DANIEL SVENSSON Doesn't Regret Decision To Quit IN FLAMES: 'It Felt Right'

In a new interview with Finland’s Chaoszine, THE HALO EFFECT drummer Daniel Svensson reflected on his 2015 decision to quit IN FLAMES in order to focus on his family life. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I got tired of touring. I felt that I needed to be home with my kids. I was out o…

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Anna Butterss’ Acts of Service

“I’ve never been particularly interested in listening to people shred on the bass,” explains bassist/composer Anna Butterss. “It’s certainly impressive, but it doesn’t hit me emotionally at all. I’m more interested in how the music feels.” How the music feels perfectly encapsulates the sonic and stylistic kaleidoscope that is Butterss’ debut solo release, Activities. Released on June 24 via Pete Min’s Colorfield Records, Activities represents the musical culmination of the different ideas, concepts, and aesthetic choices that Butterss has been exploring in recent years.Aside from Butterss’ impressive formal musical education on upright, and the subsequent following she’s gathered in the jazz community, she’s also now five years into playing electric bass and has performed with Aimee Mann, Phoebe Bridgers, and Bright Eyes, among others. These alternative musical experiences permeate the songs on Activities just as much as her work with jazz luminaries Makaya McCraven, Jeff Parker, and Larry Goldings.Doo WopAnchored by Butterss’ kinetic bass playing, the multi-layered soundscapes of Activities effortlessly fuse these seemingly disparate musical genres. Labeled as experimental/ambient jazz, Activities certainly fits that description, but the record also incorporates indie- and world-music elements, and emphasizes atmosphere and composition over all else. From the opening East Asian vibes of “Entrance” to the alternative rumble of brooding synths on “Super Lucrative” to the gorgeous jazz-chamber-like ode of “Blevins” to the creeping, crawling, avant-garde upright bass exercise of “Do Not Disturb,” Butterss’ deftly demonstrates that feel is the definitive muse fueling her creative output and connecting the dots between her broad musical tastes. “I’ve gone between playing a lot of different styles of music,” she admits. “And that seems to have converged pretty organically on Activities, which I’m happy about.”Butterss started out on upright when she was just 13. She got into what she calls “the nitty-gritty” of playing the upright bass, “a complicated and difficult instrument,” first at the University of Adelaide in Australia (where she’s from) and then at graduate school at Indiana University in Bloomington. She majored in Jazz Bass at both. She also spent much of those formative years learning classical music and playing in orchestras. Though she “dabbled” in electric bass on and off during that time, she didn’t seriously start playing it until about five years ago, after settling in Los Angeles. “I started getting interested in indie-music styles,” she recalls. “It’s not like they necessarily require electric bass, but I felt I’d have more opportunities to play a wider range of music. So, that was the impulse.”“My dear friend Paul Bryan, who’s a great bass player, and producer and writer, sat down with me and was like, ‘Look, this is what you should buy. This is a good deal, buy this one.’”Though there are obvious similarities between upright and electric bass, but Butterss says learning to play the latter was like learning a different instrument. “The tuning is the same, the strings are the same, and I guess the function that they play in the music is the same,” she explains. “But that seems really surface-level when you’re dealing with a totally different timbre and a totally different texture. I was surprised at how different they were. I started not thinking of them as related in any way.”She describes the upright bass as the instrument that she feels the most comfortable on, and the one where she has already developed a sound. When she started playing electric bass, she had to start from square one in learning how to play it. “For the first two years, it really felt like I could play the instrument—I knew where the notes were, I could execute things that I needed to execute in whatever song I was playing, but I don’t know if I necessarily felt like I had a concrete sound or style on the instrument the same way that I did on upright, so that’s definitely been a work-in-progress.”When it comes to other bass players, Butterss admits she’s never really been one for direct influences but does namecheck a few OGs of electric bass. “When I started getting into electric bass, I was listening to Willie Weeks, some James Jamerson, a fair amount of Meshell Ndegeocello, who is someone I’m always listening to a fair amount of, really [laughter],” she chuckles. “I listen to a lot of things, and maybe one particular moment or feeling from one song on one record will stand out to me and I’ll carry that with me, but it’s never like, ‘Okay this is the bass player I’m going to play like.’”The first electric bass she bought was an old Kay K-5924 Semi-Hollow Body from about 1966 or ’67 that she still uses. “I bought it because my dear friend, Paul Bryan [Aimee Mann, Rufus Wainwright], who’s a great bass player and producer and writer, sat down with me and was like, ‘Look, this is what you should buy. This is a good deal, buy this one.’ He was a mentor and someone whose sensibility on the instrument I’ve always appreciated—maybe not specific things about the way that he played, but his general approach to the instrument definitely influenced me.”Anna Butterss’ GearBassesKay K-5924 (’66 or ’67)Guild Starfire II1930s German-made upright bass (unknown maker)Realist LifeLine Upright Bass PickupStrings, Picks & AccessoriesLaBella 760FS Deep Talkin’ Flats (electric)Pirastro Evah Pirazzi Slap (upright)Dunlop Tortex Standard 1.0 mm and 1.14 mmMono Bass CasesEffectsMXR M234 Analog ChorusMXR M133 Micro AmpElectro-Harmonix Micro POGMoog Minifooger MF DelayAmpsAguilar Tone Hammer 500 (head)Aguilar SL 112 (cabinet)For recording Activities, Butterss went mostly direct with the electric bass. She did bring one of her own basses and played it on one song, but because Activities was recorded at Pete Min’s studio, Lucy’s Meat Market in Eagle Rock, California, she had a lot of “really interesting instruments” at her disposal.“At the start of the recording process, I was gravitating towards all these semi-hollow-bodies, like Kay and Harmony basses, with really warm sounds,” she attests. “And by the end of the record, everything I was playing was like Jazz bass with the tone rolled all the way off. I got all that warmth out of my system [laughter].”“By the end of the record, everything I was playing was like Jazz bass with the tone rolled all the way off. I got all that warmth out of my system [laughter].”One of the recording/mixing strategies Butterss and Min utilized for several bass tracks on Activities was to record the electric bass, convert it to MIDI, and then layer synths on it. “Limitations and Dogma,” for example, which also employs a chorus effect on the bass, displays this technique. “I recorded the electric bass part, which is kind of like a solo, and then we converted it to MIDI and layered some synths on it, and then switched those in and out,” explains Butterss. “We did that on ‘The Worst Thing You Could Do for Your Health,’ too.”On “Ben,” she stumbled across a happy accident. “On the part at the end, I’d been playing something with an overdrive pedal on guitar and we just plugged the bass into the same [signal] chain, and I forgot to turn off the overdrive, so we started tracking and the bass came in super-hot and distorted, but it ended up being a really cool sound.”While the aforementioned tunes exemplify Butterss’ approach to tracking electric bass, “Do Not Disturb” epitomizes her upright sound and technique. Raw, aggressive, and frighteningly fierce, it captures the rhythmic nature of her ability that makes her so desirable to others as a side person.“I had an idea about how I wanted that song to feel, and I started it on upright, trying to get a weird, creepy, kind of messy-but-driving crazy feeling, and it was really hard to do it,” she explains. “I was in there for a while trying to figure it out, and then Pete and I listened back in the control room, and it’s just me, trying, and then stopping, and then swearing a little bit and then trying again, and, at some point, I’m just like, ‘How do you do this?’ So, we ended up splicing it together, which is what I wanted to do anyway. I wanted it to feel organic, as in acoustic, but also with this weird element of robotic-ness. There’s something alien about it. I wanted it to sound more like a sample, rather than something that we just recorded acoustically with a beautiful sound. And then we converted it to MIDI and layered a synth on top of it to make it sound even weirder. I really wanted it to feel like a hybrid of that fundamental acoustic sound with all these extra layers on top of it.”“I wanted it to feel organic, as in acoustic, but also with this weird element of robotic-ness—there’s something alien about it.”When it comes to playing someone else’s music, whether jazz, indie, or otherwise, Butterss says she needs to be thinking about what they want in their music rather than anything to do with the technical aspects of bass playing. “I’m lucky in that most of the people I work with now, at this point in my career, call me because they want me to have my own musical opinions and my own input within their music,” she says. “I feel like I do have a lot of freedom to follow my own instincts.”Circling back to her earlier sentiment about preferring to follow her senses over shredding, she concludes that she’s at her best when she’s thinking about music as “an act of service. The more I can think of the broader impact of the whole musical landscape, rather than thinking about whatever I’m playing on the instrument, technically speaking, I think the better it is.”YouTube It—Jenny Lewis: NPR Music Tiny Desk ConcertAnna Butterss plays her 1930s German double bass and sings backing vocals for Jenny Lewis during a recent NPR Tiny Desk concert.

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VINNY APPICE Says It's 'Great' To See PANTERA Coming Back: 'It Sounds Like It's Gonna Be Exciting'

Vinny Appice has weighed in on the news that PANTERA’s surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) will unite with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.
Anselmo and Brown, along wi…

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JUDAS PRIEST's IAN HILL Doesn't Have 'The Slightest Idea Of What To Expect' At ROCK HALL Induction Ceremony

In a new interview with Dig Boston, JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill was asked how he feels about the band’s upcoming induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He responded: “These things come along every now and then and it’s very flattering when they do. If you’ve been recognized by your peers,…

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Track Premiere: Fliege – ‘Man is the Warmest Place to Hide’

We’ve covered Fliege since their demo days, so we’re proud to hear them all growed up on upcoming album, One Day They’ll Wonder What Happened Here.
The post Track Premiere: Fliege – ‘Man is the Warmest Place to Hide’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

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Day #13: Walrus Audio

You could win an Eons from Walrus Audio in today’s Stomboxtober giveaway! Enter Below.Walrus Audio Eons 5-state Fuzz Pedal

Eons is a five-state fuzz capable of massively thick sounds ready to test the limits of any amp’s grill cloth. Use the Voltage (lightning bolt) knob to crank up to 18 volts into the pedal’s circuit for massive, open fuzz sounds, or choose to starve it down to 3 volts for spatty, gated fuzz. Experiment with the Voltage and Mode knobs for nearly endless styles of fuzz tones. Find vintage-inspired sounds emanating from the stages of Woodstock to chaotic three-chord punk rock. Eons is ready for a fight.Stompboxtober Day 13 Walrus Audio

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Fender Unveils the American Vintage II Series

An electric guitar and bass line that celebrates Fender’s models released during the musical decades of the `50s, `60s and `70s.Built-in Corona, Calif., this new flagship series is designed to be a testament to the lasting influence and designs from one of the iconic instrument makers, including the Telecaster, Stratocaster, and Jazzmaster guitars and Precision Bass and Jazz Bass models in their celebrated, original form. Harnessing vintage-inspired style, sound, and feel, the American Vintage II series elevates the playing experience for modern musicians, while maintaining the classic features that have influenced through the decades.In addition, Fender has teamed up with country music duo Brothers Osborne, British vocalist, guitarist, singer and songwriter James Bay, legendary British rock guitarist Jeff Beck and more to bring the series to life. Each campaign artist will be featured in a four-part video series that showcases six guitars and basses in the collection through powerful vignettes that highlight the progression, inspiration and influence vintage gear has had on music through time; these videos will include personal conversations, performances of some original songs and even some covers from each American Vintage II decade that have influenced the artists personal sound. Fans can watch highlights of how iconicFender guitar models continue to influence artists’ music today, with models being built to every last original spec.Top Highlights Include:Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finishes (where vintage accurate) that give the authentic visual aesthetic of vintage Fender guitars that will age beautifully over time.Vintage-Style Neck Profiles that create the playing experience, feel and sound of the classic guitar and basses celebrated from Fender’s golden age.Heirloom Quality Year-Specific Pickups that emulate the crystalline, warm tone that is the hallmark of Fender instruments.Ash and Alder Bodies are traditional Fender tone woods used from the `50s to today and provide the look and sound of classic Fender instruments.Vintage-Style Hardware recreates the tone and feel of Fender’s classic instruments with an authentic aesthetic.Vintage-Style Cases protect the instruments with traditional style.Series Models Include:50s: American Vintage II ‘51 Telecaster guitar and American Vintage II ‘51 Telecaster LH guitar, ($2,249.99 USD)American Vintage II ‘54 Precision Bass, ($2,249.99 USD)American Vintage II ‘57 Stratocaster guitar and American Vintage II ‘57 Stratocaster LH guitar ($2,099.99-$2,249.99 USD)‘60s:American Vintage II ‘60 Precision Bass, ($2,099.99 USD)American Vintage II ‘61 Stratocaster guitar and American Vintage II ‘61 Stratocaster LH guitar, ($2,099.99 USD)American Vintage II ‘63 Telecaster guitar, ($2,099.99-$2,249.99 USD)American Vintage II ‘66 Jazz Bass and American Vintage II ‘66 Jazz Bass LH, ($2,299.99 USD)American Vintage II ‘66 Jazzmaster guitar, ($2,399.99 USD)‘70s:American Vintage II ‘72 Telecaster Thinline guitar, ($2,399.99 USD)American Vintage II ‘73 Statocaster guitar, ($2,279.99 USD)American Vintage II ‘75 Telecaster Deluxe guitar, ($2,299.99 USD)American Vintage II ‘77 Telecaster Custom guitar, ($2,199.99 USD)Introducing American Vintage II | FenderFor more information, please visit fender.com.

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DAVID LEE ROTH Shares Newly Recorded Version Of 'You Really Got Me'

David Lee Roth has shared a new solo version of THE KINKS classic “You Really Got Me”, a track which was famously covered by VAN HALEN for that band’s 1978 self-titled debut album. The new recording, like the previously released “Dance The Night Away”, “Panama” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love”, was la…

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LACUNA COIL's CRISTINA SCABBIA Says 'Comalies XX' Is A Celebration Of The Past, The Present And The Future

“Comalies XX”, a “deconstructed” and “transported” version of LACUNA COIL’s third album, “Comalies”, will be made available on October 14 via Century Media Records.
Back in 2002, LACUNA COIL released an album which is now undeniably an anthem-laden millennial classic that established them as a band…

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Hear New ALL OUT WAR Track “Glorious Devastation” & Pre-Order New LP ‘Celestial Rot’ on Decibel-Exclusive Vinyl!

We’ve got 100 copies of metallic hardcore heroes All Our War’ new LP, Celestial Rot, on Decibel-exclusive Bone White vinyl. Pre-order now!
The post Hear New ALL OUT WAR Track “Glorious Devastation” & Pre-Order New LP ‘Celestial Rot’ on Decibel-Exclusive Vinyl! appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

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