Shred Knowledge - Interview & Review
January 2012
Fredrik Pihl - 'Cthulhu Whisper' Review
'Cthulhu Whisper' is the latest track from Swedish guitar maestro, Fredrik Pihl.
Fredriks playing has been talked about by guys such as Ron Thal aka Bumblefoot and Mattias Ia Eklundh and both infact play guest solos on his great debut album, 'Silhouettes'.
'Cthulhu Whisper ' is a slight departure from the sound on his album although comparisons may be drawn. This time he has solely made use of his Viger fretless in a song which has a rather dark vibe about it. Fredrik plays some captivating, strange melodies throghout the track and offers up some nice phrasing into the bargain.
The song is an interesting listen and evokes a dark atmosphere with unexpected twists and turns. I highly reccomend giving the track a listen and his album into the bargain! Head over to www.fredrikpihl.com
Shredknowledge asked Fredrik some questions about the new track, his album, sound, business and more.
Fredrik Pihl Interview
1. Hi Fredrik. Happy New Year! Thanks for taking the time to do this interview for Shredknowledge. How are you doing?
Hi Andy. Happy new year to you and all of the Shred Knowledge crew! Hope you had a blasting 2011 and that this year will be even better.
2. In 2011 you released your debut album, ‘Silhouettes’. Already you have followed this up with the release of your latest single, ‘Cthulhu Whisper’. Could you tell the SK readers what the inspiration was behind both and how you see your sound evolving?
Ok, I’ll try to keep this answer as short as possible, and I’ll divide it into three parts.
For Silhouettes, I wanted to create something completely new from what I had done in the past. I threw away my old album-material since it didn’t represent me as a guitar player or composer anymore. I started from scratch and wrote the song memories that became the reference point of the music I wanted to do for the album. Wrote another five songs, included some great guest musicians and a year later the album was done. I was pushing myself to the extreme when it comes to composing and arranging the music. It was a big challenge but also lot’s of fun.
Cthulhu Whisper was the first song I did only using the fretless guitar. I tuned down the low E string to Bb. The song is in the key of E. but with the low Bb (a tri tone) you get some nice dissonant vibes. Fooled around with some chord ideas and the song was born.
I had no name for the song but it was kind of dark and twisted, so I contacted my buddy Dan Verkys (www.gardenofbadthings.com) and he hooked me up with an art of his entitled “Cthulhu Whisper” that became the cover art for the song as well as the title. Dan is really the man when it comes to doing art of this kind.
I released the song as a digital single on iTunes, Spotify etc.
When it comes to my sound I think it was just a natural feeling I had at the time. I try not to limit myself playing only one style of music. I’m always curious in finding new ways of expressing myself
3. You are increasingly becoming a proponent of the fretless guitar. How did that come about and what are some of the pros and cons of playing fretless as compared with the usual fretted method?
My first experience with a fretless guitar was around 10 years ago when Mattias IA Eklundh played me a Bumblefoot album called 9.11 (IA is doing a guest solo on the album). I didn’t know Ron was using a fretless guitar and I couldn’t understand how he got those crazy sounds out of his guitar. Later I found out he was using a fretless and I just had to get one myself which I did in 2005.
The good thing about a fretless is obviously that there are no frets. It gives you a lot of freedom. It’s almost like playing another instrument. You can do things that would be if not impossible then at least extremely hard on a regular fretted guitar.
The cons would be that there are no frets on the guitar. It takes some time to adapt and get your intonation in place. Vibrato is more a back and forth motion like on a violin. You can’t bend the strings since there are no frets to bend against. Instead you slide to your desired note. I love playing the fretless guitar and it has come to be a big part of my sound.
4. Taking it back a bit now. You keep yourself busy doing clinics and session work as well as teaching. How did you get your start as a professional musician? Was it something you planned or did it just kind of happen for you?
I’m not making a full living from music, but things just happen. One thing leads to next I guess and things has just evolved and keeps evolving like a snowball effect. I try to keep myself as busy as my schedule allow. I’m also studying at a university where my goal is to be a teacher in English and History for high school. But as of now, music is kind of a mixture of a hobby and a job for me.
5. You have got some really great endorsements including Vigier and Dimarzio. Did you actively seek these and what advice can you offer to players on a similar quest?
This is a good question. I think many players are seeing endorsements only as some kind of acknowledgement or recognition (which it also is in one way). It is a hand on your shoulder that proves that you are doing something that other people takes notice of and enjoys. But, on the other hand it’s also pure business. And from all the emails I get where people ask how to get endorsed, they usually aren’t aware of the business part.
I know some players that change their endorsements like other people change their underwear. For me that’s not reliable. I use Vigier guitars because I really like them, not just to have an endorsement. Same goes for DiMarzio. I’ve been using their pickups since before dinosaurs walked the earth, so being part of the DiMarzio family is a big honor.
I guess my advice would be as follows: Only seek endorsements if you’re really into that specific brand (wether it’s guitars, strings or taco sauce). Be aware that nobody gives you endorsements just to be nice; you need to have something that interests them. Something to give in return.
Next: Be loyal. If you don’t get endorsed by the people you want, then don’t try and get endorsed by other companies just for the sake of it. If you play your cards right and work hard, your time will come.
6. With that in mind, what are your views on the ‘business’ of being a guitar player vs just simply being a guitar player? I am sure everyone would agree we would all rather be practicing and improving our craft than doing business. So, how does the modern guitar player divide his time between making money and making music?
Well, if I was doing music only for the money I certainly wouldn’t be playing the kind of music I am doing. :) But with today’s possibilities using internet etc, I think it’s quite easy to get your music out there and to get people to hear it. The downside of it all is that we get overwhelmed with music and tend to drown in the big masses.
I certainly enjoy playing and composing a lot more than promoting my music, but promotion is a part of the job that needs to be done if you want people to hear your music. And bottom line we make music for other people to enjoy, so not promoting it would ruin the purpose of making music in the first place (unless you’re just making it for yourself, which of course is totally fine too).
7. You have an original sound which is unique to you. When it can be so easy to become an imitator, what advice can you give to students who are seeking their own unique sound?
Thanks! I think my style of playing is somewhat colored from all influences that I have and to be totally original is more or less impossible. People will always recognize some musical fingerprints depending on their previous listening experiences which of course is totally fine.
For me I guess it’s just a mixture of listening to many kinds of music. I enjoy everything from John Coltrane to Meshuggah. From The Beatles to Yngwie Malmsteen and so on.
My advice would probably be to be as open as possible to all kinds of music. There are unlimited resources of music out there to discover and enjoy. :)
8. What’s next for you Fredrik? Another album, more collaborations, a band project?
Got a couple of things in the works right now. Besides making my own music (which will not be my first priority at the moment), I’m currently in the writing process of a new digital album with guitar player Christian Johansson (www.cjohansson.com). I met Christian about ten years ago and we became really good friends. We started a project called In Focuz, and we thought it was about time to an album together under that name. We have no idea when it’s going be finished as of yet or what it is going to sound like, but the music will be quite different from my own work. Not as extreme or freaky.
I’m also going to work with a talented Swedish singer called Isabel José (www.myspace.com/joseisabel), making music and perhaps doing some shows too. She will most likely be involved in a couple of the In Focuz songs for the album as well.
Besides that I have no idea what this year will offer me, but I’ll sure do my best to keep myself busy.
Thank you for taking the time to do this interview and I hope 2012 is a great year for you!
Thank you!
'Cthulhu Whisper' is the latest track from Swedish guitar maestro, Fredrik Pihl.
Fredriks playing has been talked about by guys such as Ron Thal aka Bumblefoot and Mattias Ia Eklundh and both infact play guest solos on his great debut album, 'Silhouettes'.
'Cthulhu Whisper ' is a slight departure from the sound on his album although comparisons may be drawn. This time he has solely made use of his Viger fretless in a song which has a rather dark vibe about it. Fredrik plays some captivating, strange melodies throghout the track and offers up some nice phrasing into the bargain.
The song is an interesting listen and evokes a dark atmosphere with unexpected twists and turns. I highly reccomend giving the track a listen and his album into the bargain! Head over to www.fredrikpihl.com
Shredknowledge asked Fredrik some questions about the new track, his album, sound, business and more.
Fredrik Pihl Interview
1. Hi Fredrik. Happy New Year! Thanks for taking the time to do this interview for Shredknowledge. How are you doing?
Hi Andy. Happy new year to you and all of the Shred Knowledge crew! Hope you had a blasting 2011 and that this year will be even better.
2. In 2011 you released your debut album, ‘Silhouettes’. Already you have followed this up with the release of your latest single, ‘Cthulhu Whisper’. Could you tell the SK readers what the inspiration was behind both and how you see your sound evolving?
Ok, I’ll try to keep this answer as short as possible, and I’ll divide it into three parts.
For Silhouettes, I wanted to create something completely new from what I had done in the past. I threw away my old album-material since it didn’t represent me as a guitar player or composer anymore. I started from scratch and wrote the song memories that became the reference point of the music I wanted to do for the album. Wrote another five songs, included some great guest musicians and a year later the album was done. I was pushing myself to the extreme when it comes to composing and arranging the music. It was a big challenge but also lot’s of fun.
Cthulhu Whisper was the first song I did only using the fretless guitar. I tuned down the low E string to Bb. The song is in the key of E. but with the low Bb (a tri tone) you get some nice dissonant vibes. Fooled around with some chord ideas and the song was born.
I had no name for the song but it was kind of dark and twisted, so I contacted my buddy Dan Verkys (www.gardenofbadthings.com) and he hooked me up with an art of his entitled “Cthulhu Whisper” that became the cover art for the song as well as the title. Dan is really the man when it comes to doing art of this kind.
I released the song as a digital single on iTunes, Spotify etc.
When it comes to my sound I think it was just a natural feeling I had at the time. I try not to limit myself playing only one style of music. I’m always curious in finding new ways of expressing myself
3. You are increasingly becoming a proponent of the fretless guitar. How did that come about and what are some of the pros and cons of playing fretless as compared with the usual fretted method?
My first experience with a fretless guitar was around 10 years ago when Mattias IA Eklundh played me a Bumblefoot album called 9.11 (IA is doing a guest solo on the album). I didn’t know Ron was using a fretless guitar and I couldn’t understand how he got those crazy sounds out of his guitar. Later I found out he was using a fretless and I just had to get one myself which I did in 2005.
The good thing about a fretless is obviously that there are no frets. It gives you a lot of freedom. It’s almost like playing another instrument. You can do things that would be if not impossible then at least extremely hard on a regular fretted guitar.
The cons would be that there are no frets on the guitar. It takes some time to adapt and get your intonation in place. Vibrato is more a back and forth motion like on a violin. You can’t bend the strings since there are no frets to bend against. Instead you slide to your desired note. I love playing the fretless guitar and it has come to be a big part of my sound.
4. Taking it back a bit now. You keep yourself busy doing clinics and session work as well as teaching. How did you get your start as a professional musician? Was it something you planned or did it just kind of happen for you?
I’m not making a full living from music, but things just happen. One thing leads to next I guess and things has just evolved and keeps evolving like a snowball effect. I try to keep myself as busy as my schedule allow. I’m also studying at a university where my goal is to be a teacher in English and History for high school. But as of now, music is kind of a mixture of a hobby and a job for me.
5. You have got some really great endorsements including Vigier and Dimarzio. Did you actively seek these and what advice can you offer to players on a similar quest?
This is a good question. I think many players are seeing endorsements only as some kind of acknowledgement or recognition (which it also is in one way). It is a hand on your shoulder that proves that you are doing something that other people takes notice of and enjoys. But, on the other hand it’s also pure business. And from all the emails I get where people ask how to get endorsed, they usually aren’t aware of the business part.
I know some players that change their endorsements like other people change their underwear. For me that’s not reliable. I use Vigier guitars because I really like them, not just to have an endorsement. Same goes for DiMarzio. I’ve been using their pickups since before dinosaurs walked the earth, so being part of the DiMarzio family is a big honor.
I guess my advice would be as follows: Only seek endorsements if you’re really into that specific brand (wether it’s guitars, strings or taco sauce). Be aware that nobody gives you endorsements just to be nice; you need to have something that interests them. Something to give in return.
Next: Be loyal. If you don’t get endorsed by the people you want, then don’t try and get endorsed by other companies just for the sake of it. If you play your cards right and work hard, your time will come.
6. With that in mind, what are your views on the ‘business’ of being a guitar player vs just simply being a guitar player? I am sure everyone would agree we would all rather be practicing and improving our craft than doing business. So, how does the modern guitar player divide his time between making money and making music?
Well, if I was doing music only for the money I certainly wouldn’t be playing the kind of music I am doing. :) But with today’s possibilities using internet etc, I think it’s quite easy to get your music out there and to get people to hear it. The downside of it all is that we get overwhelmed with music and tend to drown in the big masses.
I certainly enjoy playing and composing a lot more than promoting my music, but promotion is a part of the job that needs to be done if you want people to hear your music. And bottom line we make music for other people to enjoy, so not promoting it would ruin the purpose of making music in the first place (unless you’re just making it for yourself, which of course is totally fine too).
7. You have an original sound which is unique to you. When it can be so easy to become an imitator, what advice can you give to students who are seeking their own unique sound?
Thanks! I think my style of playing is somewhat colored from all influences that I have and to be totally original is more or less impossible. People will always recognize some musical fingerprints depending on their previous listening experiences which of course is totally fine.
For me I guess it’s just a mixture of listening to many kinds of music. I enjoy everything from John Coltrane to Meshuggah. From The Beatles to Yngwie Malmsteen and so on.
My advice would probably be to be as open as possible to all kinds of music. There are unlimited resources of music out there to discover and enjoy. :)
8. What’s next for you Fredrik? Another album, more collaborations, a band project?
Got a couple of things in the works right now. Besides making my own music (which will not be my first priority at the moment), I’m currently in the writing process of a new digital album with guitar player Christian Johansson (www.cjohansson.com). I met Christian about ten years ago and we became really good friends. We started a project called In Focuz, and we thought it was about time to an album together under that name. We have no idea when it’s going be finished as of yet or what it is going to sound like, but the music will be quite different from my own work. Not as extreme or freaky.
I’m also going to work with a talented Swedish singer called Isabel José (www.myspace.com/joseisabel), making music and perhaps doing some shows too. She will most likely be involved in a couple of the In Focuz songs for the album as well.
Besides that I have no idea what this year will offer me, but I’ll sure do my best to keep myself busy.
Thank you for taking the time to do this interview and I hope 2012 is a great year for you!
Thank you!
