PHAT... Pretty Hot And Tempting "Dude! That shit is phat!" or FAT... Fabulous Austrian Trio, as Allan Holdsworth might have put it [This shit just got real]... "You guys are f***ing nuts" and he is critically acclaimed by the likes of John McLaughlin and the late Shawn Lane for his innovative style
The extraordinary Austrian native, and current California resident, has upped the ante on all of his previous outings with FAT (Fabulous Austrian Trio). As heard on the rhythmically complex and slightly tongue-in-cheek “Why Not (aka Disco Polka),” and the equally intricate “Safe Word”, Machacek is ably accompanied on his sophomore outing by superb drummer Herbert Pirker and outstanding bassist Raphael Preuschl. This trio appeared together on various tracks from Machacek’s impressive 2005 debut, {Sic}, from Abstract Logix.
Machacek recalls, “My last recording was 24 Tales, a ‘re-composition’ of an existing 51-minute long drum solo by Marco Minnemann, and the focus there was on composition. On FAT, I wanted to have more improvisations and more emphasis on interplay…just like a band, so to speak.” That kind of organic interplay can be heard between Machacek, Pirker and Preuschl on the ethereal ballad “What A Time To Be Me” and the spacious “Let’s Not Argue,” the latter which has Alex playing baritone guitar. As a kind of relief from the astounding intricacy and unisons demonstrated elsewhere throughout FAT, there is the gorgeous solo bass piece “Ton Portrait” (a nod to the late, great Jaco Pastorius’s anthemic “Portrait of Tracy”) and the atmospheric closer, “Let's Not Argue,” which incorporates a great deal of breath between the notes while still showcasing Machacek’s inimitable six-string facility. The guitarist reserves his most lyrical playing for “D-Lite” and on “The Life of Herbert P.” he creates a ‘re-composition’ around an existing drum solo by Pirker. The Fabulous Austrian Trio also generates some potent swinging momentum on the album’s jazziest number, “Studio Swing.”
Machacek will play an album release party on September 2nd at Porgy & Bess in Vienna, Austria. www.porgy.at
About Alex Machacek:
Alex Machacek was born and raised in Austria and moved to Los Angeles in 2004.
He studied Jazz guitar and Jazz Education at the Conservatory in Vienna and at Berklee College of Music, Boston.
While still in Austria, Machacek was named Guitar Newcomer for 1998 in a European guitar competition and the following year debuted as a leader with "Featuring Ourselves". Soon thereafter, Machacek began working with Terry Bozzio which materialized in BPM's "Delete and Roll" followed by OutTrio's "Live in Austin" DVD (with Bozzio and Patrick O'Hearn).
Upon arriving in the U.S., Alex Machacek became one of the first recording artists on the Abstract Logix label and has since released:
"[sic]" - featuring Terry Bozzio
"Improvision" (with Matt Garrison and Jeff Sipe)
"The Official Triangle Sessions" (with Neal Fountain and Jeff Sipe)
"24 Tales" - featuring Marco Minneman
His solo releases have received accolades such as:
"Alex Machacek's music starts where other music ends" - John McLaughlin
"You guys are f***ing nuts" - Allan Holdsworth
"I totally lost it when I heard Donna Lee - Easy Viennese Teenage Version. This is the most refreshing recording that I've heard in the last several years." - Shawn Lane
Aside from his own releases he has played and/or recorded with:
Eddie Jobson's UKZ, Planet X, Virgil Donati Band, CAB, The Scott Kinsey Group,
Gary Husband, Jimmy Johnson, Hadrien Feraud, John Wetton, Tony Levin, to name a few.
Currently, Alex Machacek also teaches at GIT in Hollywood
FAT - Machacek/Preuschl/Pirker live@Porgy '10 part2
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| Alex Machacek |
You want Alex Machacek, you got Alex Machacek
(Los Angeles) - Alex Machacek, the amazing fusion guitarist, has done it again. Combining mindboggling fluidity, daredevil string-skipping technique and audacious intervallic leaps on the guitar (ones that will make even the most ardent Allan Holdsworth fan take notice), has taken his penchant for precision ensemble playing and created a collection of audible art that rivals the late, great Frank Zappa’s. Machacek takes the lead on FAT (Fabulous Austrian Trio), to be released on September 18th through Abstract Logix.
The extraordinary Austrian native, and current California resident, has upped the ante on all of his previous outings with FAT (Fabulous Austrian Trio). As heard on the rhythmically complex and slightly tongue-in-cheek “Why Not (aka Disco Polka),” and the equally intricate “Safe Word”, Machacek is ably accompanied on his sophomore outing by superb drummer Herbert Pirker and outstanding bassist Raphael Preuschl. This trio appeared together on various tracks from Machacek’s impressive 2005 debut, {Sic}, from Abstract Logix.
Machacek recalls, “My last recording was 24 Tales, a ‘re-composition’ of an existing 51-minute long drum solo by Marco Minnemann, and the focus there was on composition. On FAT, I wanted to have more improvisations and more emphasis on interplay…just like a band, so to speak.” That kind of organic interplay can be heard between Machacek, Pirker and Preuschl on the ethereal ballad “What A Time To Be Me” and the spacious “Let’s Not Argue,” the latter which has Alex playing baritone guitar. As a kind of relief from the astounding intricacy and unisons demonstrated elsewhere throughout FAT, there is the gorgeous solo bass piece “Ton Portrait” (a nod to the late, great Jaco Pastorius’s anthemic “Portrait of Tracy”) and the atmospheric closer, “Let's Not Argue,” which incorporates a great deal of breath between the notes while still showcasing Machacek’s inimitable six-string facility. The guitarist reserves his most lyrical playing for “D-Lite” and on “The Life of Herbert P.” he creates a ‘re-composition’ around an existing drum solo by Pirker. The Fabulous Austrian Trio also generates some potent swinging momentum on the album’s jazziest number, “Studio Swing.”
Machacek will play an album release party on September 2nd at Porgy & Bess in Vienna, Austria. www.porgy.at
About Alex Machacek:
Alex Machacek was born and raised in Austria and moved to Los Angeles in 2004.
He studied Jazz guitar and Jazz Education at the Conservatory in Vienna and at Berklee College of Music, Boston.
While still in Austria, Machacek was named Guitar Newcomer for 1998 in a European guitar competition and the following year debuted as a leader with "Featuring Ourselves". Soon thereafter, Machacek began working with Terry Bozzio which materialized in BPM's "Delete and Roll" followed by OutTrio's "Live in Austin" DVD (with Bozzio and Patrick O'Hearn).
Upon arriving in the U.S., Alex Machacek became one of the first recording artists on the Abstract Logix label and has since released:
"[sic]" - featuring Terry Bozzio
"Improvision" (with Matt Garrison and Jeff Sipe)
"The Official Triangle Sessions" (with Neal Fountain and Jeff Sipe)
"24 Tales" - featuring Marco Minneman
His solo releases have received accolades such as:
"Alex Machacek's music starts where other music ends" - John McLaughlin
"You guys are f***ing nuts" - Allan Holdsworth
"I totally lost it when I heard Donna Lee - Easy Viennese Teenage Version. This is the most refreshing recording that I've heard in the last several years." - Shawn Lane
Aside from his own releases he has played and/or recorded with:
Eddie Jobson's UKZ, Planet X, Virgil Donati Band, CAB, The Scott Kinsey Group,
Gary Husband, Jimmy Johnson, Hadrien Feraud, John Wetton, Tony Levin, to name a few.
Currently, Alex Machacek also teaches at GIT in Hollywood
FAT - Machacek/Preuschl/Pirker live@Porgy '10 part2
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