Toronto ensemble stef.in returns with experimental release Icterus II in 2025

Transmission 195: Interview with Stef.in

Stef.in is the Toronto-based project led by drummer and composer Stefan Hegerat, focused on guitar-centered instrumental music that opens into improvisation. Originally conceived as Icterus, the group developed its loose, rhythmically anchored compositions across two records.

Title: Icterus II
Artist: stef.in
Genres: Avant-garde, Contemporary Classical, Experimental Music, Jazz, Math-rock
Label: Barnyard Records
Description: Stef.in releases Icterus II on Barnyard Records 2025 featuring experimental rock, math rock and freeform improvisation shaped by turbulent times.

Their latest release, Icterus II, issued by Barnyard Records, draws from experimental rock, math rock, and free-form abstraction, shaped by a context of socio-political instability and post-pandemic disillusionment. Alongside Hegerat, the ensemble includes Robyn Gray, Patrick O’Reilly, and Mark Godfrey.

What initial experiences or records first captured your attention, pushing you toward drums and composition?

Three standout artists from my teen years would be Led Zeppelin, Tool and The Mars Volta. All three bands feature innovative, soloistic drummers that really captivated me. I think you can still hear a lot of the influence of those bands on my writing as well. Odd time signatures, building compositions from riffs, heaviness with pretty melodies, I took a lot from their music.

What specifically inspired the formation of stef.in, and how did the original concept evolve from your earliest ideas to the current lineup?

Originally I called the group Icterus (although our first record was just released under my full name) and it was a vehicle for me to write guitar-centric instrumental music that was really just a vessel for improvisation. My writing has definitely changed a lot over the years but the concept is the same; build a loose rhythmic/melodic framework and then let the guitars go wild.

Considering the five-year gap between the first Icterus record and Icterus II, what most impacted your creative direction during that period?

The pandemic had a massive impact. It obviously slowed things down but it also had me fixated on the failure of our institutions to care for and protect us. We really take so much for granted and it was destabilizing to see how precarious our society really is. The chaos and darkness on the record come from that fixation.

How did the Toronto experimental and jazz-rock community influence your early artistic decisions?

The musicians I met when I first moved to Toronto back in 2008 made a huge and lasting impression on me musically. I think that seeing so much good experimental, boundary-pushing music when I was younger and still in school really proved to me that it was possible to make the music that I wanted to make and that I did not have to conform to what was or is happening in popular music. We’re fortunate in Toronto to have such a robust history of experimental music and to have such a vibrant scene today.

When composing tracks, do you visualize the complete structure beforehand, or do these pieces develop organically during rehearsals?

Usually when I’m composing for this band I do have an idea of what will be played literally and what will be improvised. There are dedicated improvising sections in the music where nothing is written, but it is also understood that almost everything is free to dissolve, evolve, and change. The best part of working with high-calibre musicians is that I generally don’t need to give much direction.

Your compositions explore socio-political instability and mental health. Do these themes emerge consciously or are they more instinctive reflections of personal experience?

Both. The world is a hot mess and I believe that artists have a responsibility to directly confront global issues like the climate crisis, colonialism (Palestine), and the rise of fascism. I’m simultaneously very conscious of my immense privileges while also being angry about the various ways I’m personally exploited by techno-feudalism. Being an independent artist in 2025 is extremely difficult, and in my opinion, what’s expected of us (“marketing” ourselves, promoting our shows, designing art, funding all of these activities) is completely unreasonable. It is very difficult to interact with the music industry without being heavily invested in social media, which has proven to be detrimental to mental health. Streaming has also completely devalued music and created a culture where there is a lot less support for artists from the general public. This is not a healthy environment for art music to thrive and I have a lot of angst about it.

Which track on Icterus II was the most challenging to finalize in the studio, and why?

I actually think the post-production process was really easy. It’s largely because Jean Martin is a wizard and our aesthetic is very much aligned. I do remember that choosing takes for “Dosage” was a bit tricky and we eventually cut two together to come up with what ended up being on the record.

How did your background in jazz performance shape your thinking around rock or experimental jazz, particularly in your rhythmic and compositional choices?

Studying jazz definitely broadened my perspective on what is possible from a performance practice standpoint. If it wasn’t for that experience, I think my writing would be a lot more rigid and I wouldn’t be as willing to simply trust my collaborators to bring things to life. I listened to a lot of modern jazz while I was in university and that music deals a lot with odd time signatures and polyrhythms, so it’s unsurprising that those rhythmic sensibilities still come out in my writing and playing.

Looking beyond Icterus II, have you already started developing new compositions or exploring fresh thematic concepts for future releases?

Yes. I’ve already written a few pieces that I intend to include on Icterus III and I’m busy writing sketches for a last-minute session we’ll be doing this weekend in Montreal with Ky Brooks. I’ve been spending a lot of time with my Nord Drum 3 synthesizer and I’m planning to incorporate that more with the band and broaden the percussion palette for future releases.

Photos courtesy of stef.in

Matteo Damiani

Matteo Damiani is an Italian photographer and author. Curator of the sites Retrofuturista.com; weirditaly.com; china-underground.com and others