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Thomas Blug - A Profile
(23 Feb 06)
The musician
EV: How important is the technical aspect for you ? Do you still practice a lot?
TB: To be honest, I don´t practice that much anymore. I am so busy with all the things I´m doing that there is not enough time for practicing. But since I´m constantly playing and recording, I still learn...
That´s my practice...
EV: Do you still try to get into new techniques ( or scales etc. ) consciously, or do a lot of new findings happen when you just sit around with your guitar and play ?
TB: Once a year I think about scales and techniques and then I try to keep working on it for the rest of the year... But most of the stuff comes to my mind when I´m playing or when I ride my pushbike.
It all happens in my head when I´m relaxed!
EV: How do you write songs ? What instrument do you compose on ( do you play any other but the guitar ) ?
TB: I play a little piano, bass and drums, but this gives me only ideas or bits and pieces. Actually I write best when I´m riding my bike in the nature! Because I feel free without any distruction and my brain works best. Then I sing my ideas into my cell phone, and once I´m home I set up my recording gear and make an arrangement.
EV: How much gets added when you actually record them ? I mean... do you create rough drafts of them and then work them out to the detail in the studio, or do you go to the studio with the songs completely prepared ?
TB: Today I know: don´t start to record without the right melody, the right groove and a good sound! Then I have the option to use any recording in a final version.
The style of production can be very different. From straight forward "classic" recordings like "Electric Gallery” where I used a live band in the studio with only very few overdubs, (There´s only one synth line on the whole album!) to "21st Century Guitar" where I used everything that was around... This record is more or less a one man show, since I played all the instruments myself and I did the arrangements and more than 50% of the mixing. For "Electric Gallery" I did a complete MIDI pre-production, so all the musicians knew basically what to play.
EV: How about actual solos... are they improvised, or do you write them in advance ? ( or do it the Gilmour-way... improvising a few and then creating a solo from the best bits of those improvs ? )
TB: I like to improvise! My best solos are the ones where there´s not too much brain involved. Then I have parts where I want a certain melody, but I play automatically since I have an overall picture in my head. I also have occasionally recorded three different tracks and cut together the best parts, like Gilmour...
EV: Your music, to me, bears aspects of different kinds of music... blues, rock, fusion etc. Are you interested in playing in different styles ? Do you sometimes sit at home and play some old-school jazz on an ES 335 ? =)
TB: I do own several guitars, but most of the time I play my Strats. I think all those aspects come from what I hear and what I like - what´s in my head...
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