For over 20 years, Sons of Ra has fused jazz, metal, and prog into a bold, evolving sound. With Standard Deviation, they push boundaries further—sonically, emotionally, and experimentally.
1. Sons of Ra has been blending progressive
rock, jazz fusion, and heavy metal for two decades. How has your sound evolved
leading up to Standard Deviation?
Erik Oldman: The inception of the band was an improvised
music ensemble to play over some recorded beat sequences as a last-minute
fill-in for a monthly electronic music-based show in Chicago. The approaches of
improvisation and experimentation, combining different idioms in our original
compositions within a jazz-based context, are something that has remained at
the core of what we do.
We’ve gone
through several stylistic iterations in our lineups, from a jam-jazz-rock trio
with a live drummer in our early days to evolving into more of a progressive
metal instrumental trio when we came out of hiatus ten years ago.
We evolved
the sound to a much richer and dynamic format as a result of the pandemic.
There was
plenty of time to pause for thought on what kind of music we wanted to make and
a chance for further exploration. I was getting into ambient looping and
working with a guitar synthesizer, starting to hear a fuller sound beyond just
guitar, bass, and drums.
Keith Wakefield, our bassist, was getting back into playing
tenor saxophone again.
When we
were able to start jamming after 18 months of the pandemic, the horn became
another melodic focus for us. We also wanted to start working with looping
technology and synths to expand our sounds live. We went back to working on
playing through some jazz standards to help us figure out the mechanics of
switching and managing looping live.
The other
side of it was ditching the progressive metal format and developing these new
instrumentation centers as the core voice of the band.
We wanted
to explore being heavy without the typical trappings of progressive metal while
allowing Mike Rataj, who is a
relatively new member in our history, to bring in more of his rhythmic
influences and sensibilities to the material that was new, but also to some of
our older stuff we wanted to reinterpret.
2. Your new album features interpretations of
compositions by jazz legends such as Carla Bley, John Coltrane, and Don Ellis.
What inspired you to incorporate these artists’ works into the record?
EO: John Coltrane is a significant influence on us
as composers and instrumentalists. “Alabama” is still a relevant reflection of
the times we live in here in the US, and it served as inspiration for the piece
that segues into “Disintegration”.
We chose
Carla Bley’s “Vashkar” from the perspective of playing heavy jazz, drawing on
the Tony Williams Lifetime version and an interpretation of the original
arrangement.
We wanted
to have something swinging, bluesy, and weird on the album that could serve as
an expanded ensemble piece live. Don Ellis’s “Upstart” really fit that template
right away.
“Nature Boy” is one of Keith’s favorite classic standards. The Coltrane version is pretty legendary. We also wanted to bring in some of our other influences to take it somewhere different, yet within our style.
3. You’ve independently released several EPs,
with Tropic of Cancer gaining
international acclaim. What made now the right time for your first full-length
album?
EO: We recorded Tropic of Cancer and
the material that comprises Standard
Deviation in the same sessions. While we were starting to mix, we realized
it made more sense to release 'Tropic of Cancer' as a standalone EP.
We were in
the right place at the right time for releasing “Standard Deviation”. The label
we’re working with heard about us through our PR campaign for “Tropic of
Cancer.” They liked what we did and wanted to work with us. By the time “Tropic
of Cancer” was out, we were just
starting to mix “Standard Deviation.” So, getting the release together went
pretty smoothly.
MR: It takes bands a bit to find their sound,
especially when you’re throwing around so many genres. We spent the last few
years practicing these sounds & now we’re finally getting it out there.
4. The band has a strong presence in Chicago.
How has the city's music scene influenced Sons of Ra’s style and approach to
songwriting?
EO: For me it’s a combination of experiences:
Coming up through the metal scene,
having into some great mentors while I was in college here, namely
composer Bill Russo, and being exposed to a lot of different genres while in
high school and college, experimenting with noise, hardcore, dub, Afro-Cuban
music, the alternative rock of the time… all of it helped broaden my musical
palette, I sort of stuck with an experimental approach and keeping an open mind
as I developed as a guitarist and composer. It could also be something in the
water here *laughs*.
MR: There are so many unique shows to
see that you subconsciously end up incorporating stuff from every set you
watch.
KW: If you listen closely to my playing
on both Sax and Bass, it is very blues-based.
That comes from growing up here.
One of the first albums I had as a kid was a vinyl record by A.C. Reed,
a Chicago blues saxophonist, that a family member gave me. But I also agree with Erik & Mike; there
have been and continue to be some great songwriters in Chicago. They all influence me.
5. Your lineup features guitar, drums, bass,
and saxophone—an uncommon combination in the heavier music world. How does this
instrumentation shape your songwriting and live performances?
EO: it’s the core of what we do live. We switch roles and instrumentation
during songs. Having both the guitar and saxophone allows us to have multiple
melodic lead voices. We also utilize looping and synthesizers to add layers and
depth to the pieces.
Because of
how we perform, it’s helped us think beyond a typical power trio in terms of
arrangements and also conceptualize more modular arrangements that we can
augment with other instrumentalists live when needed.
KW: And it is just plain fun to switch instruments and roles!
6. The album was recorded with Spenser Morris
and mastered by Alan Douches. How did their contributions shape the overall
sound of Standard Deviation?
EO: Spenser has a long relationship with us as a
live sound engineer. We always have great live shows when he’s on the boards
for us, and he approached us about recording several times. He also has a
fantastic attention to detail and a way of explaining things in a non-technical
way that helps us get the best sound possible. Lastly, he was the arbiter of
all my guitar solos. I went into the recording process and wanted to be
entirely in the moment with soloing. He kept me on my toes if something sounded
off to him.
Alan was
recommended to us by the label. He was great to work with and brought a sense
of clarity to the album’s final sound.
MR: Working with Spenser on live music
just helped us form a relationship & he seemed to understand what we’re
trying to do, while giving it that heavier sound.
Alan’s mastering
took it to the next level & just made every dynamic we tried to do shine.
Hearing the A/B mastering was so great to experience & fully appreciate.
7. Can you tell us more about the creative
process behind your original compositions on the album? Were they written
collaboratively, or did each member bring in distinct ideas?
EO: It’s a combination of all of the
above.. “Intrepidation” has been with us for a while, and we wanted to record
the final version. “Disintegration” was written and arranged during the
pandemic and brought to the band fully formed. “Lividity and the Ascension” and
“Porous Silver” were written as-is. “Don’t Know Yet” and “Outside Looking
In” were done a bit more
collaboratively.
MR: Erik is a highly talented
songwriter, so most of the parts were there, and then it’s the timing of
playing it live & practicing & demoing that you start to feel the whole
song. We’ll continually fine-tune until the drums are done in the studio, &
even then they’ll hear new guitar, bass, or sax parts. We like to hurry, but we
don’t want to rush.
KW: Erik does most of the writing, but we are open to anyone bringing in
ideas or covers. We arrange songs as a
group effort, so it best works with our tastes and skills.
8. Your music merges intricate jazz elements
with the intensity of progressive metal. How do you balance technical
complexity with emotional impact in your compositions?
EO: From a composition perspective, I’ll paraphrase
John Coltrane: “The emotional impact is all that matters.” The rest of it is
just practice. The process of how we arrive at our note choices is much less
cerebral than it used to be in the past.
MR: We were having a conversation about this on our most recent tour, and
we're technical, but we do it in a jazz and conversational manner rather than
just trying to hit every time signature on our records.
My goal is
to make it groove and flow the whole time. It’s more enjoyable to me that way.
KW: We are aiming for emotional impact.
The technical complexity is a byproduct of who we are. The fun thing about this band is that we are
not trying to hold ourselves back for some kind of pop or mainstream
objective. We are putting our whole
selves into attaining a goal.
9. The album art was created by Chicago artist
Nick Gurley. How does the visual aesthetic of Standard Deviation tie into the music and themes of the album?
EO: We’ve collaborated with Nick on several design pieces, including the
cover for the “Cognitive” EP. I am a
fan of his aesthetic as a painter, and he’s able to tap into emotional
expression visually through the music we create. He is also very easy to work
with from an art direction perspective.
This
release was pretty straightforward. We sat down together with some sketchbooks
and moodboards over a series of weekends , and he nailed both the album art
theme and the art for the t-shirt and model for our latest animated video
“Upstart.”
10. You have several live dates lined up,
including the album release show at Reggies in Chicago. What can fans expect
from your upcoming performances?
KW: A good time!
We are way more of a live act than a studio act.
11. With a two-decade career, what have been
some of the biggest challenges and triumphs in Sons of Ra’s journey?
EO: Time continues to be a challenge. Ultimately,
figuring out who we are as a collective identity and arriving at what our sound
is, during this recording cycle, was both our biggest challenge and triumph.
12. Finally, for those new to Sons of Ra, what
track from Standard Deviation would
you recommend as the perfect introduction to your sound, and why?
EO: The track “Don’t Know Yet” really gives the new listener a lovely sonic landscape.
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