Jacob Collier is often described as a musical genius, a label he accepts with characteristic humility and a smile. The British multi-instrumentalist, who has won seven Grammy Awards across multiple categories, possesses a relationship with music that most people can barely comprehend, and he delights in sharing his perspective with anyone willing to listen.
The Theory Behind the Magic
Collier explains complex musical concepts with an infectious enthusiasm that makes even the most abstract theory feel accessible. He discusses microtonal harmony, polyrhythmic structures, and extended chord voicings not as academic exercises but as tools for emotional expression. For him, a chord progression is a story, and the more colors he has available, the more nuanced that story can be.
The Djesse Project
His four-volume Djesse project, spanning several years and featuring dozens of collaborators from around the world, represents his most ambitious work. Each volume explores a different sonic world, from orchestral grandeur to intimate acoustic performances to electronic experimentation. Collier describes the project as a journey through every musical landscape that excites him, with no boundaries between genres or traditions.
The collaborative nature of Djesse is central to its success. Collier has worked with artists ranging from Moroccan gnawa musicians to Korean traditional performers to American gospel choirs, and he approaches each collaboration with genuine curiosity and respect. He describes learning from these diverse musical traditions as the greatest education available.
Live Performance
In concert, Collier is a force of nature, often performing alone with a complex setup of loop pedals, keyboards, and vocoder that allows him to create entire arrangements in real time. He describes the thrill of building a song from nothing in front of an audience as the purest form of musical expression, a high-wire act where anything can happen.
His ability to engage audiences in participatory singing, often teaching thousands of people to sing in four-part harmony, has become one of his signature techniques. For Collier, music is fundamentally communal, and the barrier between performer and listener is one he is always working to dissolve.
