Fraser is a multi-instrumentalist who has developed an distinctive sound across the variety of wind instruments he plays and an approach to music making which has lead to collaboration with a diverse list of artists. Fraser was described by the Sunday Herald as “emerged as one of today's outstanding talents” and more recently by Jazzwise magazine as “an outstanding product of the Scottish jazz-folk scene who at one moment can blow a low whistle like Charlie Parker steaming his way through ‘Ko-Ko’ and at the next knock out an air on a sax like a Highland traditionalist”.
He has released four albums as leader/composer to date on his own Tanar label. Songlines magazine commented upon on his last, 'Stereocanto' in 2009; “ it’s the interplay between intellectual construction, fleeting modal improvisations and sheer emotional sensuality of the music that makes this such a satisfying, and strikingly unified, piece of work”.
As a composer, Fraser is responsible for the original content of his four instrumental albums plus a range of other work including commissions for Mr McFalls Chamber, National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, Orchestra of Combined Specialist Music Schools in Scotland, Celtic Connections Festival, Highland Festival, Hebridean Celtic Festival, Dancebase Edinburgh, Scottish Arts Council/Creative Scotland, soundtrack and incidental music for television (BBC Natural World, BBC Alba, ITV) and was nominated 'Composer of the Year' in the 2010 Scots Trad Music Awards and also nominated for an Arts Foundation Fellowship 2010 and as 'Instrumentalist of the Year' at the 2009 Scots Trad Music Awards.
As a multi-instrumentalist Fraser performs an uncommon combination of instruments which perhaps goes some way to explain his music: Highland Bagpipes, Border Pipes, Low Whistles, Soprano Saxophone, Bulgarian Kaval and Percussion. In addition his interest in music technology, which also started at school, mixing his acoustic instruments with sounds from a midi sound module using an Atari sequencer and a four track cassette recorder in the music department, has grown alongside his instrumental side leading to a variety of work composing for media and producing other artists recordings. Processing live instruments with a variety of electronics, has increasingly become a feature of Fraser's live concerts with Graeme Stephen – long time inspired by artists such Jon Hassell, Nils Petter Molvaer, Eivind Aarset. Recording studio techniques have also influenced Fraser's music, self taught, engineering/mixing/producing all his 4 solo releases to date plus credits on several other albums as producer/mixer working from his home studio, including 'Sark O Snaw' by singer Mick West, nominated Best Album in the 2010 Scots Trad Music Awards.
Fifield has lead his own groups for many years experimenting with a variety of instrumentation and personnel; trio, sextet, acoustic, electric, laptop... performing most of all in Scotland but also England, Spain,Portugal, Denmark, USA and Azerbaijan. Throughout all 4 albums, associated groups and over about 15 years, Fraser has worked with guitarist Graeme Stephen. The two musicians have developed a great understanding and in recent times perform as a duo.
An open-minded musician Fraser has collaborated with many artists including Salsa Celtica, Old Blind Dogs, Afro Celt Sound System, Hidden Orchestra, Mr McFalls Chamber, Ayanna Witter-Johnson trio with Robert Mitchell, Graeme Stephen Sextet, Moishes Bagel, Inge Thomson, Nedyalko Nedyalkov, Karine Polwart and Kamilya Jubron, Jan Bang and Erik Honere, a list constantly growing. He has toured extensively during 16 + years as a professional musician, performing on more than 100 recordings to date.
