Interviews
Interviews
Content © Copyright Zumba 2004. All rights reserved
Site Design © Copyright M McCune-Colbert 2004
SAM October 2004
Name: Sam
1.what instrument/s do you play?
guitar(electric, acoustic and bass), drumkit, dumbek, sitar, piano,
snake charming flute, berimbau, vocals, open tuned ukulele
2.what instrument/s would you like to be able to play?
violin, Zurna, (a Malmsteen Strat coz i can`t afford one lol)
3.what made you decide to become a musician?
listening to Soundgarden and not being able to express myself
emotionally through any means other than playing music
4.what was the first album you bought?
Soundgarden`s Badmotorfinger
5.no honestly?
Ok,ok Soundgarden was 2nd, Blur`s Great Escape
6.what was the last album you bought?
Al Dimeola, John Mclaughlin, and Paco deLucia live in Sanfransisco (very inspiring playing,
also the pink panther and the pick scrape call and response bits are hilarious)
7.the first single?
Coolio`s Gangsta`s Paradise Ft. L.V. (nice pseudo baroque string arrangement, this song
owes a lot to Stevie Wonder`s Pastime Paradise which is a great song)
8.whats in your cd player?
The best of Shakti
9.which musicians inspire you?
My bandmates and friends and, In no particular order: J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Ravi Shankar, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, Ben Shepherd, Max Cavalera, Igor Cavalera, Andy Whale, Joey Jordison, Al Dimeola, Yngwie J Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Joe Satriani, Jerry Garcia, Eric Roche, Juan Martin(rob and I got to chat with him after his Art`s Center gig which was really nice)
10.who (real or imaginary) do you aspire to be like?
Skeletor, Mumrah, Shredder, Toshiro Mifune, Jet Li
11.which songs have helped you wake up in the morning?
Soulfly`s No Hope=No Fear, any Metallica, and my favourite of all Yngwie J. Malmsteen`s Krakatau
(go from asleep to bags of adrenaline in the space of 2 beats)
12.which songs have helped you go to sleep?
Joe Satriani(particularly Not of this Earth), Johann Strauss` waltzes, i have fallen asleep listening to Deicide`s When Satan Lives and Emperor`s IX Equilibrium (I wouldn`t recommend it though, you have to be totally immune to this genres extremity, it takes a few years before you can fall asleep with this going on and even then you dont feel good when you wake up)
13.what do you sing in the shower?
na but i do like to sing when I`m in the kitchen especially stuff off of Chris Cornell`s Euphoria Morning
14.favourite books?
Ursula leGuin`s Earthsea Trilogy(the 4th one isn`t as good), the Jim Woodring Frank Omnibus(i should buy myself a copy),
15.favourite films?
Fong Sai Yuk(Jet Li rocks), Yojimbo(in fact anything which stars Toshiro Mifune and was directed by Akira Kurosawa), Zatoichi, Carey Grant comedies(Batchelor Knight, Charade etc),poor old Kung Fu films especially classic Jackie Chan(my favourite is Hand of Death, directed by John Woo),Clerks, I really like films of bands live performances: Pantera, Joe Satriani, Metallica, Buena Vista Social Club, John Abercrombie, Malmsteen etc....
16.classic tv?
80`s cartoons and series` Turtles, Thundercats, Bucky O`Hare, anything kitschy
17.most importantly, favourite pizza topping?
Vegetarian (consisting of mozarella cheese, tomato, onion, mushroom, sweetcorn,
green pepper, olive, and pineapple)
18.Where would you ideally like to live?
Snake Mountain, or maybe the technodrome, or, or, or that big Obsidian Pyramid with
a Cleopatra`s needle at every corner.
19.top albums of all time?
Soundgarden`s Superunknown, Chris Cornell`s Euphoria Morning, Sepultura albums 1-6(especially Arise), Bolt Thrower albums 2-6(especially For Victory), Metallica albums 2-5(especially ...And Justice For All), Deicide`s When Satan Lives, Yngwie J. Malmsteen`s War To End All Wars and Odyssey, J.S Bach`s Complete Harpsichord Concertos(3 cd set)etc.............
20.favourite songs?
Immortal`s One by one, and Battles in the North, Soundgarden`s The day i tried to live, Renaud Garcia-Fons` Oriental Bass, Soundgarden`s The Day I Tried To Live, Farid El Atrache`s Hebeena Hebeena, Bolt Thrower`s Cenotaph and For Victory(in fact all the songs on albums 2- 6 are classic), Morbid Angel`s Day of Suffering and Where the Slime Live, J.S. Bach`s Presto(for solo violin) and Et incarnatus est(from the B min. mass), Jane Siberry`s It can`t Rain all the time, Yngwie J. Malmsteen`s Crucify and Krakatau, Grateful Dead`s Ship of Fools, Ripple and China Doll, Mr Big`s Green Tinted Sixties Mind, Sepultura`s Desperate Cry, Mc Hammer`s Sweetness is my Weakness, Ravi Shankar`s Raga Ramkali, every Metallica song on albums 2-5 they are all great melodic catchy hummable thrash anthems, Dr John`s Iko Iko, Herbie Hancock`s Beatwise, Venom`s Don`t Burn the Witch etc..................too many to name
21.any good advice?
If you really want to do something, ask yourself "is it a good idea" if the answer is yes, do it right away, no stalling........it is rarely too late to take something up(or give up some negative behaviour).................remember you are not fixed, if you see a positive path, then take it.
22.any good musical advice?
1. Practice every day, build it into a routine, be efficient with your practice, 2. set yourself achievable short term goals, as well as more distant ones, 3.learn (and write) songs rather than just individual riffs or ostinati, 4. if you wanna figure out something fast (eg shakti) pitch shift down 1 octave, then pitch shift up an octave but maintaining duration, then you can figure out and play along at half speed, 5. draw on diverse influences (don`t be a musical snob) 6.try to create your own distinctive signature sound and style (don`t be afraid to express yourself honestly)
Name: Sam
1.what instrument/s do you play?
guitar(electric, acoustic and bass), drumkit, dumbek, sitar, piano,
snake charming flute, berimbau, vocals, open tuned ukulele
2.what instrument/s would you like to be able to play?
violin, Zurna, (a Malmsteen Strat coz i can`t afford one lol)
3.what made you decide to become a musician?
listening to Soundgarden and not being able to express myself
emotionally through any means other than playing music
4.what was the first album you bought?
Soundgarden`s Badmotorfinger
5.no honestly?
Ok,ok Soundgarden was 2nd, Blur`s Great Escape
6.what was the last album you bought?
Al Dimeola, John Mclaughlin, and Paco deLucia live in Sanfransisco (very inspiring playing,
also the pink panther and the pick scrape call and response bits are hilarious)
7.the first single?
Coolio`s Gangsta`s Paradise Ft. L.V. (nice pseudo baroque string arrangement, this song
owes a lot to Stevie Wonder`s Pastime Paradise which is a great song)
8.whats in your cd player?
The best of Shakti
9.which musicians inspire you?
My bandmates and friends and, In no particular order: J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Ravi Shankar, Renaud Garcia-
10.who (real or imaginary) do you aspire to be like?
Skeletor, Mumrah, Shredder, Toshiro Mifune, Jet Li
11.which songs have helped you wake up in the morning?
Soulfly`s No Hope=No Fear, any Metallica, and my favourite of all Yngwie J. Malmsteen`s Krakatau
(go from asleep to bags of adrenaline in the space of 2 beats)
12.which songs have helped you go to sleep?
Joe Satriani(particularly Not of this Earth), Johann Strauss` waltzes, i have fallen asleep listening to Deicide`s When Satan Lives and Emperor`s IX Equilibrium (I wouldn`t recommend it though, you have to be totally immune to this genres extremity, it takes a few years before you can fall asleep with this going on and even then you dont feel good when you wake up)
13.what do you sing in the shower?
na but i do like to sing when I`m in the kitchen especially stuff off of Chris Cornell`s Euphoria Morning
14.favourite books?
Ursula leGuin`s Earthsea Trilogy(the 4th one isn`t as good), the Jim Woodring Frank Omnibus(i should buy myself a copy),
15.favourite films?
Fong Sai Yuk(Jet Li rocks), Yojimbo(in fact anything which stars Toshiro Mifune and was directed by Akira Kurosawa), Zatoichi, Carey Grant comedies(Batchelor Knight, Charade etc),poor old Kung Fu films especially classic Jackie Chan(my favourite is Hand of Death, directed by John Woo),Clerks, I really like films of bands live performances: Pantera, Joe Satriani, Metallica, Buena Vista Social Club, John Abercrombie, Malmsteen etc....
16.classic tv?
80`s cartoons and series` Turtles, Thundercats, Bucky O`Hare, anything kitschy
17.most importantly, favourite pizza topping?
Vegetarian (consisting of mozarella cheese, tomato, onion, mushroom, sweetcorn,
green pepper, olive, and pineapple)
18.Where would you ideally like to live?
Snake Mountain, or maybe the technodrome, or, or, or that big Obsidian Pyramid with
a Cleopatra`s needle at every corner.
19.top albums of all time?
Soundgarden`s Superunknown, Chris Cornell`s Euphoria Morning, Sepultura albums 1-
20.favourite songs?
Immortal`s One by one, and Battles in the North, Soundgarden`s The day i tried to live, Renaud Garcia-
21.any good advice?
If you really want to do something, ask yourself "is it a good idea" if the answer is yes, do it right away, no stalling........it is rarely too late to take something up(or give up some negative behaviour).................remember you are not fixed, if you see a positive path, then take it.
22.any good musical advice?
1. Practice every day, build it into a routine, be efficient with your practice, 2. set yourself achievable short term goals, as well as more distant ones, 3.learn (and write) songs rather than just individual riffs or ostinati, 4. if you wanna figure out something fast (eg shakti) pitch shift down 1 octave, then pitch shift up an octave but maintaining duration, then you can figure out and play along at half speed, 5. draw on diverse influences (don`t be a musical snob) 6.try to create your own distinctive signature sound and style (don`t be afraid to express yourself honestly)
Sam
