Meet Stratøs | saxophonist // composer // producer // photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stratøs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stratøs, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think most creatives are told to “take risks” but it’s never really explained how. Many of us can’t afford to take many financial risks, so taking creative risks can be tricky since the two are often linked. For me, I’ve taken a couple of big risks in my career so far. Going to college for music, becoming a composer, then a producer, and then a photographer. I juggle saxophone, composition, audio production and film photography which means I don’t practice one discipline as much as say, someone who just plays saxophone might. I constantly go in between whatever I’m feeling or whatever needs to be done. It’s a little bit scary because as a jazz musician, not putting in hours on your instrument a day is pretty looked down upon. I had to (and often still do) ask myself “is it okay that I didn’t play saxophone this week?” When in reality, the reason why I didn’t play that week was because I was practicing composition, audio production, film photography, or some combination of all four. One could argue this isn’t a risk because as an artist, I NEED to do these things. All four of them are equal parts of the story I’m trying to tell. The risk I’m taking is exploring these disciplines the amount they deserve, and I believe it’s made me a more well-rounded, complete artist. I think it’s necessary to put yourself out there in this way. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a player of improvised music is that the best musical situations happen when the ensemble is taking risks. If we all played everything “correctly,” what would be the point? This principle translates well to living life, and I try to incorporate it in all parts of my craft, not just music.

I just released my debut Album Planets on all platforms, and I utilized all parts of myself to create it, even photography. If it weren’t for the risks I’ve taken to try to enrich my artistic narrative, I don’t believe the album would be as interesting. Another risk is that I’m releasing the record independently. As a still relatively obscure artist, dropping a record independently is a monumental task that can easily end in remaining in obscurity. However, owning your music is powerful. It’s yet another thing you learn as an artist on a path that requires risk. And since these are life pursuits, there’s always something to learn. I’ll use the experience of releasing my first record to explore new concepts in the next.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a musician and film photographer. I play saxophone (and flute sometimes), compose, and produce. Currently, I’m most proud of my debut album Planets that was just released on all platforms October 1st, 2021 I think what sets me a part is my influences and how I utilize them. My musical style pulls from multiple genres like jazz, hip hop, metal, classical, and electronic music. however, this is pretty common nowadays. What I think sets me a part is exactly which influences I choose to draw from. Saxophonists Gerry Mulligan, Paul Desmond, and Stan Getz were my earliest influences before I discovered John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter. Some of my compositional influences include Kenny Wheeler, Ravel, Debussy, Prokofiev, Maria Schneider, and Frank Carlberg. I think the biggest inspiration in my music and photography comes from manga and anime. I started consuming manga and anime long before I became an artist. I think this is what sets me a part the most. It’s not new for artists to be heavily influenced by anime, we have artists like Flying Lotus and Thundercat to look to for that. However, the way I incorporate manga and anime into my work is a little more subtle. You wouldn’t be able to tell from just hearing my music that it’s rich with references to anime unless you’ve seen or read the series yourself. I like to title my tunes after meaningful phrases I’ve heard or read, and try to create landscapes that mirror narrative shapes you might find in a series. I like to take the essence of an interesting character in a series and give them musical form. I do this while drawing from all of my influences to create something new. It might be a beat with a Dilla-style groove that draws upon Bach-style counterpoint that focuses on Yusuke Urameshi’s inner turmoil when faced with the possibility of taking a human life for the first time. Like all artists who are working on making music true to themselves, I feel that there is no one else who is doing what I am doing, or at the very least, doing it exactly the same way that I’m doing it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Kalamazoo, MI, so if one of the homies came to visit, we’d probably go to Fourth Coast/Crow’s Nest. Fourth Coast is one of the popular coffee shop here in town, and Crow’s Nest is the breakfast joint right above it. Very good stuff. Kalamazoo (as well as Grand Rapids) is known for its beer, as its the home of the award winning IPA “Two Hearted.” I’m not a huge fan of IPAs, but a lot of my friends are. In Kalamazoo, we’re a 2 hour drive from both Chicago and Detroit, so if anything is happening in those cities like a jam session or a concert, it would be pretty easy to go, and worth it since those cities are historically known for their robust music scenes. I’m originally from Ann Arbor, MI, so it would be fun to take a trip back home to go to Fleetwood diner, Blimpy’s, or Zingerman’s. Lots of stuff to do in the mid west!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Yes! So many people. My parents, sister, my girlfriend, my teachers, my colleagues from BANFF, and my wonderful friends. There are so many people who have given up so much of their time and effort to support me. I quite literally would not be where I am without them.

Website: https://stratostones.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stratostones/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stratostones

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stratostones

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoODhMOrJxGh7Q-c8awaA4w

Other: bandcamp: https://stratosmusic.bandcamp.com/album/planets

Image Credits
Stratøs, Landon Lacey, Julia Moffa.