Dec 4 2009

Sherinian, Franklin, Goodsall, Jones

percyrit

At the moment I’m working on my third album, this time with Derek Sherinian (Planet X, Dream Theater) Tony Franklin (Planet X, The Firm) is on a couple of tracks. John Goodsall (Brand X, Peter Gabriel). The amazing Percy Jones (Brand X, Brian Eno) who played on my debut album as well. Bergur H. Birgisson a great Icelandic bass player is on board as well.
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+ The usual suspects from my last album “Take it outside”. Guðlaugur Falk (Dark Harvest) Bra Bra and Pétur V. Pétursson
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Franklin2So there are some really nice improvements to the lineup and I’m very happy with it. All of those guys are such powerhouse players, but most importantly they are the right players for this album. It’s easy to find technical players, however putting together a heavy lineup with stylistic integrity is something that matters to me, this refers to my own style rather than a pre-dictated sound by a media or the press.
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GoodsTo have John Goodsall from Brand X play on this album is an honor for all of us. But he is also the right guy, he brings a sound and attitude and wibe to the table that I want in there, this is the key, like cooking really, or working with clay. It´s a creative process to come up with the right lineup.
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The latest addition is Percy Jones also from Brand X, Percy played on “Phase of matter” which was my deput album and I’m very happy to have him on board as well.
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Derek_SherinianOn this album I’m concentrating on a really strong funk rock feel, kind of what I myself would like to dance to. But lots of solos and lots of drive and heavy fusion and I promise to put some drum solos in there.
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One track got left over from my album “Take it outside” with Tony Franklin on bass that will be on the album. Derek is on all tracks and he is doing an amazing job. I am really having a lot of fun writing.
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Derek has brought in a heavy electro sound to the whole project which is refreshing. There are section’s in the album which might even give a hint at this being the progressive fusion version of Tangerine Dream or Simple Minds, The title track “Black Matter” has an opening reminding me of Birds of Fire from The Mahavishnu Orchestra. A lot of different sounds and nuances, all I can tell you is that this will be a heavy sounding rock fusion album, it will rock.

peace

Goods

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Nov 21 2009

Metric modulation

time managementIt´s great fun working on this album. Ewery day is fresh and new when it comes to making music. Yesterday I did something I have never done before, I played a 12 bar drum break in 3/16 time at 120 bpm. Not easy but great fun and I found that to be quite comfortable (by the way this was on a scratch track and I’m using a Roland V for those).

I use quite a bit of odd time concepts in my 4/4 playing like most cats do, however using a 3/16 grouping as your time grid while staying in 4/4 time is quite challenging, I will be doing more of that in the future.

peace

no comments

Oct 3 2009

New album in the making

Franklin_Sherinian 

I have a number of things in the works now, I have gotten quite involved with politics lately here in Iceland and I’m starting a political Newspaper in connection with that. But I am also starting a new album that will be in the works for some months.

I am working with Derek Sherinian from Planet X and I’m very happy with Derek’s work so far. What an amazing keyboard player. Derek has worked for a number of years with Alice Cooper, Dream Theater and the likes but the one band that to me is the most astounding is Derek’s band “Planet X”. Those guys are really knocking down walls as to what can be done in music. The drummer in that band is Virgil Donati so Derek is quite used to some heavy avant garde drumming.

I will keep you updated on this, there has been talk about Tony Franklin(Derek Sherinian, The Firm) playing bass on this album and I hope it will happen. Tony played on my last album “Take it outside” with David Garfield and I was extremely happy with his work, he just brings such a different vibe and sound to the table.

Until now I have been working with some of Tony’s bass loops for my compositions but like I said I really hope he jumps on board for this album as well.

I will do an instrumental version of this later with a new drum track. Here’s the song

Anyway, that’s it for now, talk soon.

g

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