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JENNIFER BATTEN Tribal Dance - By Matt Cafissi

Jennifer BattenJennifer , your last album "Momentum" is a masterpiece , very very original , with great production and great musicians . Now ? The Tribal Rageproject is died or ...

Yeah ! The bass player lives in Texas now and is playing with band called The Nixons . I play with Glen sometimes , but my next project will be mostly just me . I hope the program everything but i may end up using Glen on the Roland V Drum Kit which will give me a Midi Files performance i can edit !

You are in tour with Jeff Beck ... and the rapports with Michael Jackson ?

I'm currently in London rehashing with Jeff Beck . The tours start in Japan in December . Jeff's cd will be out mid October .

Tell me the truth Jennifer : you are endorser of Washburn Guitars and no more with Ibanez , why ?

I had too much trouble with the Ibanez necks warping . 7 bad guitars in 7 bad years !!! With Washburn i have my own model now with a Synth Pick Up . 

And why other great musicians like Frank Gambale , Scott Henderson , Shawn Lane , Richie Kotzen etc... now plays other instruments ?

I don't know their reasons for changing .

Jennifer BattenThe Ibanez Company is not serious with the artists ?

Can't answer that .

You are the Number One in Female/Guitarists . Do you like the other new Female Axe Jaye Foucher ?

Yeah , she's great . There are others out there too. Linda Taylor is one to watch out for in the next few year !

www.batten.com


MIKE CHLASCIAK Guitar Resurrection - By Matt Cafissi

Mike ChlasciakFirst of all , tell me about your collaboration & experience with Rob Halford .

Working, touring and writing music with one of the world's premiere vocalists is nothing short of great! I feel very fortunate to be in a band with Rob and I love every minute of it. We ( Rob, myself and the other guitarist) started writing for the record "Resurrection" September 1999 and the ideas just run quickly. Rob listens extremely well to his musicians and he inspires us a lot. I really love being in HALFORD!

Your playing is very Heavy and you believe in a true Metal ... but in your opinion what do you think about the last trend of guitar and Techno music ?

Well, I thought that sooner or later this would happen. I don't mind it and there was a point in my career that I have possibly wanted to do a heavy guitar album with techno. I haven't heard Joe Satriani's new CD, but if I did it it would have crushing rhythms, really, really heavy. So, it's cool, But if I don't hear that type of music I don't miss it too much either, so.

From your first cd at the last cd i have listen a great difference (positive of course) !

Well, there has to be a progression, as I see no need to repeat the same album all over. My style is the same though. When I released my "Grind Textural Abstractions" CD in 1996, there still were intense guitar records being released, so I sort of stayed away from solos all the time. I wanted to make a statement that was different. With my new CD "Territory: Guitar Kill!!!", intense lead guitar in today's market is so bland, that I wanted to shake everybody up and just rip, kill and God...isn't there a lot of notes on that album...ha. But, at the same time you still have the brutal rhythms approach from my first CD, so it feels cohesive.

Mike ChlasciakThe future of music business is on ... Internet ?

Well, it sure does help and it is possible to sell a good number of CD's via the internet, you know? Internet is very important to today's music, especially if you take independent artists, or artists tht are doing something that is not "Hip" or "Popular". I'd also like to encourage all readers to support guitar albums and records in pure Metal tradition. Interested people in my releases/ guitar books, etc., should see my site www.planetshred.com or www.Robhalford.com. I'll see you in Italy in October/ November of this year! You can address mail to: MCM Prods., PO Box 7331, No. Arlington, NJ 07031 USA.

www.planetshred.com


PINO MATTIOLI Italian Grooves - By Matt Cafissi

Pino MattioliPino , molti di noi aspettano questo tuo debutto anticipato da un Promo molto valido ...
 
Ti ringrazio per il "molto valido". Effettivamente si tratta di un promo, ma la versione finale non sarà molto diversa da quella che hai già sentito. Le parti di chitarra rimarranno le stesse, se cambierò qualcosa, lo farò nel senso di andare in uno studio, per sostituire il basso e la batteria programmati con un bassista e con un batterista veri. Del resto si sa, nessuna macchina o computer potrai mai, neanche lontanamente, suonare bene come un essere umano che sa come mettere le mani sul propio strumento.
Non ho ancora stabilito se e come fare questa cosa, in ogni modo ti terrò informato.

Noto molto Groove nei tuoi brani !

 
E' sempre molto difficile, almeno per me, definire o giudicare le cose che faccio. Ad ogni modo se propio dovessi trovare una definizione per la mia musica, direi che si tratta di strumentale Rock/Fusion.
La struttura portante è sicuramente il Rock, ma poi io cerco di metterci dentro anche altre cose, come un certo tipo di Fusion e anche qualche elemento Funky. Forse è da li che viene quel Groove di cui parli. A me, per esempio, certe cose che facevano gli Extreme ai tempi di Pornograffitti mi sono sempre piaciute moltissimo, e forse mi hanno anche influenzato. Capisci cosa intenndo? Di una sola cosa sono sicuro, faccio musica strumentale, con la chitarra in primo piano, nei miei brani ci sono sempre sia dei temi ben precisi che degli interventi solistici anche veloci e tecnicamente complessi, ma NON ho nulla a che fare con quella roba neo-classica che purtroppo ancora qualcuno si ostina a propinarci nonstante siamo nel 2000 e dagli anni 80 a oggi di cose ne sono successe tante.
 
Che strumentazione hai usato per questo tuo Cd e dove lo hai registrato ?
 
Il CD l'ho registrato a casa mia, nel mio piccolo home studio. Per la stesura delle tracce ho usato una workstation della Akai, basso e batteria li ho programmati con seuqencer e moduli MIDI della Roland.
Ho usato due sole chitarre, una Ibanez e una Music Man con pre-amp Marshall, cabinet-emulator della ADA ed effetti TC-Electronics. Poi ho anche usato il computer con tutta una serie di programmi e plug-in audio come Sound Forge, Wave Lab, Steinberg Mastering Edition, TC Natvie Bundle, ecc. ecc. per rifinire, equalizzare, comprimere e masterizzare il tutto. Caso mai qualcuno volesse farsi un idea del genere di cose che suono può andare a questa pagina:
 http://www.acidguitar.com/Lounge/ArtistDetail.asp?ArtistName=Pino%A0Mattioli
 per ascoltarsi in streaming alcuni dei miei brani. La qualità audio non è granchè, proprio perchè essendo in streaming la codifica dei file è stata fatta ad un bitrate molto basso, ma per lo meno non si dovranno aspettare interminabili ore o minuti per scaricare. I file sono del tipo WMA il che significa che per ascoltarli dovete aver installata nel PC una versione molto recente di Windows Media Player.
 
Delle svolte Techno di molti artisti quali Satch su tutti , che ne pensi ?
 
Più che di Techno parlerei di svolta elettronica. Io quando penso alla Techno mi vengono in mente tutta quella serie di porcherie assurde e prive di senso che di solito si sentono sparate a un volume assurdo e dannoso nelle discoteche di casa nostra. Sinceramente non credo propio che Satriani abbia nulla a che fare con quel genere di cose. Engine Of Creation è un bel disco, per certi versi anche molto coraggioso e innovativo, io però preferisco il Satriani di Crystal Planet, The Extremist, o di Surfing With The Alien.
 
Quali sono secondo te i chitarristi Italiani e non solo a farsi spazio nei prossimi anni ?
 
Fare i nomi di chi eventualmente si meriterebbe o no degli spazi o un po di visibilità non mi sembra molto corretto. Io mi auguro semplicemente che TUTTI (nessuno escluso) quei chitarristi Italiani e non che da sempre lavorano seriamente nell'ombra, cercando magari di fare qualcosa di diverso dal solito CD neo-classico mal scopiazzato a Malmesteen, possano prima o poi trovare quel piccolo/grande riscontro di pubblico e critica che si meritano. Auguri e in bocca al lupo a TUTTI!!!

www.freeweb.org/musica/PinoMattioli/index.htm


TERRY SYREK Shred Fest - By Matt Cafissi

Terry SyrekTerry , we wait your debut cd ...

Me too! (hehe) Yeah, i've been working on this thing for well
over a year now and a few things keep holding me up. Mainly, i'm relying
pretty heavily on my friend/drummer/co engineer Greg Kalember to help
with the project and his time is very limited. We did basic tracks up at
Millbrook studios (where they did the Liquid Tension stuff) but have
since been working out of a studio down in NY City, where Greg works as
an engineer full time, for the rest of it. Problem is, it's hard to get
studio time and it's even harder to get Greg's time. Also, money
(specifically the lack thereof) has been hold up. The songs call for a
bunch of different instruments and being that i don't play tabla or
violin or cello, i have to hire other people. All in all, so far so
good. i think it's gonna be pretty cool and i just want to get it done.
i'm hoping to finish in the next 6 months. As far as what to expect,
it's definitely guitar oriented, has a ton of odd time, and ethnic
percussion. Kinda like a Rush meets Meshuggah meets Kings X meets Yngwie
meets Shakti.

What do you think about the new trend of Guitar with Techno music ...

Hmm... well from what i've heard, it's kinda cool. i'm really
fascinated by technology and am a complete computer geek so it's
interesting to see what effect it all has on music. The way i see it,
using the modern stuff available to us is kinda like Pink Floyd back in
the 70's. Those guys were definitely experimenting with the technology
of the time. Most important, though, is not writing music because of the
technology. A good song needs to start with a good song and no amount of
synth gear and sampling is gonna make it good by it's self. So i think,
if that's what you're into, and the song calls for it, then it can be a
cool thing. i'd love to hear Yngwie do a rap album (hehe).

Shred or not Shred ? This is the problem for a modern guitarist ?

Ha, the infamous "s" word. i say go for it. A good player is
gonna shine through whether he shreds or not. If you truly live for that
stuff and believe 100% in playing it, then that enthusiasm is gonna come
out in your playing, and that's the important thing. To me, chops are
even more effective when there's some kinda contrast, meaning that if
some guy comes out and plays as fast as he can with all his best stuff
in the first song he has no where else to go, so by song 3 i'm bored.
When i hear someone like Holdsworth, now that to me is a good use of
chops. He's got amazing tone in his hands, chops up the wazoo, and
obviously a sense of harmony and melody that overshadows most anyone
that has ever taken up the instrument.

What do you use in studio and live (instruments) ?

I use 1 guitar mainly for most stuff; an 89 Jackson Randy
Rhoads with obnoxious purple and green stripes (seemed like a cool color
in the 80's-hehe). It's got 2 Duncan distortions in it. i had Jackson
make me another, recently, with a, uh,  more subdued paint job.
Unfortunately the neck mysteriously cracked and it's back at the factory
getting looked at. i'm really bummed because it was cool and was my
first 24 fret guitar. Now i can't play with out the extra 2 frets! i
also have a strat i use for various stuff. On the acoustic side i have
6 and 12 string Alverez/Yaris. As far as amps, i use a VHT Pittbull
Ultra lead for live stuff and for recording heavy rhythm tracks. i have
a Marshall JMP1 and power amp that i use for more of the clinic/teaching
thing, and i have a little Boogie Studio 22 that i use for playing at
home and also some recording (recently used it on a Satriani tribute
CD).

Terry SyrekDo you have some suggestions for young guitarists ?

Yup, 2 things: First, you absolutely MUST love what you do. The things
that will come against you in the music industry are truly unimaginable
at a young age. Most of us figured all we had to do was practice 12
hours a day and by age 20, we'd be on a world tour with Ozzy hanging out
with famous people and living the rest of the time in a castle in
Europe. i must pause here to laugh uncontrollably at my own naiveté. i
also thought that by spending that much time doing music i truly did
love it. But i had no idea. Being a musician is a long and hard road
sometimes, but it's also very cool; i love it and it gets deeper every
year. If you can imagine yourself doing something else in life, do that
instead . And Secondly, learn to schmooze. If you want to do the guitar virtuoso
thing, you have to spend ALOT of time playing and practicing and
basically giving up alot of your life. However, it all means nothing if
you don't play anywhere and with anyone. So, take some time, get out
there and meet people. i'll say this, the people i know that are doing
big stuff in the industry are all guys that were obviously good on their
respective instruments but also had this ability to go out to clubs and
bars and hang out and talk to people and were just fun to be around. If
all you do is spend 15 hours a day in your room perfecting your 8 finger
sweep/tapping technique of devastation, it's gonna sound great but
you'll have no social skills and it's gonna be hard to meet the people
that will be able to help you. And believe me, success has alot to do
with who you know.

www.terrysyrek.com

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