Menu
Instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, herbalist and rootsman.
With native Nordic presence and Jamaican roots, the soundscape of Jacob Roots moves through and combines genres such as folk, reggae, dub, soul, electronic and hip hop. Atmospheric, heartfelt and organic compositions paying homage to consciousness having a human experience, nature, ancestors and spirituality.
Jacob grew up in Kristiansand, Norway. As creativity and self expression was with him through his Mothers artistic profession, it has always been a natural part of life. The deeply rooted and ancestral inspirations from his Father laid a strong foundation for the expressed desire to reclaim and reconnect wisdom, tradition and knowledge inherent in our common roots & culture. In a way, representing the union and mixture of two very different cultures and lifestyles.
As a youth he picked up the guitar at the age of ten and has since then been exploring the string instrument genre. Drums, percussion and an ability to adopt tones and expressions with instruments such as melodica and piano is a skillset you`ll find in his music, as all the compositions he releases is self made. Releasing music through his solo project and Rotbror which is a musical collective of artists founded by Jacob Roots and Ludvig Smaabruker.
Although comfortable on stage, performing and expressing his work, the musical journey has just begun with some appearances on Stadfest and Natturafestivalen in 2022.
Being naturally rhythmical and in tune with tone, the music of his upbringing such as Røyksopp, Gorillaz, Massive Attack and Ray Lamontagne has made a mark on his sound. In his teens the musical exploration took him through genres such as rock and metal with In Flames and Stonegard, old school hip hop and boom bap instrumentals with The Pharcyde, RJD2, Pete Rock, Biggie Smalls, Damu The Fudgemunk and Smif-N-Wessun (to name a few), drum and bass, dubstep and electronica such as NERO, Chase and Status and B-complex. In his early twenties the indigenous Rasta movement and Roots Reggae became a big inspiration with artists like Peter Tosh, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Augustus Pablo, Keith Hudson, Johnny Clarke, Yabby you and Wackies. But, also dub/techno dub and steppers genre through Fikir Amlak, O.B.F, Dub Dynasti, Alpha Steppers, Babe Roots, Another Channel and Rhythm and Sound. Modern and old-school jazz, neo-soul and folk would also become a great source of inspiration through Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Bremner/McCoy, Whole Truth, Alfa Mist, Roy Harper, Josè Gonzàlez, Liam Bailey, Michael Kiwanuka, Kjetil Braaten, Runahild and many, many more.
As founder and CEO of Roots & Culture traveling through Scandinavia has greatly contributed to melodies and lyrics in his productions. Living on a farm by Sande I Vestfold the last 7 years, he has been compiling a selection of compositions. Waiting to find the right producers and artists to work and collaborate with. Music is a mission, and the mission is to inspire, comfort and reunite us to our natural state of mind.
