Sonic Perspectives

Guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and producer Jakko Jaksyzk has experienced an amazing career which has culminated this past decade in his joining King Crimson. Filling the shoes of such legends as Greg Lake, John Wetton and Adrian Belew is not for the faint of heart but Jaksyzk has the talent and experience to be able to make his own mark. Jakko had a life-changing moment when he saw King Crimson playing Watford Town Hall on the 15th July 1971. Hearing the band that night instilled in the 13-year-old Jakko a determination to become a professional musician, setting him off on the road to what has been by any definition a remarkable career. From reaching the finals of Melody Maker’s National Rock competition with his band Soon After in 1975, by 2019 Jakszyk was performing on stage at the Rock In Rio Festival as a member of King Crimson playing guitar and singing in front 125,000 people and an estimated worldwide television audience of over 10 million viewers.

Throughout the years he has played with many astounding musicians, from Allan Holdsworth to Pip Pyle to Peter Hammill. Now in 2020 he resumes his solo career with the outstanding “Secrets and Lies” which boasts nearly all of Crimson and many other special guests while spotlighting his own skills. Containing ten songs that explore topics such as obsession, betrayal, the shifting grounds of contemporary politics, and the tangled threads of family history, “Secrets and Lies” balances sensitive writing, musical technique, and accessible tunes cast in an impressively cinematic sound world.

In this 30 minute interview, Sonic Perspectives correspondent Scott Medina explores Jaksyzk‘s recent new album in depth, while saving plenty of time for Crimson stories and more. Listen below and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

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Throughout his lengthy career as a multi-platinum mixer, sound engineer and producer, Richard Chycki has helped to materialize the sonic visions of artists such as Rush, Dream Theater, Mick Jagger, Aerosmith, Jeff Healey and many more. Known for his pioneering mix work in multichannel audio, prog legends Rush entrusted Chycki to remix the multi-million selling album “2112”, their career pinnacle “Moving Pictures”, as well as “A Farewell To Kings”, “Hemispheres”, “Signals”, “Snakes & Arrows” and “Fly By Night” in 5.1 surround, as well as mixing “Tom Sawyer” and “Limelight” in Dolby Atmos for Amazon‘s introduction in to their HD streaming service. While rock acts Dream Theater, Skillet, Simple Plan and Our Lady Peace had also tapped his surround mix talents, other genres have caught word, most notably for DVD releases with P. Diddy, Tyrese, Shaggy and Sean Paul.

Having worked with such a wide array of musicians, it’s no wonder that Richard has a lot of stories to tell. In an almost one-hour long interview with Sonic Perspectives collaborator and life-long Rush fan Rodrigo Altaf, he discussed the beginning of his career as the guitar player of Winter Rose, his transition into production and engineering, his collaboration with Dream Theater,  how Rush’s compositional magic happened in front of his eyes, what was like to be in the studio with Mick Jagger and Jeff Healey and much more. 

Find out everything they talked about in the link / video below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

Connect with Richard Chycki online at: Website | Facebook | Instagram

The post RUSH and DREAM THEATER Engineer RICHARD CHYCKI on The Surround Remixes Of RUSH’s Back Catalogue: “The Intention Was NOT To Reinvent The Wheel” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons are back with another killer release, the boldly titled “We’re the Bastards”. What started as an excuse for Phil to play with his sons soon evolved into its own entity, and the band has moved from playing a set of covers in the afternoon slots at European summers to now having a full set of their own material. Headline shows also came into play, and their quick rise will not be stopped by the coronavirus.

On “We’re the Bastards”, Phil, his sons and singer Neil Starr present a set of songs which is very much an evolution of their debut album “The Age of Absurdity”, which made it to several lists of best albums of 2018. The usual dose of in-your-face rock and roll is accompanied by thoughtful numbers, such as album closer “Waves”. And obviously, with Phil being such a driving force of Motörhead, there’s plenty of influence from that style of songwriting sprinkled throughout the album, which will quench the thirst of old time fans.

Singer Neil Starr, the only non-Campbell member of the band, is the owner of a unique style. His voice can be aggressive when needed, but also convey emotion in moodier numbers. In this interview with our restless collaborator Rodrigo Altaf, he discussed the writing and recording process of the new album, the increasing popularity of the band, and what is it like to work in a family-owned business.

Find out everything they talked about in the link / video below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

Connect with Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons online at: Website | Facebook | Twitter 

The post Singer NEIL STARR of PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS Reflects On The Band’s Writing Process: “We Don’t Feel Restricted to Writing a Certain Style of Music. There’s A Lot of Variation on This Album.” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

There are many album widely considered like masterpieces of progressive rock, however you may not know that “Unfolded Like Staircase” by DISCIPLINE. is world renowned with a cult following since its release in 1997.   

DISCIPLINE. formed in 1987 in Detroit Michigan, a far cry from progressive rock music.  The band had been writing progressive rock music thinking that their music was extremely niche and unique until touring with ECHOLYN and ANEKDOTEN in both the US and Europe.  

“Unfolded Like Staircase” is complex with all of the details to excite any progressive rock enthusiast. The music is dramatic and takes the listener on a roller coaster ride with shifting moods which makes this album beautiful in composition and listening experience. 

DISCIPLINE. is:

Sonic Perspectives collaborator Richard Reyes took the time to interview Matthew Parmenter and talks about the band and this album which has been out of print and now getting much loved attention from producer Terry Brown (Rush, Jimi Hendrix, Fates Warning) and the band as they re-master and re-release this album. Matthew spoke at length about the music, the bands early day theatrics and his nickname, The Magic Acid Mime and announces a new album in the works!

Listen below to join Richard as he interviews DISCIPLINE. and plays a few tracks from the album for your enjoyment, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

The post MATTHEW PARMENTER of DISCIPLINE. Talks About Band’s Progressive Rock Epic Album ‘Unfolded Like Staircase’: “We Did Feel We Were Doing Something Unique” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

From hard rock, to heavy metal, punk, progressive rock and AOR, Jeff Scott Soto has done it all. The singer, who has more than 85 albums under his belt along with numerous collaborations and recordings, has established himself as a consummate professional who manages to expertly deliver with his vocal performances across multiple musical genres. Soto’s career spans nearly thirty years, beginning as the vocalist for guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen before coming the front-man for bands such as Talisman, Soul SirkUS, Sons of Apollo (featuring Billy Sheehan, Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian and Bumblefoot), as well as an ongoing membership in Trans-Siberian Orchestra and a stint as the lead singer for the legendary classic rock band Journey.

Jeff‘s new solo album “(Wide Awake) In My Dreamland” hits the selves this Friday, and for this record Jeff incorporated many of his past influences, blending melodic rock/AOR with hard rock influences throughout. The album was recorded and written together with Frontiers Music‘s Swiss army knife producer and multi-instrumentalist Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline, Jorn, Revolution Saints, etc).

Soto extraordinary abilities as a performer and vocalist shine throughout “(Wide Awake) In My Dreamland”, with him delivering on hard rocking tracks with incredible energy and easily transitions to powerful performances on epic ballads like the album first single “Without You”, paired with Del Vecchio‘s inhuman playing on multiple instruments, the phenomenal guitar solos by unknown Italian guitar player Fabrizio Sgattoni, and the pounding drumming of Edu Cominato.

Here at Sonic Perspectives we have followed Jeff‘s career for decades and we have interview him several times before, hence this time around we decided to do something different. Three of our contributors (Rodrigo Altaf, Robert Cavuoto and Joel Barrios) engaged in a dynamic, extra-informative and hilarious conversation with Soto, surprising him with the appearance of Alessandro Del Vecchio half way through the call. For over 90 minutes we laughed, and discussed the album at length, also touching on several other topics like Soto‘s restless work during the lockdown, the chemistry between him and Alessandro during the creation of the record, the past careers of both, what band Soto was almost fired from and managed to get back to, how Alessandro‘s decision to stay living in Europe worked on his favor to propel his career as musician an producer, what Jeff has in store for the upcoming ProgPower Festival XXI set and much more.  Grab a cold beer or a glass of wine and get ready to listen!

For more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post Iconic Singer JEFF SCOTT SOTO Dives Deep Reflecting On His New Solo Album: “This Is The Best Record In My Solo Career In Which I Wasn’t Hands On, And It Came Out So Great Because I Got This Connection And Chemistry With ALESSANDRO DEL VECCHIO Like If We Were Separated At Birth” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

“The demos were so exact that we all knew exactly what we needed to do,” says longtime Fates Warning vocalist Ray Alder from his flat in Madrid.

“I usually record with either Bobby or Joey, but this time I was living in a police state.” Alder speaks at length about the unorthodox process by which his contributions to Fates Warning‘s upcoming thirteenth record, “Long Day Good Night,” came to be. “I worked alone with an engineer instead of with a band-mate, and Bobby was supposed to tour with Sebastian Bach. That obviously didn’t happen, but it did give us a chance to work with Gavin Harrison [Pineapple Thief, ex- Porcupine Tree] on one song.”

“Long Day Good Night” is quite frankly a triumph, and it does a damn fine job of encompassing all the different grounds Fates Warning has covered in their nearly forty years. During his most recent chat with fellow San Antonian (and Sonic Perspectives Texas Bureau Chief) Gonzalo Pozo, the always affable Alder reveals the inner workings of his songwriting partnership with Fates honcho Jim Matheos, laments the ongoing pandemic and how it’s affected the lives of full-time musicians, and conveys the optimism and geniality that’s gotten him through the most grueling times his new home has endured since the end of the Franco era.

Listen on and enjoy their chat below, full of interesting information and details about the band’s upcoming record (You can also check out our recently published review of  “Long Day Good Night”  at this location)

For more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post FATES WARNING Singer RAY ALDER Talks New Album: “The Demos Were So Exact That We All Knew Exactly What We Needed to Do” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Every once in a while a band emerges seemingly out of nowhere and provides a debut album that surprises you with depth, skill and musical landscapes filled with imagery. Such is the new band RUBBER TEA hailing from Bremen Germany having just released their album RUBBER TEA.

RUBBER TEA is a progressive rock quintet who provide a magical soundscape utilizing a multitude of instruments including everything from mellotron to a vibraphone and cowbells to a quiro and djembe. The band is fronted by Vanessa Gross whose voice shines while the band takes you on a journey of jazzy and progressive rock bliss with some great art rock artistry. There are tracks that utilize retro sax solos which are mesmerizing. Overall it’s clear that RUBBER TEA are extremely skilled musicians that use everything in their arsenal and pay homage to greats like Pink Floyd and King Crimson with reverence to progressive rock of the 70’s while being youthful and faithful to modern prog. You can listen to “Infusion” at this location.

RUBBER TEA is:

Sonic Perspectives collaborator Richard Reyes took the opportunity to interview RUBBER TEA‘s Lennart Hinz and David Errzman to talk at length about the album and plays a few tracks for your listening pleasure. Listen below to join Richard in this journey to discover one of the biggest prog-rock surprises of the year 

Remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

The post German Proggers RUBBER TEA Talk About Their Excellent Debut Album “Infusion” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Amidst a sea of cancellations and delays in both shows and album releases, most artists have hunkered down to wait out the storm that 2020 became. Yet true to a reputation for embracing the unorthodox and conquering the nigh impossible, the eponymous Devin Townsend has spend these last six months busier than ever. Over the duration of quarantine and its immediate fallout, Townsend has hosted a Quarantine Concert series, the first of those events to raise money for charity. October 31st will be his fifth in this series, a show called “Rarities by Request” in which the singer and instrumentalist will be performing a handful of deep cuts hand-selected by fans via poll. On top of the virtual concerts Townsend has also been working on regular episodes of the Devin Townsend Podcast, bonus videos, and much more. 

After the “Empath” North American tour was cut short in the wake of Covid-19 it appeared as though the “Empath” cycle, which had begun just one year earlier in March 2019, had been forced to a close. Much the opposite, the spirit of “Empath“’s live presence still lives strong in Townsend’s upcoming release “Order of Magnitude – Empath Live Volume 1.” This live album, presented both as a CD and DVD with documentary, were recorded on the European leg of the “Empath” tour. This is Townsend’s second live album in two years, following up the performance at the Ancient Theater where Townsend performed “Ocean Machine” in its entirety. “Order of Magnitude” is not just impressive in its production, but in that the two-hour set involving ten musicians and many more helping hands was performed without the use of click tracks or backing tracks. 

Devin Townsend spoke with Sonic Perspectives contributor Samantha Buckman on how he accomplished this feat of performance, and dug deep into the painstaking process that went on behind the scenes to pull off this monumental release. Listen to the full audio interview below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and  subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

The post DEVIN TOWNSEND on Upcoming “Empath” Live Album and Quarantine Releases: “What I Bring to the Table is Music, That’s What I Can Do” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

With their 40th anniversary just around the corner, Armored Saint is ready to unleash their eight full-length album, entitled “Punching the Sky”. Written and recorded in the last two years, it’ definitely a step up from its predecessor, 2015’s “Win Hands Down”. A diverse, attitude-drenched collection, it’s everything the band’s faithful have come to expect from them while pushing their signature sound forward. Since their reunion in 1999, they found a much sought after creative freedom, which allows them to take more chances and not be confined to a single style.

Aside from the usual lineup – John Bush (vocals), Joey Vera (bass) Gonzo Sandoval (drums), Jeff Duncan (guitars) and Phil Sandoval (guitars) – the record also features a few guest musicians further expanding its sonic palette. The album kicks off with the sound of Uilleann Pipes, courtesy of expert Patrick D’Arcy from Los Angeles. Guns ‘N’ Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed also contributes, delivering a strong performance throughout the album. The band’s own Gonzo Sandoval plays an American Indian flute on “Never You Fret” – a first for Armored Saint and their drummer. Also Jacob Ayala, the son of a childhood friend who is a drum major in high school, added some marching snare on one of the tracks, which really stands out.

Like many bands in the digital era, rather than writing together, the group would work on material separately and share whatever they came up with via file sharing, the majority of the music written by Vera and the lyrics penned by Bush. Eight albums in a forty year career may seem too sparse, but they do make it count, and always chose quality over quantity.

Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf, talked to John Bush and he describes the writing and recording process of the album, goes into detail of the lyrics of certain songs, and talks about their immediate plans to release the album. Find out their video chat in the link below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.

Connect with Armored Saint online at: Website | Facebook | Twitter 

The post JOHN BUSH Reflects on ARMORED SAINT’s New Album and Work Ethic: “We Work at A Slow Pace; For Us It’s Always About Quality And Not Quantity” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.