guitars talking

I’ve heard people suspect a one-man-show like this to be a display of egocentrical narcism, or, even worse, autism.

I hope you don’t share this view.

Concerning music, opinions are strong that it is a communicative art meant to be performed together with other people and in front of others.

Although the possibilities to record and to listen to music via new media have expanded on a large scale over the last decades, تساقط الشعر and the above mentioned is not necessarily a dogma anymore, it is what I get to hear from many people around, especially if they are musicians themselves.

To be on one’s own when making art is considered quite normal with writers or painters – not with actors and dancers, of course, but apparently also not with musicians.

I find myself to be inclined towards the first of these two camps (maybe I’m virtually a painter of sounds), and although I’ve played a lot of music with other people in my life, it feels quite natural for me to improvise or compose on my own. And I don’t feel lonely at it.

And that’s because it’s not only me involved there.

Not only me playing. Not only me improvising.

I would not go as far as to speak of “channeling”, but really, at least my guitars whom I deeply love, are talking to me.

Or talking through me. I believe they are creatures of their own right and their own mind. On days when I can tune in to what they are to play, I better not think and just let the flow do the playing.

On the contrary, there are days when I’m stressed and tense, and it’s only me playing. Then the music becomes poor, distracted, unfocused and disturbed by wilful decisions that do nothing better than interrupt the flow.

So what’s the use of talking about narcism, merely because there’s just one player here?
I hate those days when it’s only me playing! On the occasions when I’m successfully recording, I try to get the vibes of my guitar, either caressing or plucking the strings hard – but always in a way to get something special out of my instrument, a vibration inhabiting it that’s destined to be translated into music.

Maybe it also helped that I did some modifications on my guitars, making them a bit more “my own”, but after all it doesn’t matter why. اونيلا I simply feel glad to be able to do this. I’m certainly not the world’s most skilled guitar player – but who needs still more technique and speed? I can do with what I’m able to do, mistakes make me smile.

I’m delighted and feel privileged to experience a majority of days when it’s more than just me strumming along. I don’t know what or who it is, but I hope I can convey some aspects of “our music” to you. Clearly it has nothing to do at all with what you hear on the radio, but at least it’s authentic and spontaneous.

space echo

Space Echo[audio:space-echo.mp3]

A trip into deep space (or rather my studio at its dimmest) by means of the good old Roland Space Echo, tape hiss included.

guitar & gear: ’67 stratocaster, Vox ToneLab SE, Space Echo

Schummer

anemone

[audio:anemone.mp3]anemone

Anemone: a wild flower with its own mind; coming up with rather unexpected wishes, thus turning the mood around several times.

Guitar & Gear: Epiphone Les Paul with Haeussel Pickups; Vox Tonelab SE; Tube Trem by GP-Lightstone

(I apologize for the guitar being slightly out of tune!)

les paul