‘a directive to a musician to change something’

Niche live performer, DIY producer and London-based french composer roscius has spent the last years building himself a unique reputation in the alt music world. He launched his debut vinyl WMD#1* in a London Art gallery in 2015, where he performed whilst artist MRSCMillo painted the hand-numbered and signed sleeves in real time. (*= World Minimal Disco). 

Since then, eps and single releases have been flowing, with premieres on Clash Music, Xlr8r, Trax, or french Radio Nova, to name a few. Now a regular at Glastonbury and Wilderness Festival, roscius has recently joined international line ups at Amsterdam Dance Event (NL), We Love Green & InaSound (Paris), Hong Kong’s Clockenflap, FOST summit (NYC), Cyprus’s Afro Banana Republic. 

Mastering the art of improvisation, combining percussion experiments, lyric-less vocals, rare live sampling and harmonization skills, roscius “creates a unique and absorbing soundscape, genuinely innovative and emotional”. Touring independently around the globe also enabled him to collect handmade music instruments, from West African bongos, South American shakers, Asian gongs, Armenian tambourins to a small japanese analog keyboard (bought in a vintage market in Berlin); 

His most recent asset being a chromatic balafon made in Burkina Faso, which he plays the non traditional way, in order to create his very own organic musical and cinematic journey, sailing from an acoustic version of acid house to a warm minimal and progressive techno, with subtle touches of nu jazz, drill patterns, bulgarian inspired choral music, baile beats, neo classical textures or even elements of UKG, depending on the mood. His peculiar way of blending genres whilst live looping enabled him to share stages with heavy waits such as Crazy P, Jon Hopkins, Francesco Tristano, Coco Maria, Keiichiro Shibuya, Mikky Blanco, Acid Pauli, Terry Francis, Alfa Mist’s Johnny Woodham, Marc Rebillet, Jacques, Neon Indian or anglo-zulu (and Steam Down vocalist) DemiMa.

Not only did his travels widened his range of influences and his musical knowledge, but it also added to his hard drives countless field recording sounds, from which he draws his own crafted edits and original concrete sample bank. Sort of an audio diary. His productions have been warmly welcomed by the press, (Dj Mag, Ransom Note, Resident Advisor, Mixmag) and cheered by dj/artists such as 
Mr G, Worldwide FM’s Erica McCoy, Laurent Garnier, Stacey Pullen, Midland, Chaos in the CBD, Hugo Mendez (Sofrito), Horse Meat Disco, AFFKT, Arandel, Chloé, Danny Daze.. 

Being an enthusiastic and inclusive collaborator, Will J. A. Serfass (aka roscius) has occasionally partnered with various institutions (Hermès Foundation, Nissan, Bose Soundsystem, Eristoff, Chevignon); and performed in renowned contemporary arts museums such as Erarta in St Petersburg (RU), Kunstmuseum in Bern (SWZ), Guimet / Bourdelle / Arts Déco in Paris (FR). He remixed artists such as The 2 Bears (Southern Fried Records), Pouvoir Magique & Loya (Mawimbi), Calypso Rose (Because Music) and whether it’s his productions or his live sets, you might’ve heard him on air too (Rinse FM, Worldwide Fm, NTS, France Inter, Le Mellotron, Netil radio, Cercle, Arte TV).

Will J. A. launched “Nomadic Recordings” in 2019, with which he created Mesh Collective, virtually gathering more than 70 lone creatives from around the world during first lockdown to produce half a dozen tracks in a month and raise funds for Doctors Without Borders. Since his last sold out show at Peckham’s Rye Wax, and his latest ep “Collage” (OUT on Wormfood London!) roscius scored two short movies, an art exhibition and a contemporary theater play. Stay tuned for his forthcoming releases and tour dates to be announced soon!

This Playlist Is Private: https://lnk.to/POMLP005

Mutamusic is following