I have always been very touched by Steve Reich’s music.
For two years now, I’ve been planning to record a monographic disc of his music.
Then came the Lockdown, and its suspension of time. Overnight, the world came to a standstill, and we were confronted with a new relationship with Time. Steve Reich’s music came back into my life at that moment. A minimalist music, where time flows differently.
I wanted to record it and illustrate it with a video of the 1st movement of Electric Counterpoint, a work for Live Guitar and pre-recorded tapes, which would represent my perception of this strange moment of lockdown, a new moment in our lives. I made this video in about a month. She hung up on my desire to do new projects. A desire that had left me at the beginning of March, swept away by the extent of the disaster we were all going through.
Following the publication of the video, on May 24, 2020, I received many enthusiastic messages and comments on social networks. France Musique then invited me to come and play all three movements of Electric Counterpoint for its Summer Festival. Invitation accepted and challenge taken up: I had to go back to recording the tapes for the two movements that were missing, and provide them for the Live recording on July 4th..
This emulation around these different projects, led me to the obvious: I had to record the recording I had planned for two years already.
Today, I want to involve you in this project that’s so close to my heart. I hope that you can contribute to its creation.
A project like this requires a huge investment, both in time and money.
I have already contacted Steve Reich’s publisher to obtain the recording and arrangement rights, and to receive the various scores.
Technically, this is music that requires the superimposition of 15 to 16 guitars, including two basses. Recording so much sound material over an hour of music is the equivalent of weeks of recording studio time, which must be financed and assumed with the pressure of time. I would feel that it would go against my project: music and time. Getting back the time to do things.
So I decided to do all the sound recording by myself, as I’d already done on one of my records. It’s a method that I want to be almost “home-made”, where you look for the best sound with the best elements: the right guitar, the right effects, the right tube amp, the right microphones, the right microphone preamp (also tube), the right cables, the right audio interface, the right microphones placements… You slowly shape the sound of the record. You become a sound luthier. It’s a recipe that you prepare, patiently. It’s alchemy. And it’s this work of patience that I want to return to you, warm, lively, and above all comfortable to listen to: that of a musician who has taken the time to try and get the best out of himself. So that you, as well, can listen to it in peace and quiet and enjoy for a moment a return to a more suspended time.
After these sound recordings, and the editing, I will go to the studio for mixing and mastering, for a duration of about 5 days, certainly during the month of September.
And finally, when the time is right, the record will be released digitally and physically on a label that will be able to accompany me in its promotion and distribution.
It’s a long process, and a great challenge, but I’ve decided to take it up. Those who know me a little bit know that when I’ve decided on something, I go all the way. So there will be a Steve Reich monograph on guitar. And it will be you who made it possible.
Thank you in advance, and I’ll see you soon,
Pierre
NeuGuitars 