Jeff Willet

 

Keep up with Jeff here:

www.myspace.com/abortedexistence

www.myspace.com/aedrumsvos

 

 

 

 

I got my start with drums because my uncle played them. I got started right away with lessons, but practiced very sparingly and reluctantly, as if to say, “how dare you take me away from my SEGA for this!” But the following year I started playing with a guitarist, which led to many other opportunities, and really got me practicing and enjoying my lessons. The town I live in is certainly not a major city or anything, but it’s also not the smallest crappiest town you could ever come by. I actually think it’s alright. But the musical community is a pretty small world here, so playing with one person led to another coming up to me and asking to jam sometime, which has happened a few times. Or someone knew someone else who liked the same kind of music that I liked, but went to a different school, and got us to jam. I was in the Rolling Thunder Drumline at my high school, which also had a big impact on my playing. I really started to appreciate rudiments. I played snare my freshman year, and tenors (5 drums sophomore yr, 6 drums junior and senior yr). My friend Branden and I would come up with some pretty crazy stuff with them. Right now, my main focus is Aborted Existence. We play death metal, melodic at some points, even acoustic or clean, heavy and brutal at times, technical other times, and fast at most times. We have one CD out from last year, Sunken Eye View, which is alright, but we are in the process of recording another one, which the drums are already done for. It will be simply amazing when it comes out. We are looking to release it early-mid 2007. Durv, the guy who’s recording us, has done an amazing job so far and everything sounds great. We are all real anxious to hear the final product. Aside from Aborted Existence, I am in a progressive/power metal band with some awesome musicians from Houston, TX, called Synesthesia. Recording for that will start soon. I’ve also played with guitar-master Chris Gordon. He can shred like no other, yet also plays some of the best jazz/fusion I’ve heard.

In my playing, I use double bass, especially with Aborted Existence. AE’s music is all about pushing the limits and raising the standards. Its always fun to play. The other guys have a similar approach to music as me, in that we don’t limit ourselves to playing in 4/4 too much. We get a real nice variety within our songs. Our latest one has a section that one of the guitarists and I wrote that’s in 11/16, 17/16, 23/16, 17/16, 29/16, 23/16, 17/16, and 23/16. Obviously, that riff is felt rather than counted, especially at the speed we play it at. But its actually quite catchy and stuff. There are a lot of abstract and new techniques I use. Aside from blast beats, I incorporate a lot of one handed snare rolls, or gravity rolls, as they’re called. I also used this in the school band when playing snare parts in concerts. It dramatically helps timing for softer and slower parts, I found. I also do a cross-over technique with blast beats, that won’t sound any different than the regular way, but uses flam accents and flam-paradiddles instead of straight blast beats. It helps with endurance, and it’s a good way to work rudiments in! I also like to double guitar riffs with my effects cymbals. I have 7 of ‘em, and you’ll hear them a lot in AE songs. Tom grooves are also another aspect of my playing. Danny Carey from Tool is to blame for getting me into playing them. I use a few on AE songs, but we’ll be getting more into that on the CD after the one we are recording. I have two sets of timbales (Tama steel mini-tymps), which I use a lot, as well. As I mentioned before, rudiments are a big part in my playing, too. Check out the video on here for more on this.

So, after nine years of drumming, I like where I’m at. I know I could be better, but we all could be better at something. I want to get into the dual hi-hat and multi-pedal stuff. I’ll be attending Berklee College of Music as of January 2007, still continuing to write and record to Aborted Existence, Synesthesia, as well as other projects which are sure to arise…

 

 

Click here to see part 2 of Jeff’s video!

 

 

Jeff Willet Interview:

 

SD.com: How old were you when you started playing?

Jeff: I started playing drums when i was 10, the summer before 5th grade.

 

 

SD.com: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?

Jeff: Yeah i was in the school band from 6th grade all the way thru 12th. High school drumline was such a great experience. i played snare freshman year in drumline, quints sophomore year, and “squints” as we called them, sextuplets i guess, junior and senior year. junior and senior year i did Delaware All-State Band/Orchestra, first seat junior year, 3rd senior year, as well as Kent Couny Honors Band, first seat junior and senior years. very fun and good experience.

 

 

SD.com: Ever take any lessons?

Jeff: That was the very first thing i did, and im so glad i did. i got started the right way, with the basics. I started taking lessons for jazz and coordination and basic rhythms and such locally, then moved on to spending a week with Jason Rullo of Symphony X for a week two summers ago up in New Jersey, working on latin rhythms and a little bit of double bass drumming, another great experience. I also took lessons from Neil Garthly, also in Jersey, basically with help on coordination, and broadening my horizons. the guy is incredible. so yes, plenty of lessons, although just watching drummers at shows is as much of a lesson as I need.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Who are your top 5 influences?

Jeff: Well my deep dark secret about that is when i was in elementary school i first heard of Hanson, and thought, “wow i should grow my hair long and be a drummer!” 10 years later, here i am, altho im not really citing them as an influence. I learned a lot from Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. I dont consider myself a portnoy-clone or anything, but he is definitely an influence. John Longstreth of Origin is an influence also. Im playing a lot of death metal now, and hearing & watching him play i found out that it is possible to put some feeling into and not just constant blast beats. Danny Carey of Tool is also a big influence. i un-necessarily have 9 toms, and i love playing odd time signature tool-inspired tom grooves. so challenging, yet so fun. Thomas Haake of Meshuggah is another one. i try to incorporate some of those style of over-the-top rhythms in my playing. Dennis Chambers is also a big influence. the guy plays with such complexity, but with such feeling, that u can always tell where the beat is.

 

 

SD.com: Assuming that influences doesn’t mean favorites, who are your favorites?

Jeff: Uhhhh, those are my fav’s pretty much. i also find myself listening to Hannes Grossmann (Necrophagist), because i like analyzing insanely crazy shit like that. i saw Ozric Tentacles this past summer, and that drummer (dont know the guy’s name, so sorry!!) was really good, also. John Emrich and his little spacy looking drum…thing… dropped my jaw quite a bit when i saw him with Bill Burke, who actually opened up for Ozric. I like Ryan Van Poederooyen (DTB/Lalu most notably), cuz he smacks the shit out of the drums, and i like his bass drum sound. Thomas Lang is also crazy to watch. His first DVD, he has that solo where the first 5 minutes are JUST on the cymbals, then 10 more minutes of insanity. he’s a frkn monster. he’s on this site too, right? i hope so.

 

 

SD.com: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your current rotation

Jeff: Opeth’s “Ghost Reveries” and “Deliverance” are in there, Tool’s “10,000 Days,” Pat Metheny’s “Still Life (Talking),” and Greg Howe’s “Extraction.”

 

 

SD.com: Do you practice any specific rudiments or combo’s regularly?

Jeff: Different types of flam and paradiddle rudiments are cool. i like rudiments a lot and practice them often. Everything we play is some sort of rudiment, or has a rudiment in it, which is why its good to practice them.

 

 

SD.com: Do you have a favorite brand of drums or cymbals?

Jeff: Definitely. I have all Tama drums, i use a 12-piece Starclassic Performer EFX (sterling sparkle), and two sets of Tama Steel Mini-Tymps, 6″ + 8″ (black), and 8″ + 10,” (mirror chrome) as well as a Tama Hand-Hammered Steel Piccolo Snare. I have 15 Sabian cymbals, mostly AA or AAX, a PRO series 14″ china, the Neil Peart Paragon Ride, a Portnoy Max Stax (10″), an 8″ Terry Bozzio Radia Bell, and the 10″ Will Calhoun Alien Disc. I’m using the DW9002 double bass. its amazing. PDP rack, Tama throne, Vic Firth 5AN (wood tip for non-set playing) sticks.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Jeff: Just setting up my monster drum set as fast as i can without help usually (although my friends and girlfriend are very helpful when they come to shows), cuz most people look at it and say “woah, uhh, you’re on your own there, buddy!” I try to eat and stay hydrated also. i cant play when im really hungry or thirsty. KFC usually helps me out with this.

 

 

SD.com: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…

Jeff: Practice rudiments, keep an open mind, DONT GET AN EGO. cocky drummers are something we can all do without. and be open to all genres. limits arent good. and be creative!!!

 

 

SD.com: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?

Jeff: TOOOOOOOOOOOOL. i was kinda far back, but there was easily a thousand people there, it was outside, at night (obviously), and i stood there with my girlfriend watching those crazy movies they play, watching them play on stage, seeing a thousand people hold up lighters at one point when they werent even playing, but sitting at the front of the stage, each with candles. a friend of mine described that moment as, “you know a band is great when they can not be playing music, and it has as much if not more power and emotion from so many people as if they were playing.” It even started raining on us, bringing a whole new element to the music. i dont see any performance topping that for a while.

 

 

SD.com: If you had to stop drumming, what would you want to do with your life?

Jeff: Aborted Existence does not permit me to answer this question. Sorry. (coughsitonmyasswatchingfamilyguyeatinggallonsoficecreamcough)