Mattias IA Eklundh, Viking Guitar God, comes down from Valhalla to answer 11 questions in this fascinating Volumen11.com exlcusive interview.
You think you know every sound that can come out of a guitar? Be Afraid, be very afraid...
Mattias IA Eklundh
"I use no effects whatsoever. The guitar itself contains so many sounds you can use..."
Mattias IA Eklundh
Listening to Mattias IA Eklundh is an experience that must be heard to be believed. IA is today considered one of the most innovative and ground breaking guitar players around and his six-string tour-de-force insane explorations have consistenly pushed the musical envelope on every release of his solo work -Freak Guitar- as with his band Freak Kitchen. Their new album "Land of the Freaks" have been recently released in Europe and IA's Freak Guitar albums are available through Steve Vai's Favored Nations label.
Eklundh's jaw-dropping guitar work has also been heard on such records as "Guitar Odyssey - A Tribute To Yngwie Malmsteen" and "Warmth in the Wilderness - A Tribute To Jason Becker". He has also created several guitar instructional DVDs including "Hyper Freak Exercise", "Super Virtuosity" and tuition albums "Growing your own moustache Vol. 1 & 2".
In this exclusive interview, you will find out everything about IA, from the secrets of the "outlandish" sounds you hear from his guitar (he never uses guitar effects!!) to his new True Temperament guitar, his Freak Guitar Camp ( his intensive six day guitar clinic in the Scandinavian wilderness ), his obsession with David Cronenberg movies, his influences and much more...
If you haven't discovered Mattias IA Eklundh yet, we recommend you to start by watching the video at the bottom of this interview... We guarantee you that it will be like nothing you've ever heard before.
11 Questions to Mattias IA Eklundh
1) The new True Temperament Apple Horn... V11: Did the New True Temperament Apple Horn change your playing or sound?? and by the way... how did you come up with the "Apple Horn" logo design?
IA: To tell you the truth, I’ve never enjoyed playing guitar more than I do now. Lousy intonation (and Caparison guitars are excellent compared to most instruments) has always annoyed me. Not anymore.
True Temperament = freedom. Finally someone nailed it, thank God. I couldn’t be happier with the Apple Horn TT. It’s simply divine.
I know nothing about guitars. I just play. The apple with horns was pretty much my only input when it came to the design. The rest is my good friend and genius designer Itaru Kanno’s ideas. You got to call your model something and I thought to grab the apple by its horns was alright with me.
2) Your vision...
V11: You are one of the very few virtuosos who has brought new fresh ideas to the guitar world in recent years, from your awesome technique full of humour twists on the instrument to your unique personality... How do you think guitar playing will evolve in the near future? (True Temperament, Fretless guitars..) and which role do you think Guitar virtuosos will play in that future?
IA: Thank you for your kind words. It feels like a merely scratched the surface of things to come but it is flattering nevertheless. I think new, fresh ideas like True Temperament, the Tremologic bridge I use and other inventions will help but the real deal always has to be the music. I believe in the guitar, bastard instrument as it is, and I think it will always be around in one way or the other with kids taking it in various directions. Guitar virtuosos are part of the rock industry and icons and trademarks like Hendrix, Van Halen, e t c, will sell T-shirts in the future as well.
3) Land of the freaks...
V11: You have said in many interviews that "Land of the Freaks" is your favourite work, what makes it so special for you?
IA: I love the album and the ground the band broke with it, especially the Indian influences on a few tunes. It took forever to produce and record but it was worth it in my book. The next one however, and I'm writing songs like a maniac, will take a fraction of the time due to my new studio and other time consuming things we got rid of since Land of the Freaks.
4) Freak Guitar Camp...
V11: What can I expect if I assist to a Freak Guitar camp?
IA: Six days of full blown, hard learning in a positive way, great food, great environment and a life altering experience. Hopefully you will become a better musician and meet like-minded friends.
5)Damn harmonics...
V11: We have tried to do your weird harmonics, we really did and... we are good guitar players, but frankly it's not happening... what's the secret here?
IA: You are not the only ones that find it frustrating. Don’t give up, though. They are there and very much available on every guitar around. You have to hit hard and very precise. Start with the G-string, it’s the easiest one for your hand’s position. At least my hand’s. Recently I’ve discovered completely new harmonics that throws the entire overtone series out the window. Very exciting!
6) Before we jump out of the window...
V11: Would you recommend jumping out of the window to improve our tapping technique?? ;-) ( IA once jumped out of a window and ended with a piece of glass in his tapping finger that it is still there )
IA: Ah, that one! Cheap surgery will do. I think you are relating to my tiny piece of glass in my right middle finger. It helps, it really does. I don’t feel any pain and can go on tapping my brains out without any problem.
7) The early days...
V11: We know that when you started playing your musical influences were Frank Zappa and Kiss, but there was any "impossible" guitar solo (we all had one) that you wanted to learn to play? And which was the guitar of your dreams back then?
IA: I wanted to spit blood. That was it. Gene Simmons was my hero. Then I heard Eruption by Eddie Van Halen and like millions of other players I was floored. Still, I never really wanted to play any specific solo, I have to say. I wanted to come up with as cool stuff without being a copycat.
I knew I had wet dreams over a Jackson shark fin/Randy Rhoads model in my early teens.
8) The other influences...
V11: How did Cronenberg movies influenced your music?
IA: In more ways than I’m aware of, I do believe. Cronenberg is a mastermind and his films are working on many levels. I want to have the music doing the same thing. It may grab you by the balls at first but it should be able to stand listening after listening, with loads of layers. Most tunes have arrangements that you nearly recognize until after a bunch of times.
9) Question from a user of Volumen11.com:
V11: How is it like to work with Favored Nations? Is Steve Vai around?
IA: Steve is very much around and Favored Nations is a tremendous company to have your music released through. I love working with the guys and hope to have Freak Guitar - The Smorgasbord out through FN as well.
10) Question for the future guitar gods...
V11: Which is the most precious advice that you would give to all the guitar players out there who dream becoming the next Guitar God?
IA: Grow your own moustache.
11) The Final Question...
V11: What volume does your amp goes to?
IA: 11, of course, but it’s a Laney and if I turn up more than 3 I will die… It’s that loud.
Thank you IA for sharing your thoughts with Volumen11.com on this interview, and before you go...
Give us a message for all your Fans in Latin America and Spain.
IA: Thanks for reading, hope to see you out there, stay freaky & stay tuned for loads of new music in the future.
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