Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Jeremy Willis
Part-time Lecturer
Jez Willis is a professional electronic producer, musician, composer and performer with nearly 30 years experience. He has sold over 2 million records with chart success from 1991 to 2012.
About
Jez Willis is a professional electronic producer, musician, composer and performer with nearly 30 years experience. He has sold over 2 million records with chart success from 1991 to 2012.
Jez Willis is a professional electronic producer, musician, composer and performer with nearly 30 years experience. He has sold over 2 million records with chart success from 1991 to 2012.
As one half of Utah Saints, Jez Willis has been making music, DJ-ing and playing gigs around the globe since the birth of House music. He has co-produced and written 9 Top 40 UK hits, 4 of which hit the Top 10, and has sold over 2 million records worldwide. Utah Saints have been critically acclaimed for their pioneering work using samples in dance music.
His band have performed worldwide, including all major festivals and supporting U2 on tour. He has worked with many major artists and producers, including Chuck D (Public Enemy),Michael Stipe (REM), Edwin Starr, Mark Stent, Marius De Vries and Pete Tong. Jez has also presented shows for radio stations such as Radio 1, XFM, Galaxy, Kiss and Ministry of Sound. Utah Saints have produced two number one sample packs, the theme for the number one movie "Mortal Kombat" and produced over 40 remixes ranging from Girls Aloud and Annie Lennox to Bring Me The Horizon and DJ Fresh.
Willis continues to produce music professionally and performs regularly. In 2019 he DJ-ed at Ministry of Sound, many festivals, and also performed his music with the 50 piece Opera North orchestra to 4000 people in Millennium Square in Leeds. In 2021 he composed music for a trailer for a Ridley Scott HBO series and has been commissioned for a video game soundtrack.
Related links
Research interests
Jez is particularly interested in the links between academia and industry, and various educational models which can improve connections between them. He is also interested in the profile and accessibility of music in schools.
Publications (1)
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Popular Music in Leeds: Histories, Heritage, People and Places – a Guided Walking Tour
11 September 2024
Leeds has spawned crooners, folk singers, punks, post-punks, Goths, DJs, popstars, rappers, indie rockers and more. Yet, with a few exceptions, Leeds has not been studied for its musical cultures in ways that other UK cities have, such as Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Sheffield. In many ways, Leeds is a city with a “lost” local musical heritage, hidden even to many of those who live there. The first academic book dedicated to mapping Leeds’ popular music histories, heritage, people and places was published in December 2023. Two of the co-editors, Dr Paul Thompson and Dr Brett Lashua, and Utah Saint Jez Willis, will take walkers on a whistle-stop tour of the city’s often hidden musical heritage.
Current teaching
- MA Music Production
