Форум гитаристов

. Ken's "The Rabbi's Wife": hilarious opening (his friend Mike in NYC did this for him).
What can you say but "vintage Ken!" It's all here and I dig that crazy, flexible, made-of-goo guitarish sounds at the end. A short piece that takes the listener everywhere instantly. I listen to Ken's stuff nearly every day at some point and then beat myself up for not being able to do amazing stuff like this.

2. Ego's "Steam Engine" -- a concept piece about a house-sized, steam powered melody machine. The flute sound is transposed down a couple of octaves and represents the working of a steam engine that builds up energy and then emits its melody. The guitar licks represent a cantankerous custodian who has to work on it constantly so that it will continue to build up its head of steam. Then, of course, things go wrong and you get the siren-like sounds toward the end. But our custodian gets it back online.  

3. Shaffer's "March of the Polychine"  When I hear the opening I think immediately of Hitchcock's opening shot in Rear Window. It's never a dull moment in Polychine City -- like driving slowly along an avenue with the windows down catching random selections of city sounds. Trademark Shaffer fly-catching phrasing on the snatches of guitar that dart in and out. Why can't we get more of this stuff? Chris, we want more!  

4. Stearns: gets my vote for most mind-bending technical feat. Like Cecil Taylor or Nancarrow hammering away. Is this a harrowing ride on an amusement park ride of suspect upkeep? Standing in a busy grille downtown during lunchtime and you accidentially drop a handful of loose change on the floor and you're diving in all directions with all hands and feet trying to catch it all. Brilliant motific development, playful, adventerous.

5. McAllister: If this is a preview of things to come I can't wait for the album. I love the 1:33 entrance of the terrifying synth. We are no longer in a safe place -- but there's a comforting melody played out over our right shoulder that feels slinky and silky. I like how Ben manages to reign in the guitar -- keeping it on the verge of feedback now and then. A good soundscape.

6. Jas and Co. 10:00am somewhere at a watering hole in the desert. Vultures overhead and the sounds of evil spirits coming from that line of caves in the rock wall. Then your cell phone rings! It's your buddy Vince on the other end telling you all about his night of excess at the disco.  
Killer lead with mature phrasing and rich tone. Nice loop too. Jas seems to downplay his chops side but he's got them buried in there. I love it!

7. Zahorsky -- we hardly hear from David on the forum any more but he's around and we've played together a few times (hey, David, we have a gig on the 23rd of August just in case you wondered!)  
David has his whole approach worked out pretty well -- Ebow and overdriven amp combined with a looper. Nice melodies, delicate clean guitar providing a nice lattice from which to interweave lines. Good atmosphere and ambience. Really takes you to an unfamilar place. In addition to this you can expect to hear more of David when I unleash the Ego - Zahorsky track some day soon I hope.

8. Brian: I'm continuously surprised by the mature, jazzy lines that Brian conjures up. Good clean tone and precise phrasing. A nice twist in the road (rhythmically and geographically) and cool lickty-split chops! Nice! Angular and fresh with a sparse arrangement -- no "graduate jazz here"  This sounds like a pro. Really.

9. Newbie Brad (your name reminds me of a Farside cartoon where two convicts share a cell and they both have the years served scratched out on the wall. One guy (with like 75 hash marks) calls the other guy (50 hash marks) "New Guy"  
This is the most interesting piece I've heard from Brad. I dig this kind of collision of ambience, noise, and melody. I try to do this a lot myself and I think Brad pulls it off really well. Many layers of activity, loops, machines, processes.

10. Dmitry: I was familar with this piece from the past and I think it's one of his best. James Bond deserves a track this good. This guy continues to grow and develop (not only on guitar but in overall musical imagination). As this track shows, it's time for DLed to put out a full-length release. Solid musicianship and performance (like all his work). Interesting, non-standard composition played with joy and a smile on the face. Really, ready for prime time.

11. Boogie: most massive sounding track. This track is HOT and pumps. Yet another "ProgFest" by Tammo!  5,000 kick drums and a wall of distorted guitar. Good tone (as always). Great chops by any standard and a good compositional sense. Anybody would like this track, full of energy.

12. ASB -- working out the new Mac software  Funny enough, I know it's ASB when I hear it but it's not a trademark ASB song by any stretch. I mean it is and it ain't! Massive sounding -- tall, deep, and wide. Interesting changes, great tone, chops to spare, good phrasing, soaring leads. Todd held us up for like a month but it was worth it to get this track. Throwing in the kitchen sink with this one feels like. Nice landing at the end too. You made it safe and sound!

13. Psycho! Good lord, watch out!  I played this one for Bofatron and he nearly fell out of his chair  For as long as I've known Psycho he's had chops like mad but this is crazy. More importantly, though, is how the speed is used: spirals of matter streaking across the sky and ripping holes in the fabric of time. Amazing technical prowess.
And a nod to Bucket in there too. This kind of reminds me of the first Cobra Strike before Buckethead became irrelevant. Cool ambient textures and horrifying feel. Put it on vinyl buddy!

14. Fridge: Rock and Roll baby! Give this guy a band and he's ready for the next G3 tour. Nobody at this site has changed their playing as much as Fridge I think. Cool licks and great, non-conventional speed lines.
Hey, who's your drummer?  I've listened to this track over and over very carefully to the lines that start at 2:42 till nearly the end. They're absurdly intricate and interesting and importantly this sounds like a total avoidance of "licks" -- it sounds free and inspired. I can just see fingers all in a giant knot trying to play all that! Man! Using the entire fretboard, cool riffs.

15. Jon, "Transformation" -- Hip and  
Superabundance of speed and good phrasing (damn, imagine Psycho, Fridge, and IDM in the same room! Run for your life!)  The freakin' Earth would implode.  The speedly lines are svelte and dancing. The opening riff is solid. Laid back and exciting at the same time. Nice build at the end. Good textures and what the heck is that demented thing trying to break out of the song at 3:01?! Jeez, Bofabot chaos at the end! A groovy track by any measure.

16. This was supposed to be a Bofatron track called "Take the Lead" but you can never count on Bof to come though. So, this is actually, Ego + Ego 2.1 having fun one day. 2.1 contributed I think 6 tracks and was in charge of tuning all instruments (including a banjo and tiny, travel acoustic that is a piece of junk). You can hear the phone ring at 2:23 -- 2.1 runs up the stairs while I'm recording the horribly out of tune guitar and comes back with the phone. It's Kristian on the phone and if you turn it way up or have good studio monitors you can hear K. on the other end. This track also features the famous "Wooden Frog"  
The metalic click at the end is me tossing the stainless steel pick that Chris made for me down onto my studio desk.