Allan Holdsworth
Visual Music
by Anil Prasad
Copyright © 1993 Anil Prasad.
Allan Holdsworth's name needs no introduction to progressive and jazz-rock aficionados. His musical resume features some of the most distinguished genre-blurring groups and musicians to emerge from the '70s, including Bruford, Gong, Jean-Luc Ponty, Soft Machine, Tempest, and The Tony Williams Lifetime.
As a solo artist, the late guitarist's career was one of expanding ambition. Albums such as Metal Fatigue, Atavachron, Sand, and Secrets pushed the boundaries of jazz-fusion both in terms of compositional constructs and the infusion of his entirely-unique, liquid guitar work throughout.
Technological exploration was another of Holdsworth’s hallmarks. During the latter half of the '80s, Holdsworth focused on performing on the SynthAxe MIDI guitar controller. Looking like it came out of a sci-fi film, the instrument enabled Holdsworth to connect to a variety of synthesizers to explore an entirely new set of musical possibilities through his fretboard.
At the time of this conversation, Holdsworth began shifting away from the SynthAxe and exploring another evolutionary step for the instrument: a new generation of baritone guitars. The instruments have longer strings that conventional guitars and can be tuned to play in lower-sounding registers with proper intonation.
Listeners can hear Holdsworth performing on the instruments across his then-current release Wardenclyffe Tower. The album is an all-star affair, featuring Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Hunt, Gary Husband, and Chad Wackerman. Its title originates from a device created by Nikola Tesla, the inventor of alternating current. The tower was designed to distribute electricity through the surface of the earth and provide free, wireless power for all. The visionary was never able to see his idea materialize because of a lack of support and finances.
Innerviews discussed the making of Wardenclyffe Tower, his shift away from the SynthAxe, and many of his past projects and associations in this candid conversation.
Visual Music
by Anil Prasad
Copyright © 1993 Anil Prasad.
Allan Holdsworth's name needs no introduction to progressive and jazz-rock aficionados. His musical resume features some of the most distinguished genre-blurring groups and musicians to emerge from the '70s, including Bruford, Gong, Jean-Luc Ponty, Soft Machine, Tempest, and The Tony Williams Lifetime.
As a solo artist, the late guitarist's career was one of expanding ambition. Albums such as Metal Fatigue, Atavachron, Sand, and Secrets pushed the boundaries of jazz-fusion both in terms of compositional constructs and the infusion of his entirely-unique, liquid guitar work throughout.
Technological exploration was another of Holdsworth’s hallmarks. During the latter half of the '80s, Holdsworth focused on performing on the SynthAxe MIDI guitar controller. Looking like it came out of a sci-fi film, the instrument enabled Holdsworth to connect to a variety of synthesizers to explore an entirely new set of musical possibilities through his fretboard.
At the time of this conversation, Holdsworth began shifting away from the SynthAxe and exploring another evolutionary step for the instrument: a new generation of baritone guitars. The instruments have longer strings that conventional guitars and can be tuned to play in lower-sounding registers with proper intonation.
Listeners can hear Holdsworth performing on the instruments across his then-current release Wardenclyffe Tower. The album is an all-star affair, featuring Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Hunt, Gary Husband, and Chad Wackerman. Its title originates from a device created by Nikola Tesla, the inventor of alternating current. The tower was designed to distribute electricity through the surface of the earth and provide free, wireless power for all. The visionary was never able to see his idea materialize because of a lack of support and finances.
Innerviews discussed the making of Wardenclyffe Tower, his shift away from the SynthAxe, and many of his past projects and associations in this candid conversation.
Allan Holdsworth - In-Depth Interview With Anil Prasad
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