. Plus, most lines on maps are arbitrary anyway. There’s also the concept of time, many people from different backgrounds are playing music that is a key or a door to a different way of life. One where we weren’t so rushed and multitasking all the time. I often look up from a nice long jam session and like 3 or 4 hours have gone by and it seemed like 45 minutes and to come full circle I feel like this music is looking to the future where new things are being tried combinations to see what fits. The global fusion music movement is the future mu sic, where people all over the world are going to start pushing back with really hot beats and these beautiful old tunes. we’re already seeing it now in India, Brazil, Egypt, etc… it makes blues or rock and roll seem pretty flat.”
>What is your musical background? What instruments have you studied/played?
“I started playing acoustic guitar in high school. I quickly transitioned to electric and became the lead guitarist in heavy metal bands when I was 15 years old. I played in rock clubs in Los Angeles as a teenager. Then I discovered Eno, Peter Gabriel., The Clash, and the whole world music explosion that happened in the ’80s. Lots of albums, got a couple of titles and here now I can say I play the following string instruments, acoustic/electric guitar, bass, oud, saz, cumbus, yali tambur (Turkish), santoor/hammered dulcimer (Persian), mandolin, banjo, etc. percussion, Arabic percussion: darbuka, riqq, tarr, bendir daff (Iran) djembe conga drum kit, etc. I’m a decent keyboard player and I also play harmonium and melodica on dub jams.”
> How did launching Saracen last year change things for you in terms of your overall exposure? I guess the world tour was amazing?
“Yes, definitely. Signing with Six Degrees has been my goal for many years. I approached them in ’99 with the Stellamara project, which I was one of the founders of, and we were in negotiations and things got weird with the band. internally and we all parted ways for a while. But I kept my connection to The Label and here we are 10 years later… So Six Degrees really put me on the map and I’m grateful. The experiences I’ve had in the past 2 years have been a dream, sharing the stage with some of my heroes, Gaudi, Makyo, Karsh, Cheb I Sabbah, etc… I feel like I am a couple of these artists now and I feel good Tokyo, Vancouver, Taipei, everything has It’s been amazing. So many stories…”
>You have an incredible depth of knowledge of music, Jef, having studied it anthropologically, as well as having collaborated with and produced so many great musicians, like Yossi right here at the Joshua Tree Music Festival. How has the Global Electronica movement grown? Do you think its popularity is growing in the United States?
“I think it’s moving slowly, but America is pretty insular and self-centered, it’s a rock city, electronica is still marginalized, although I’ve heard rumors that disco will take over hip hop in the next few years… The people sometimes don’t know how to process this music. The rest of the world is so interconnected. I mean France and Morocco are neighbors, right? The flow is more fluid elsewhere, here’s this big corporate umbrella called America. That it’s why I moved to San Francisco from Los Angeles where I was born, I wanted more connectivity at street level I think the movement is growing, many of the best producers live here, ickodemus, Zeb, Chehab, etc… but there is no that. a lot of work for us. We have to travel constantly to keep busy. The festival circuit is really growing and that’s great. I heard the lineup at J Tree Fest was really global this year, and that’s a good thing. the music a is very well suited to outdoor festivals, as it carries with it a lt in the sense of festive and ritual purpose. The origins of all this fusion music are rooted in street parties and ceremonies around the world, so the purpose of the music is in line with the goal of many people who come to a festival like Joshua Tree, to reconnect with the Earth. the people, the spirits”.
>What are your plans for the future (musically)?
“Well, now I’m finishing a master’s degree in multimedia and that’s kept me pretty busy for the last 6 months or so. Our thesis project is a biofeedback installation that uses brain waves and biosensors to control audiovisual media. There’s a site website that has more information at sutilbody.info In fact, I really want to go back to the studio and write new material. I feel like I’m in one of those nodes where everything starts again, the cycle is complete. That’s when I say “what the hell am I going to do now?” The Saracen stuff was stuff I had been playing live for a while and I’m really ready for new stuff. I think the next batch of tracks will be on the deeper side and not as concerned with following up. the BPM or DJ trends of the moment. Things are so fickle that way. This approach may cost me a few gigs, but I need to be true to myself and work with whatever comes out. Like lusher deep soundscapes with strong rhythms and deep melodies, which all sounds good to me.”
BIOGRAPHY
“Jeff Stott’s first feature film delivers a potent mix of electronic and Middle Eastern music that hits all cylinders. Stott not only knows Middle Eastern music, but is an outstanding producer and musician, with respect for what’s ahead. of the”.
-From BILLBOARD MAGAZINE
Currently signed to Six Degrees Records, Jef is releasing SARACEN, his debut full-length solo album in spring 2008. His sound is a powerful fusion of Middle Eastern traditions with breaks, dub and electro. As a producer, performer and composer, he has released albums with Stellamara, Lumin, the debut of young Arabic rock/electronica sensation MC RAI, as well as various remixes including Azam Ali, Cemali, Atash, among others. He toured extensively with appearances in Japan, Canada, Turkey, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. As a musical anthropologist, he has studied with master musicians from Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, and Turkey, leading him to master various traditional Middle Eastern string and percussion instruments. His work has been released on various record labels including Universal, EMI, Six Degrees, Hearts of Space, Triloka, and City of Tribes.” Jef lives and works in San Francisco, California. Learn more about Jef Stott at www. jefstott.com.