The Sixteen Men Of Tain (musired.com 2000, Spanish language)
Summary: Allan Holdsworth, a renowned musician, discusses his musical journey, equipment, and the creative process. He talks about his early exposure to music, his interest in experimenting with different instruments, and his daily practice routine. Holdsworth shares his preferences for equipment, including Yamaha digital amplifiers and effects racks. He also highlights the significance of the SynthAxe, an instrument he values but feels has been underappreciated. The interview covers his experiences with various artists and his commitment to playing the music he loves, even if it doesn't align with commercial expectations. Holdsworth provides insights into his album "The Sixteen Men of Tain," discussing its title, the inspiration behind it, and the inclusion of a meaningful passage from a book. He expresses hope for future projects and the possibility of touring in Spain. [This summary was written by ChatGPT in 2023 based on the article text below.]
Original Spanish version
www.musired.com
Uncredited, but likely by Alex Belencoso
Desde muy pequeño Allan Holdsworth tuvo la música en su casa de manos de sus padres, unos grandes amantes del jazz y la música clásica. Esto, probablemente, le influyó en su manera de investigar sonidos y experimentar con ellos, algo que podemos apreciar en su nuevo álbum, "The sixteen men of Tain", donde ha grabado, además de la guitarra, sonidos con el synthaxe en el ordenador vía MIDI. Sin duda es una de las pocas personas que ha utilizado este avanzado instrumento y ha apreciado lo que significa. Esperamos que no tarde mucho en regresar a España, esta vez de gira, y no perder la ocasión de verle en directo.
La presentación de su nuevo disco, "The sixteen men of Tain", ha sido la razón por la que hemos podido disfrutar de Allan Holdsworth durante unos días en España. En este disco ha grabado con músicos de la talla de Dave Carpenter al bajo; Gary Novak y Chad Wackerman a la batería y Walt Fowler a la trompeta. El mismo Allan ha producido y mezclado el disco que nos ha llevado a hacerle esta interesante entrevista.
¿A qué edad empezaste a tocar y qué tipo de música escuchabas?
Bueno, ésa es una buena pregunta porque empecé a escuchar música cuando tenía alrededor de tres años, pero no quería ser músico, solamente disfrutar escuchando música. No podía entender que había composiciones que podían hacerme llorar y otras que podían hacer que me sintiera contento. Era como una cosa mágica, una cosa realmente fascinante. Cogía los discos de mis padres y, aunque todavía no sabía leer, los conocía todos y los identificaba echando un vistazo a las portadas. Creo que cuando tenía unos once o doce años mi padre intentó enseñarme a tocar el piano, pero no me gustaba el piano. No es que no me guste escuchar a otros tocar, simplemente yo no me sentía cómodo sentado allí. Pensé que quería tocar un instrumento de viento, como un saxofón, por ejemplo, pero en aquella época eran bastante caros y mis padres no podían comprármelo. Así que mi padre le compró a mi tío una vieja guitarra, pero la verdad es que al principio tampoco me gustaba mucho. Me ponía delante del espejo y empezaba a imitar a Elvis. Mi padre aprendió a tocar la guitarra por su cuenta, era pianista, así que al principio no tenía mucha técnica pero sí muchos conocimientos, así que tocaba cosas muy atractivas, pero no muy rápido. Hasta los dieciocho o diecinueve años no empece a tener interés, a tomármelo en serio. Sólo quería escuchar música, no ser músico. No sentía que tuviera nada que ofrecer como músico. Pero, sin saber cómo, cambié. Inconscientemente pasaron los años y me empecé a dar cuenta de que me comenzaba a gustar.
¿Te has sentido interesado por otros instrumentos?
Primero toqué la guitarra y luego quise experimentar con otros instrumentos. Me gustaba mucho el clarinete. Estuve buscando sonidos diferentes, así que primero probé con el clarinete, luego con un clarinete bajo, más tarde con el más alto, el más pequeño que hay. Pero tuve problemas en los oídos, se me perforaban los tímpanos de soplar, así que lo dejé y volví a la guitarra otra vez. Desde entonces, inconsciente o subconscientemente he intentado que la guitarra no sonase como una guitarra.
Creo que has estado interesado por los violines...
Había un violín en casa, pero al principio no estuve muy interesado. Lo interesante del violín es que se puede hacer que suene como un instrumento de viento, ya que puedes tocar notas largas y cambiar el sonido. Además me gusta la afinación con quintas, es muy lógica. Pero no podía tocar acordes y por eso lo dejé. Volví con la guitarra porque comprendí que tardaría veinte vidas en aprender a tocar bien un instrumento, así que tenía que elegir uno.
Actualmente, ¿cuánto tiempo dedicas a practicar?
Bueno, toco todos los días. A veces sólo improviso y otras veces me siento y trato de ponerme a estudiar escalas nuevas, acordes nuevos, etc. Hay tanto por aprender que me duele el cerebro, así que a veces me tengo que concentrar en una sola cosa hasta que la aprendo. Lo hermoso de la música es que cada vez que aprendes algo nuevo, se abre una puerta que te muestra algo distinto que no sabes todavía. Esto me demuestra que nunca sabré todo sobre la música, y eso es muy bonito.
Háblame sobre el equipo que utilizas, ¿es el mismo en estudio y en directo?
Más o menos. Eso va cambiando porque mi sonido va cambiando. Los últimos años usaba amplificadores Boogie, pero estos dos últimos años he estado utilizando amplificadores digitales de Yamaha. Realmente me gustan. Parece que la persona que diseñó estos amplificadores consiguió un sonido muy cercano a lo que yo quiero conseguir. Antes utilizaba mi propio dispositivo. Consistía en pasar la señal de la salida del altavoz a la entrada de línea de otro amplificador, de modo que podía poner el volumen muy alto, consiguiendo la textura que quería pero controlando el nivel de volumen de salida. Podía conseguir un sonido muy grande pero con poco volumen. Por eso me gustan los amplificadores digitales, porque en su diseño se utiliza este concepto, y ahora todo el montaje es más sencillo.
¿Qué efectos sueles emplear normalmente?
No uso ningún pedal pequeño, tengo dos grandes racks. Antes utilizaba muchísimos efectos pero era demasiado para llevar en la carretera. Lo que tengo ahora es suficientemente bueno. También uso un ecualizador para la guitarra solista.
¿Qué papel tienen los ordenadores dentro de tu proceso creativo?
A veces los utilizo. A veces me gusta sentarme con una guitarra y un cuaderno, y otras veces con el synthaxe grabo en el ordenador vía MIDI.
Cuéntame algo más acerca del synthaxe.
Soy una de las pocas personas que lo utiliza y quizás, una de las pocas personas que realmente ha apreciado lo que es este instrumento. Es un instrumento adelantado a su tiempo y es un poco triste que haya desaparecido. La mayoría de los guitarristas no quieren saber nada de él. Solía hacer clinics, intentaba encontrar sonidos nuevos y la gente me pedía que lo hiciera sonar como una guitarra. Me parecía interesante dejárselo a otra gente porque siempre intentaban tocar cosas de guitarra con él, y yo lo trataba como otro instrumento. Lo único que tenía en común con la guitarra es que sabía dónde estaban las notas. Pero ahora ya ha desaparecido. Es una lástima.
Has participado en los discos de muchos artistas, ¿Con quién te has sentido especialmente cómodo?
Ha cambiado con el tiempo pero, teniendo en cuenta esto, una de las mejores cosas que hice fue tocar con la banda de Tempest, porque fue mi primera experiencia de viajar con un grupo. También con Soft Machine, porque era muy creativo y tenía total libertad para tocar lo que quisiera. Me sentía muy cómodo. Recuerdo que me decían: "tocas demasiadas notas", y ahora no me parece que hubiera tantas notas. Y con Tony Williams también me encantó tocar. Quizás fue la mejor experiencia de todas y también la peor, porque pasaron muchas cosas malas en el grupo, pero bueno..., las cosas malas las olvido.
Y también tienes una larga carrera en solitario. ¿Has tenido facilidades para grabar tus proyectos?
Es muy difícil mantener contratos discográficos con el tipo de música que me gusta. Las compañías de discos quieren vender millones y, claro, con esta música no es probable que lo hagan.
Sin embargo, siempre has intentado tocar lo que quieres sin dejarte influir por las exigencias de las discográficas...
Sí, ya he tocado en muchos grupos donde la gente me decía lo que tenía que hacer y decidí que quería hacer esto. Económicamente fue una decisión desastrosa. Cuando formé mi primer grupo con Gary Husband estuve a punto de dejar la música porque no ganaba suficiente dinero y entonces conocí a Matt Valy, que tenía una columna en Guitar Magazine, me encontró y me enseñó todas estas revistas en las que aparecía mi nombre y de las que yo no tenía ni idea. Así que me organizaron unas cuantas actuaciones en California. Fue increíble pasar a tocar delante de diez personas en un pub en Inglaterra a clubes en California con seiscientas o setecientas personas y siempre llenos. Así que pensé que era el momento de trasladarme. Fue por esto que me fui a los EE.UU., por trabajo... y es mejor para evitar la lluvia. No es que sea muy aficionado a la playa ni nada de esto, pero me gusta ver el cielo azul y el sol de vez en cuando.
¿Qué tal la experiencia en el nuevo álbum?
Bastante mala porque cuando empecé no tenía discográfica. Había hecho un par de giras y sabía que quería grabar algo con el grupo, así que mi manager dijo que pagaría a los músicos y los grabamos en un estudio que tengo en casa. Este estudio está más preparado para las mezclas que para grabar porque no hay mucho espacio físico, así que fue un poco incómodo, un poco duro... pero lo hicimos de cualquier modo. Hicimos la mayoría de los temas en tres días: viernes, sábado y domingo. Luego lo dejamos y estuve tres o cuatro años en los que, en lugar de ir a festivales de música, iba a festivales de cerveza presentando un aparato que había diseñado. Entonces quedó todo muy parado y empezamos a ir de gira otra vez. Y luego giras, cervezas... lo mezclé, no estaba contento, lo volví a mezclar... No es raro en mí que mezcle varias veces, intento exprimir las cosas al máximo.
¿Y finalmente estás contento con el sonido obtenido?
Sí, bueno, en mitad del proceso estaba bastante descontento pero ahora lo he escuchado y se acerca bastante a lo que esperaba. Lo había escuchado tantas veces que ya no sabía si era bueno o no, y necesitaba un descanso. Cuando volví empecé a escuchar la música otra vez y dije: "bueno, no está mal".
Una curiosidad, ¿puedes explicar algo más acerca del título del álbum "The sixteen men of Tain" ("Los dieciséis hombres de Tain")?
Oh, sí, claro. Suelo utilizar uno de los títulos de las canciones a veces, y esta canción tenía un ambiente vacacional o navideño. Y, bueno, no bebo whisky normalmente pero, de vez en cuando, bebo whisky de malta escocés. Me gusta mucho, es muy especial. No es como el whisky normal, que es una mezcla de distintos destilados. En los pueblos de Escocia hay destilerías en pueblos pequeños que hacen su propio whisky de malta con un sabor muy especial. Es muy caro para beberlo habitualmente pero un poco está bien. Y hay uno que se llama Glenmar Angy, que creo que significa 'valle de la calma', o algo así, y que al final de la botella está escrito "fabricado por los dieciséis hombres de Tain", un pueblo escocés. Sólo dieciséis tipos trabajan en esta destilería y son las gentes que guardan el secreto de esta receta. Me encantaba cómo sonaba y encajaba con la melodía festiva de la canción.
¿Y el texto que aparece en el interior?
Bueno, es de un libro de James Caas llamado "Juegos finitos e infinitos". Es un libro sobre la vida y en este fragmento separa a la gente en tipos de personas finitas e infinitas. Me gustó mucho. Un amigo me enseñó el libro cuando estábamos en el proceso de creación y me dijo "mira, tú eres de este tipo de personas". Esto surgió y le gustó al que hizo el diseño de la carátula, así que lo incluyó.
¿Tienes algún proyecto a corto plazo, gira, conciertos en España?
Bueno, espero poder venir a España pronto. Y hay un nuevo disco con Jimmy Johnson que saldrá en unos meses. Es muy diferente, más agresivo. Quería volver a tocar con los músicos con los que había trabajado antes y con los que disfruté mucho.
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English translation by Manuel Cebada
The Sixteen Men Of Tain
www.musired.com
Uncredited, but likely by Alex Belencoso
(Translated from Spanish by Manuel Cebada, proofreading and slight editing by the Allan Holdsworth Information Center.)
From his very childhood Allan Holdsworth had music at home from the hand of his parents, who were big lovers of jazz and classical music. This, probably, influenced his way of searching for sounds and experimenting with them, something that we can note in his new album, "The sixteen men of Tain", where he has recorded, besides the guitar, sounds with the SynthAxe with computer via MIDI. Undoubtedly he is one of the few people who has used this advanced instrument and appreciated what it means. We hope he won't spend so much time in coming back to Spain, on tour this time, and won't miss the chance of catching him live.
The presentation of his new album, "The sixteen men of Tain", has been the reason why we could have enjoyed of Allan Holdsworth for a few days in Spain. On this album such great musicians have recorded as Dave Carpenter on bass; Gary Novak and Chad Wackerman on drums and Walt Fowler on trumpet. Allan himself has produced and mixed the the album that has lead us to this interesting interview.
At which age did you start to play and what kind of music did you listen to?
Well, that's a good question because I started to listen to music when I was around three years old, but I didn't want to be a musician, I just enjoyed listening to music. I couldn't understand that there were some compositions that could make me cry and others that could make me feel happy. It was like something magical, something really fascinating. I took my parents’ records and, although I didn't know how to read yet, I knew all of them and identified them by taking a look at the covers. I think that when I was 11 or 12 my dad tried to teach me to play piano, but I didn't like piano. It is not that I don't like to listen to others playing, simply I didn't feel comfortable sitting there. I thought that I wanted to play a wind instrument, like a saxophone, for an example, but at that time they were very expensive and my parents couldn't buy it. So my father bought an old guitar from my uncle, but the truth is that at the beginning it didn't like a lot either. I put myself in front of a mirror and started to imitate Elvis. My father started to play guitar on his own, he was a pianist, so in the beginning he didn't have a lot of technique but a lot of knowledge, so he played very attractive things, but not too fast. It wasn't until 18 or 19 when I started to be interested, to take it seriously. I just wanted to listen to music, not to be a musician. I didn't feel I had anything to offer as a musician. But, without knowing how, I changed. Unconsciously years went by and I started to like it.
Have you been interested in other instruments?
First, I played the guitar, and later I wanted to experiment with other instruments. I liked clarinet a lot. I was searching for different sounds, so I tried clarinet the first, later bass clarinet, later the alto one, the smallest one that exists. But I had some problems with my ears, my eardrums got pierced by blowing, so I left and went back to guitar again. From then, unconsciously or subconsciously I have tried to make it so the guitar doesn't sound like a guitar.
I think you have been interested in violins...
There was a violin at home, but at the beginning I was not very interested. The interesting thing with the violin is that it could be made it sound like a wind instrument, as you can play long notes and change the sound. I also like the tuning with fifth. It is very logical. But I couldn't play chords, so I stopped. I went back to guitar because I learnt that it would take me 20 years to learn to play an instrument well, so I had to choose one.
Nowadays, how much time do you spend practicing?
Well, I play everyday. Sometimes I only improvise and sometimes I sit down and try to study new scales, new chords, etc. There is so much to learn that my brain hurts, so sometimes I have to concentrate in one thing until I learn it. The beauty of music is that each time you learn something new, a new door is opened and shows you something different that you didn't know yet. This shows that I will never know everything about music, and that is very beautiful.
Talk to me about the equipment you use, is it the same in studio and in concert?
More or less. It is changing because my sound is changing. The latest years I used Boogie amps, but these two last years I have been using Yamaha digital amps. I really like them. It looks like the person who designed these amps got a sound very close to what I want to get. Before I used my own device. It consisted in passing the signal from the speaker output to the line input of another amplifier, so I could put the volume very high, getting the texture I wanted but controlling the output volume level. I could get a very big but low volume sound. That's why I like digital amplifiers, because in its design this concept is used, and now the whole assembly is simpler.
Which effects do you normally use?
I don't use any foot pedals, I have two big racks. I used a lot of effects before, but it was too much to carry on the road. What I have now is good enough. I also use an equalizer for the solo guitar.
Which role does computers have in your creative process?
Sometimes I use them. Sometimes I like to sit down with a guitar and a notebook, and other times with the SynthAxe on the computer via MIDI.
Tell me more about the SynthAxe.
I am one of the few people that use it and perhaps one of the few people who have really appreciated what this instrument is. It is an instrument ahead of its time and it is a bit sad that has disappeared. Most guitarists don't want to know anything of it. I used to do clinics, tried to find new sounds and people asked me to make it sounds like a guitar. It looked interesting to lend it to other people because they always tried to play guitar things with it, and I tried it like other instrument. The only thing it had in common with the guitar is that people knew where the notes were. But now it has disappeared. It's a pity.
You have taken part in other artists’ records, which ones were you especially comfortable with?
It has changed with the time but, taking this into account, one of the best things that I did was playing with Tempest because it was my first experience of travelling with a band. Also with Soft Machine because it was very creative and I had total freedom to play whatever I wanted. I felt very comfortable. I remember I was told: "You play too many notes", and now it doesn't look to me that there were so many notes. I also loved to play with Tony Williams. Perhaps the best experience and also the worst, because too many bad things happened in that group, but well..., I forget bad things.
And also you have a long solo career. Have you had any facilities to record your projects?
It is very difficult to keep record contracts with the type of music that I like. Record companies want to sell millions and, well, with this music it is not probable they will do it.
However, you have always tried to play what you want without letting yourself be influenced by the demands of the record companies ...
Yes, I've played in many groups where people told me what to do and I decided I wanted to do this. Economically, it was a disastrous decision. When I formed my first group with Gary Husband I almost left the music [business] because I did not make enough money and then I met Matt Valy [Mike Varney? Ed.] , who had a column in Guitar Magazine, he found me and showed me all these magazines in which my name appeared and which I had no idea of. So I got a few gigs in California. It was amazing to play in front of ten people in a pub in England, to clubs in California with six or seven hundred people and always full. So I thought it was time to move. That's why I went to the US, for work ... and it's better to avoid rain. It's not that I'm very fond of the beach or any of this, but I like to see the blue sky and the sun from time to time.
How about the experience on the new album?
Pretty bad because when I started I did not have a record label. I had done a couple of tours and I knew that I wanted to record something with the group, so my manager said that I would pay the musicians and record them in the studio that I have at home. This studio is more prepared for mixes than for recording because there is not a lot of physical space, so it was kind of awkward, a little rough ... but we did it anyway. We did most of the basic tracks in three days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Then we left and I spent three or four years in which, instead of going to music festivals, I went to beer festivals presenting a device that I had designed. Then everything was very still and we started touring again. And then you turn, beers ... I mixed it, I was not happy, I mixed it again ... It's not uncommon for me to mix several times, I try to squeeze things to the max.
And finally you are happy with the sound obtained?
Yes, well, in the middle of the process I was quite unhappy but now I've heard it and it's pretty close to what I expected. I had heard it so many times that I did not know whether it was good or not, and I needed a break. When I came back I started to listen to the music again and I said, "Well, it's okay."
A curiosity, can you explain more about the album's title "The sixteen men of Tain"?
Yeah, of course. I used to use one of the songs titles sometimes, and this song had a holiday or Christmas atmosphere. And, well, I do not usually drink whiskey, but occasionally I drink Scotch malt whiskey. I really like it, it's very special. It is not like normal whiskey, which is a mixture of different distillates. In the villages of Scotland there are distilleries in small towns that make their own malt whiskey with a very special flavor. It is very expensive to drink it usually but a little is good. And there is one called Glenmorangie, which I think means 'valley of calm' or something like that, and at the end of the bottle is written "made by the sixteen men of Tain," a Scottish people. Only sixteen guys work at this distillery and it's the people who keep the secret of this recipe. I loved how it sounded and it fit the festive melody of the song.
And the text that appears on the inside?
Well, it's from a book by James Caas called "Finite and Infinite Games". It is a book about life, and this fragment separates people into finite and infinite types of people. I loved it. A friend showed me the book when we were in the process of creating and said "look, you are of this type of person". This came up and he liked the one who made the design of the cover, so he included it.
Do you have any short-term projects, tours, concerts in Spain?
Well, I hope to come to Spain soon. And there's a new album with Jimmy Johnson (and Gary Husband) coming out in a few months. It is very different, more aggressive. I wanted to play again with the musicians I had worked with before and enjoyed them a lot.
ChatGPT version, sept 2023
From a very young age, Allan Holdsworth had music in his home thanks to his parents, who were great lovers of jazz and classical music. This, undoubtedly, influenced his approach to exploring and experimenting with sounds, something we can appreciate in his new album, "The Sixteen Men of Tain," where he recorded sounds with the SynthAxe on the computer via MIDI, in addition to the guitar. He is certainly one of the few people who have used this advanced instrument and appreciated its significance. We hope he returns to Spain soon, this time on tour, so we don't miss the opportunity to see him perform live.
The presentation of his new album, "The Sixteen Men of Tain," is the reason why we have been able to enjoy Allan Holdsworth in Spain for a few days. On this album, he recorded with musicians of the caliber of Dave Carpenter on bass; Gary Novak and Chad Wackerman on drums, and Walt Fowler on trumpet. Allan himself produced and mixed the album, which led us to conduct this interesting interview.
At what age did you start playing, and what type of music were you listening to?
Well, that's a good question because I started listening to music when I was around three years old, but I didn't want to be a musician; I just enjoyed listening to music. I couldn't understand how some compositions could make me cry, and others could make me feel happy. It was like magic, truly fascinating. I would take my parents' records, and even though I couldn't read yet, I knew them all and could identify them just by looking at the covers. I think when I was around eleven or twelve years old, my father tried to teach me to play the piano, but I didn't like the piano. It's not that I don't like listening to others play; I just didn't feel comfortable sitting there. I thought I wanted to play a wind instrument, like a saxophone, for example, but at that time, they were quite expensive, and my parents couldn't afford one for me. So my father bought an old guitar from my uncle, but to be honest, I didn't really like it at first. I would stand in front of the mirror and try to imitate Elvis. My father had taught himself to play the guitar; he was a pianist, so he didn't have much technique at first, but he had a lot of knowledge, so he played very interesting things, although not very fast. It wasn't until I was eighteen or nineteen that I started to take it seriously. I just wanted to listen to music; I didn't want to be a musician. I didn't feel like I had anything to offer as a musician. But, without knowing how, I changed. Unconsciously, the years went by, and I began to realize that I was starting to like it.
Have you been interested in other instruments?
I started with the guitar and then wanted to experiment with other instruments. I really liked the clarinet. I was looking for different sounds, so I first tried the clarinet, then the bass clarinet, and later the highest-pitched clarinet, the smallest one. But I had problems with my ears; my eardrums would rupture from blowing, so I stopped and went back to the guitar again. Since then, consciously or subconsciously, I've tried to make the guitar not sound like a guitar.
I think you've been interested in violins...
There was a violin at home, but at first, I wasn't very interested. What's interesting about the violin is that you can make it sound like a wind instrument, as you can play long notes and change the sound. I also like the tuning in fifths; it's very logical. But I couldn't play chords, and that's why I gave it up. I returned to the guitar because I realized it would take me twenty lifetimes to learn to play an instrument well, so I had to choose one.
Currently, how much time do you dedicate to practicing?
Well, I play every day. Sometimes I just improvise, and other times I sit down and try to study new scales, new chords, etc. There's so much to learn that my brain hurts, so sometimes I have to focus on one thing until I learn it. The beauty of music is that every time you learn something new, a door opens that shows you something different that you don't know yet. This shows me that I will never know everything about music, and that's a beautiful thing.
Tell me about the equipment you use. Is it the same in the studio and live performances?
More or less. That changes because my sound changes. In recent years, I used Boogie amplifiers, but for the past two years, I've been using Yamaha digital amplifiers. I really like them. It seems that the person who designed these amplifiers achieved a sound very close to what I want to achieve. I used to use my own device before. It involved routing the signal from the speaker output to the line input of another amplifier so I could crank up the volume, getting the texture I wanted while controlling the output volume level. I could get a very big sound with low volume. That's why I like digital amplifiers because this concept is used in their design, and now the whole setup is simpler.
What effects do you typically use?
I don't use any small pedals; I have two large racks. I used to use a lot of effects, but it was too much to carry on the road. What I have now is good enough. I also use an equalizer for the solo guitar.
What role do computers play in your creative process?
Sometimes I use them. Sometimes I like to sit with a guitar and a notebook, and other times I record with the SynthAxe on the computer via MIDI.
Tell me more about the SynthAxe.
I'm one of the few people who use it, and perhaps one of the few who truly appreciate what this instrument is. It's an instrument ahead of its time, and it's a bit sad that it has disappeared. Most guitarists want nothing to do with it. I used to do clinics, trying to find new sounds, and people would ask me to make it sound like a guitar. I found it interesting to leave it to other people because they always tried to play guitar-like things on it, and I treated it as another instrument. The only thing it had in common with the guitar was that I knew where the notes were. But now it's gone. It's a shame.
You've participated in the albums of many artists. Who have you felt particularly comfortable with?
That has changed over time, but considering this, one of the best things I did was playing with the band Tempest because it was my first experience of traveling with a group. Also, with Soft Machine because it was very creative, and I had complete freedom to play whatever I wanted. I felt very comfortable. I remember them telling me, "you play too many notes," and now it doesn't seem like there were that many notes. And with Tony Williams, I loved playing as well. Perhaps it was the best experience of all and also the worst because many bad things happened in the group, but well... I forget the bad things.
You also have a long solo career. Have you had facilities to record your projects?
It's very difficult to maintain record contracts with the kind of music I like. Record companies want to sell millions, and of course, with this music, it's unlikely to happen.
However, you've always tried to play what you want without being influenced by record label demands...
Yes, I've played in many groups where people told me what to do, and I decided I wanted to do this. Economically, it was a disastrous decision. When I formed my first group with Gary Husband, I was about to quit music because I wasn't making enough money. Then I met Matt Valy, who had a column in Guitar Magazine; he found me and showed me all these magazines with my name in them, of which I had no idea. So they arranged a few performances for me in California. It was incredible to go from playing in front of ten people in a pub in England to clubs in California with six hundred or seven hundred people, always full. So I thought it was time to move. That's why I went to the US, for work... and it's better to avoid the rain. It's not that I'm a big fan of the beach or anything, but I like to see blue skies and sunshine now and then.
How was the experience on the new album?
Es muy difícil mantener contratos discográficos con el tipo de música que me gusta. Las compañías de discos quieren vender millones y, claro, con esta música no es probable que lo hagan.
Sin embargo, siempre has intentado tocar lo que quieres sin dejarte influir por las exigencias de las discográficas...
Sí, ya he tocado en muchos grupos donde la gente me decía lo que tenía que hacer y decidí que quería hacer esto. Económicamente fue una decisión desastrosa. Cuando formé mi primer grupo con Gary Husband estuve a punto de dejar la música porque no ganaba suficiente dinero y entonces conocí a Matt Valy, que tenía una columna en Guitar Magazine, me encontró y me enseñó todas estas revistas en las que aparecía mi nombre y de las que yo no tenía ni idea. Así que me organizaron unas cuantas actuaciones en California. Fue increíble pasar a tocar delante de diez personas en un pub en Inglaterra a clubes en California con seiscientas o setecientas personas y siempre llenos. Así que pensé que era el momento de trasladarme. Fue por esto que me fui a los EE.UU., por trabajo... y es mejor para evitar la lluvia. No es que sea muy aficionado a la playa ni nada de esto, pero me gusta ver el cielo azul y el sol de vez en cuando.
¿Qué tal la experiencia en el nuevo álbum?
The experience with the new album was quite challenging because when I started, I didn't have a record label. I had done a couple of tours and knew I wanted to record something with the band, so my manager said he would pay the musicians, and we recorded in a studio I have at home. This studio is more geared towards mixing than recording because there isn't much physical space, so it was a bit uncomfortable, a bit tough... but we did it anyway. We recorded most of the tracks in three days: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Then we left it for three or four years during which, instead of going to music festivals, I went to beer festivals to promote a device I had designed. So everything came to a halt, and then we started touring again. And then tours, beer... I mixed it, wasn't happy, mixed it again... It's not unusual for me to mix multiple times; I try to get the most out of things.
And are you finally happy with the sound you've achieved?
Yes, well, in the middle of the process, I was quite unhappy, but now that I've listened to it, it's pretty close to what I expected. I had heard it so many times that I didn't know if it was good or not, and I needed a break. When I came back to it, I started listening to the music again and thought, "well, it's not bad."
Out of curiosity, can you explain more about the album's title, "The Sixteen Men of Tain"?
Oh, yes, of course. I usually use one of the song titles sometimes, and this song had a holiday or Christmas feel to it. Well, I don't usually drink whiskey, but occasionally, I drink Scotch malt whiskey. I really like it; it's very special. It's not like regular whiskey, which is a blend of different distillates. In the villages of Scotland, there are distilleries in small towns that make their own malt whiskey with a very distinctive flavor. It's too expensive to drink regularly, but a little is good. And there's one called Glenmorangie, which I think means 'valley of calm' or something like that, and at the bottom of the bottle, it says "made by the sixteen men of Tain," a Scottish village. Only sixteen guys work in this distillery, and they are the ones who keep the secret of this recipe. I loved how it sounded, and it fit with the festive melody of the song.
And what about the text inside?
Well, it's from a book by James Carse called "Finite and Infinite Games." It's a book about life, and in this passage, it categorizes people into finite and infinite types of individuals. I really liked it. A friend showed me the book when we were in the creative process, and he said, "look, you're one of these types of people." It came up, and the person who did the cover design liked it, so they included it.
Do you have any short-term projects, tours, concerts in Spain?
Well, I hope to come to Spain soon. And there's a new album with Jimmy Johnson that will be released in a few months. It's very different, more aggressive. I wanted to play again with the musicians I had worked with before and enjoyed a lot.
