Music
scoTTIsu GUITAR QUARTET CCA, Glasgow. 20 Sep
The Scottish Guitar Quartet will feature all of their swanky new technology when they reach the CCA after a string of dates in the Highlands this month. The band recently took delivery of their futuristic Frameworks guitars from German maker Frank Krocker, and have written new music for them in combination with the newest generation of synth technology, the Roland VG-88.
Technophobes are probably running for the hills by now, but according to Malcolm MacFarlane, they needn’t panic. The group are interested in exploring musical possibilities rather than simply technical ones. The Frameworks guitars play and sound just like very high quality acoustic guitars, while the Roland experiments will be taken one step at a time.
‘There were a lot of strange noises flying around at the first rehearsal, but what we are trying to do is explore all aspects of it without going mad right off. The temptation is just to run riot with the effects, but we are approaching it more organically, maybe using just one ‘foreign’ sound within a piece, and see how that works within our basic nylon string acoustic sound.‘ says MacFarlane.
‘The VG-88 uses a process called sound modelling, and is a big step forward for guitar- synth. It opens up a whole new palette of sounds,
and also gives us a greater range.‘ We have the technology, we can rebuild them He has composed a suite of music commissioned with a Scottish Arts Council award MacFalane adds. single stylistic brief within the band, it‘s more a and inspired by the landscape of East Lothian, and With Kevin MacKenzie and Nigel Clark also matter of what is possible with the four guitars, Ged Brockie has also written some new material writing for the band, they have a varied input in and the VG-88 will open that out again. Our aim is incorporating the VG-88. any case. Fixing them in a stylistic pigeon-hole is a to keep it as open as possible — there is no area ‘We will do an acoustic set in the first half, and trickier business. that we are barred from dipping into.‘ then introduce the Roland in the second,‘ ‘We all have a jazz background, but there is no (Kenny Mathieson) ROCK GUIDED BY VOICES pu'. ‘.'.'e (tltr'ittflflfl f"é: a”. ' ' Venue, Edinburgh. Fri 26 Sep; (:(”“f““'”“' NicevnvSIeazy. Glasgow. Sat lhe new (EBV airxm 3'» A new voice is rising to the fore, and it‘s far darker than your average Green 27 Sep [gr/fitnua’ne (Glue. one of T'.-’: Day rip off. THE ALKALINE TRIO are here to cross the goth/punk divide. records t)():.{l.'tt remxse: r‘ tin: last year :n nanous (is sex, cm: 80 are you punk or goth? :" acracker :t rstco iw'a ';'hss -- ' .' -- .- :' : -.: . : :2- " t)(}‘.‘.'.’(}(‘:'tY:; la le'u, 5:":1 E-Z '- ‘.'rrxtzt(;<‘:\.‘-.’lt(;. |tif3lft(1(ft3(jtt :) .. , .. . ' r : :-- .. .: 9- : vi :. z . confusing scattersnot You deal in far darker subjects than most punk acts. snapshotofatrantrc 1';:' H ' .' '- ' '- " " " " " v' f§()lltl‘-.'.’tltlllt} rnrnu. still _:' 2'. .. :-v ' - ." :-' . huntinn‘n .-.'.tn :ueas anu Do you use imagery for shock value? '1 - . mergyz Unsurprnsrnu for a l“£i." I" : " z. : ' w z' . .-- z' 1' " ::-' : who does little else. " 'l‘nat's \.'.'hat 'nakes nre z :- happyf hesays. ‘If I'm not ' z ' : w ranking on sornetlmg l ‘lhu Does having two ‘We kick ass man’ myself getting (lepressett. anci vocalists give you more that's when {.ou start (jettznu depth? Phil Collins Is apparently a intotrouhle. Soto keen n‘g.sei’ '."' 2 '- \.~.rorl\aholrc. It's just a pm. out of trouhie keep hasfi everything; he p'oaiuces is Keeping; hrn‘se!‘ anct tl‘e vest crap. The same cannot he saru’ of the hand out of trcuhle then. of ultraprolrflc indie rock Poila'u is nlttmu these shores veteran Robert Pollaru. The ‘or some ll‘.(? acttor‘. 2 man who Is for all :ntents and Compared .'.'if'71l‘(?" army ax ; purposes Guatleo 8\ Voices anu mum, :areo Y-ZEf‘iftilfl. Are the live shows what has heen churning out :jualrtx how does the GBV s'”7.'. it's all about? Io—tr lettfrelu rock'n'roll for £90 compare? ; - ' - ' - ' years now. at a frankly ".'.’e K‘i‘n ass. sa.:;. frightening rate. How man», Is A Pc'ia'o‘. ‘lt‘s I.'.c arm a ":1“ : now. Boh’? nou's oi or hang; arr: V.."‘:*‘.r‘.; 'y ‘There's a lot. rnan.' he arcu'tzi {l'lti act'ng; we .t chuckles (10?le the phone t'rom You}; "M? t. Me so”: his studio. ‘Thrs the ‘..'.t1". :tu‘te the er‘ero, used is 2 ' ' -.' " .' : Gurueu 85 Voices al'oum. there and ‘.'.e were a "tile a" 1 2 were 15 EPs. l'\'e o'one srx a little tounger pack at (“£3 solo albums. eight or nine negrr‘rrrng, But '.'.e s. H ham ' " collaborations. and he or six energy — ac: no! ones l " r- .2 r ; ' under pseut‘lontms. It's \en. energy. all those cares. ' .~' .. . complicated and COlliLlSll‘Q. rDoug; Johnstcne :. --’ The dark half
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