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Walk My Way is a fervently collective project in a time of individuation, testament to both the incredible musical range of the guitar, as well as the imaginative possibility of guitarists around the world. The pandemic upended the way that musicians create and perform, turning a previously collective artistic practice into an unavoidably solitary one as artists were forced into their homes for lockdowns. This compilation is born directly from the conditions of our current historical moment, emphasizing music’s potential for connectivity, arranged through remote recordings, without a prescribed structure, and capturing their most current work.
The project was defined by collectivity and connectivity, bringing together artists from different backgrounds, taking advantage of a remote gathering that may not have been possible without these circumstances. The series features 49 guitar players, with 32 different nationalities, from 6 continents, and representing every musical background, offering an impressive display of the guitar’s possibilities and the artists’ deeply imaginative instincts. They represent diverse regional styles and creative preferences, playing both traditional compositions and hugely experimental work. Tracks feature careening guitar solos and classically structured bridges, on harmonious major chord structures and textural, discordant riffs, exploring the full possibility of the guitar’s range.
Focusing the series around a single instrument was a natural way to bring together guitarists, tying together diverse sounds with a thematically uniform concept, bridging geographical and musical distances. Produced by 577 Records, the five-volume compilation series will be available online and in a limited-edition CD, bringing the guitar home. Nick Vander, the lead organizer for the project, dedicates the album to “the people lost in this crisis” as well as “the people, aware of global injustice, imagining new futures and working for a better world.”
"This compilation of experimental guitar players was inspired by the curiosity to know what active musicians were creating in the present moment. Recorded in the midst of a pandemic and a global lockdown, and in contrast to an overwhelming amount of bad news, this project posed the possibility of a uniquely collective gathering, that might not have been possible otherwise. This project brings together musicians across generational, geographic and musical distances, united around a single instrument: guitar.
It took three months, and some patience, to organize all of the musicians featured here, but it was deeply and personally fulfilling to find these artists from every corner of the world, bringing their own cultural backgrounds and unique artistic visions. Over the course of this project, many of the participants have connected and have begun working together on their own collaborations, and some have already released new music.
Each one of these tracks is a unique journey into the deeply personal experiences of its creator. The series features 49 guitarists, of 32 different nationalities, from 6 continents, representing rich and diverse musical backgrounds, both traditional and experimental. Developed as a purely artistic, non-commercialized project, I hope that this will fulfill a fundamental human need for art and creative expression.
Walk My Way is an aspirational project, joining personal expression with a collective experience of human nature and imagination. The musicians’ search for a personal sound reflects the search for personal meaning. I hope this work will not rest on the shelves of connoisseurs, but reach a wider audience of musicians, especially young artists, to affirm that their personal search for experimentation and meaning, is shared by many.
This project is dedicated to the tremendous loss of human life from this crisis—and to all the people, around the world who, aware of injustice, work for a better world." - Nick Vander
credits
released January 2, 2021
1- Guitar, electronics and recording by Nicola L. Hein on July 13, 2020
2- Morin khuur, electric guitar, jaw harp, synth and recording by Daavarjal Tsaschikher on June 26, 2020
3- Electric guitar, lapsteel, precessing and recording by Alan Courtis on August 27, 2020
4- Prieto Costa steel string guitar, ebow, looper and recording by Marco Cappelli on June 12, 2020
5- Pedal Steel guitar, electronics and recording by Elliott Sharp on June 20, 2020
6- Dulcie guitar, electronics and recording by Hery Ujjaya on July 9, 2020
7- Demishodashamopus 8-string fretless guitar, computer and recording by Killick Hinds on July 4, 2020
8- Acoustic guitar and recording by Gilbert Isbin on July 6, 2020
9- Kaoss guitar, electronics and recording by Nick Vander on July 30, 2020
Publishing Five Seven Seven Records Music, ASCAP
apart from
Track 1 GEMA. CAE/IPI Number 1084912
Track 5 Published by zOaR Music - BMI - 2020
Mastered by Rigo Frausto at Studio Verde
Cover artwork by Dafree
Album design by Mark Smith
Special Thanks to C-Drik Fermont, Reynols, Alejandro Gomez, Rigo, Ramon Gopal, Christophe Barbey, Lucio Urtubia, Dharma Shan and Ryan McDermortt, Polly Barnes, Federico Ughi, Killick Hinds, E#, Rick Walker and very especially to Mar.
supported by 75 fans who also own “Walk My Way - Volume One”
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