Deerfoot
(Self-Titled)
Instrumental - experimental - exponential funkadelic jazz rock from Canada's newest groundbreaking groove jazz quartet - Deerfoot
Deerfoot is Dean Faulkner (guitar), Ryan Timoffee (keyboards), Kurt Ciesla (bass) and Ron Samson (drums). The Canadian band is an instrumental quartet influenced by jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop, avant-garde, and modern electronica. Their philosophy of pureness and honesty invents music that is spontaneous and improvised in sound, yet highly arranged and organized in format. The outcome is the creation of impulsive and original beats that fuses genres together into funkadelic electric jazz rock.
Deerfoot was formed in 2004 by Timoffee as part of a project experiment to meld various styles of music. He called up his long time friends to come to Toronto during breaks from their other tour obligations. Following a rehearsal week, they prepared for the full scale production and have just released their first full length recording.
It is evident that Deerfoot’s songs are based on an extensive knowledge, an intensive background and a distinct outlook in all music. All of the band members have formal musical training in various genres and credit their experiences within the industry as a factor in their abilities to collaborate and compose songs together.
With the band’s high quality of musicianship, open-minded approach and inspiration to a variety of influences, they create a fresh concept and vibe that is seldom felt in today’s radio-perfect digital hell. All of their songs have some element of improvisation while one senses that they aren’t driven by an adherence to the rules but by natural intuition when it comes to their music.
Deerfoot’s songs range from a duet between the upright bass and fender rhodes (Soviet Street Ballet) to an ambient floating groove song based entirely on improvised breakbeat patterns (Elves on Patrol). Marshall Bomb is an example of the band meshing different genres starting with a classical violin riff leading into an avant-garde freely improvised section before ending with a folk melody played on the mandolin and baritone guitar. Timoffee says the tune depicts the nuclear testing done on the Marshall Islands at the beginning of the cold war. The tune peaks when four “bombs” are dropped followed by the nuclear “fallout” and musically improvised “desolation”.
Nawakht is another ambient groove tune based on a popular Middle Eastern Muwashah rhythm of the same name. It starts in 7/4 before transitioning to 5/4 with the third section in 4/4 before returning to the original melody. The bass line adopts the traditional rhythm while the other instruments layer on an organic trance-beat. Bags of Fun is an upbeat funk tune featuring a melody written by guitarist Dean Faulkner inspired by popular instrumental 70’s funk outfit “The Meters”. Other tunes ”Stretched” and “Harm” written by drummer Ron Samsom explore more acoustic timbres featuring Timoffee on acoustic piano and Ciesla on the upright bass. Harm, the only slower track on Deerfoot’s debut recording has a haunting melody that is enhanced even more by Timoffee and Faulkner’s slightly outside harmonic adaptations.
Self-described “weirdos,” their interests and experiences in the industry have lead to this maniacal and nonsensical merging of genres that pushes to the edge of musical styles. However, the serious attitudes and capacities in their music are often offset by an eccentric sense of humour and constant pranks and jokes in the studio. For example, Faulkner made the wearing of fangs mandatory on all recording sessions. There’s also no surprise that the names of a few of their songs have double meanings, mostly inside jokes between the band members.
Deerfoot’s origins stem from a 1998 band consisting of Timoffee, Faulkner, Ciesla and drummer Ryan Vikedal (of Nickelback fame). “After our first session we knew it was one of the best jams we ever had. We were speaking to one another through our instruments.” says Faulkner. “We always knew we would eventually record this stuff.”
As Vikedal left to tour full-time, Timoffee went on to complete his post-secondary classical piano studies, while Faulkner spent the next couple of years studying graphic arts and composing. Throughout the years, they often played together in various bands. Ciesla went on to become part of the well-known Canadian Juno Award winning group, the Corb Lund Band, which he is still involved with.
It is apparent that Deerfoot’s formation took years of dedication to music and to friendship.
Other than having Samson join the band, they feel the only other difference is the improved quality of their playing and compositions. They bring new experiences with them to every session, making the music better and better every time they meet.
Jazz: Weird Jazz