BassPlayer 2017-05
BassPlayer 2017-05
BassPlayer 2017-05
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i INFO<br />
EQUIP<br />
LISTEN<br />
The Mute Gods, Tardigrades<br />
Will Inherit the Earth [<strong>2017</strong>,<br />
InsideOut Music]<br />
Basses (all Spector) NS-5H2<br />
buckeye burl top (lined fretless),<br />
Coda4DLX,<br />
Coda5DLX, Euro4LX, Euro8LX,<br />
Legend5 Classic (lined fretless),<br />
Forte5<br />
Amps TC Electronic RH750<br />
Compact Head, TC Electronic<br />
RS212 & RS210 cabs<br />
Strings Spector Nickel Plated<br />
Steel (.045–.1<strong>05</strong>, .045–.130)<br />
Picks Planet Waves Black Ice<br />
.80mm<br />
that respond to wherever you put your finger on the pad.<br />
I put my Chapman Stick through it on the solo section<br />
of “Tardigrades,” and it made it really nasty. It has an<br />
otherworldliness to it.<br />
What’s your advice about tracking bass and<br />
vocals on a record like Tardigrades?<br />
In the studio, you very rarely record more than one<br />
thing at a time, unless you want to record as a band, but<br />
we haven’t had that luxury [Tardigrades was recorded<br />
remotely]. And to focus and get the optimum effect, you<br />
want to be doing one thing at a time. It doesn’t matter<br />
how good you are at bass or vocals, one of those will take<br />
a hit when you’re focusing on something else. You can<br />
practice to get it good enough for live, but it’ll always<br />
be better if you do one thing at a time.<br />
When gearing up for a tour as a sideman, what<br />
goes into your preparation?<br />
With Steve Hackett I often record my parts as I hear<br />
them, and I send them to Roger and Steve to make sure<br />
they are as they want them. I went through a period of<br />
writing everything down longhand, but you must then<br />
go through the process of forgetting all that.<br />
Hints of Rush and Genesis abound on Tardigrades.<br />
Was it a conscious decision to channel those influences,<br />
or do they seep in unconsciously?<br />
I think we’re influenced by everything. It’s like eating<br />
something and saying, “That hasn’t affected me.” You’ve<br />
already assimilated it into your body—it has affected you.<br />
And music is the same. We are the sum of the musical<br />
diet we’ve been on. BP<br />
CONNECT<br />
Check out the official video for<br />
the Mute Gods’ “Tardigrades<br />
Will Inherit the Earth.”<br />
bassplayer.com/may<strong>2017</strong><br />
bassplayer.com / may<strong>2017</strong> 13