Recent Press
Epic audio interview here Most recent interview is here with All About Jazz.com
Press for Ghost:
"A solo album that I can only describe as magnificent. So inspired, anything thus guy touches is genius, from guitar to bass to... mellotron? Oh yes, you know you want this." Veins Dried Out
"A seriously amazing album, this will f**king move you, seriously SERIOUSLY brilliant! Go and listen to it, I WILL be checking!"Nick Tann Is This Thing On Podcast
"(Instrumental rock) music brought forward some 50 years thru the filter of metal & punk & electronica (not to mention bebop & baroque).The music itself—is genre defying: one hears rock (in several of its incarnations) & jazz & funk & classical & Latin. Stevens, whose guitar artistry is matched by his compositional skills, welds these disparate elements into a coherent whole." Robertfrostsbanjo
" It's abundantly apparent that Stevens has a special command over the guitar but he favours enticing, carefully crafted tracks over self-indulgent embellishment. The result is an album baring that all-encompassing, cinematic sound which draws you in without the need to utter a word." I Caught You a Delicious Bass
"Standout tracks are "Into the Sea", "Eleven" "8:19" and "Ghost", though this is merely a matter of preference as all that you encounter here is brimming with melody and invention. Truly enjoyable in every aspect " Finnbros
"Stevens has made a record that is as approachable, inviting and warm every bit as much as The Fierce & the Dead are powerful, intelligent and … commanding … ."Mr Atavist
Press for Echo
"Matt Stevens' Echo takes its audience on an exhilarating and
romantic instrumental adventure. Ranging from light and melodic to deep
and aggressive, the moods set by this album flow together like a
masterfully woven screenplay. Lyrics are not necessary and would only
distract from the virtuosity of Stevens' guitar compositions." - Pinpoint Music.com
"I told him that if I ever wanted my life set to a soundtrack, I'm hiring
HIM "Lisa Hoffman Blog
"Matt Stevens, looping guitar specialist and "One man wall of sound" .Prepare to be blasted away by incredible Spanish, Jazz and Rock rhythms with leads that are out of this world" - Spratton Folk Festival
"Recently, I had an opportunity to interview a guy who is doing some
truly innovative work with acoustic guitar. This is hard to find these
days. It's not that often you hear someone that challenges your ear in
several pleasant ways all at once. Matt Stevens is a guitarist,
songwriter, producer, arranger and sound experimenter extraordinaire
from the UK." Guitarblogstar..com
"Even though that record is a must-buy for anyone with an interest in acoustic Guitar music, his regular online concerts or live performances are just as intoxicating. Let there be no doubt about it, after all: Matt Stevens may have some delicious studio cuts on offer, but the stage is still the best place to appreciate this both experimental and deadly catchy music."Tokafi.com
"He is fabulous. He has also been renamed Javier in my head because of
the way he plays guitar - please check this one out, it's pay what you
want until the end of February and is very highly recommended! "Put Me On It
July 14th 2009, by 
Hi! How are you? Where are you?
Very good thanks - my back hurts thou! I'm in a very sunny London.
What's on your schedule right now?
Writing
and recording my second album and doing monthly ustream webstream gigs.
I'm also thinking about getting a small band together to play some of
these compositions live. It depends on funding at the moment and time.
How would you describe and rate the music scene of the country you are currently living in?
In
the UK the mainstream is rubbish but there are some interesting things
happening on the underground. I like Radiohead, Burial, Portico
Quartet, Polar Bear, Squarepusher thou.
Do you see yourself as part of a certain tradition or as part of a movement?
Not really. Maybe some elements of prog/fusion or post rock - artists like Mogwai, King Crimson or Portishead.
What, would you say, are the factors of your creativity? What stimulates you to write music?
Um old metal/death albums, Prog stuff, 50's Jazz, Soundtrack stuff, US Hardcore and my friends.
How would you describe your method of composing?
Constantly
ripping up ideas and putting them back together. First i come with some
chords and then i spend ages agonising over the arrangements. Melody
last usually but I love writing.
In which way, would you say, is your cultural background reflected in your work?
The
town where i come from had an amazing music scene because there was
nothing else to do, one boring town. Because it was such a small scene
all the different bands mixed you'd have Psych bands, Hardcore bands
and Metal all on the same bill. Wonderful scene.
How do you see the relationship between sound and composition?
Like Zappa said its a composition if you say it is, if its random noise, Napalm Death or Phillip Glass or Stravinsky.
How strictly do you separate improvising and composing?
Most
of my compositions are improvisations i remembered good bits of. The
best improvisation is spontaneous composition and not random noodles,
that's why its exciting - sometimes its great and sometimes its rubbish
noodles or re-fried noodles.
What does the term „new" mean to you in connection with music?
New
is what i aim for - even though i'm using a guitar which is one of the
most over used instruments ever. I want to use interesting chords and
rhythms in the same way as bands like the Mahavishnu Orchestra did in
the 70's.
Do you personally enjoy multimedia as an
enrichment or do you feel that it is leading away from the essence of
what you want to achieve?
One of the best gigs i ever did was
in combination with a live video performance. I would really like to
have that element at all the gigs i do. As long as the quality is good
it can only add to it.
What constitutes a good live performance in your opinion? What's your approach to performing on stage?
A
good live performance is where inspiration is there and that is
something you can't predict. Its either there or its not. You get into
a flow of playing where you forget about everything - you're actually
spontaneously composing. My stuff is 50/50 arranged/improvised.
How, would you say, could non-mainstream forms of music reach wider audiences without sacrificing their soul?
Communication
and story telling. Really the mainstream is dying now - everyone is in
their own niche, as there is so much choice out there right now - its a
great time for music.
You are given the position of artistic director of a festival. What would be on your program?
Some
great bands and some workshops. Death Metal next to live Jazz, Ambient
next to Garage Rock or Dub so people can hear something new that
excites them. I would love to see a live lesson by my tutor old guitar
Richard Beaumont on odd timings and chords and harmony.
Many artists dream of a "magnum opus". Do you have a vision of what yours would sound like?
Um
i'd like to do something with multiple vocalists and unlimited studio
time. A string quartet would be nice - just need the funding, the ideas
are there. And Tablas and lots of found vocal snippets.
Discography:
Echo (KEA) 2009
A recent inteview - Jan 2010 from Guitarblogstar..com
By BlogStar, on February 8th, 2010
I have said in earlier posts that my first love in guitars is the acoustic guitar.
Acoustic guitars have a load of soul and that organic thing happening with sound vibration and resonance. (Yes, I love electrics too ;-)
Recently, I had an opportunity to interview a guy who is doing some truly innovative work with acoustic guitar. This is hard to find these days. It's not that often you hear someone that challenges your ear in several pleasant ways all at once. Matt Stevens is a guitarist, songwriter, producer, arranger and sound experimenter extraordinaire from the UK.
He is someone you should know about and take a listen to. He also has some great things to say for anyone wanting to learn and play guitar.
An instrumental artist, he uses an acoustic guitar and a sampler to create multi layered tracks live. This is often called Live Looping. His music is compared with artists as diverse as John Mclaughlin and Sigur Ros.
He plays live all over the UK. Last year saw the release of Echo his well received debut album and he's also composed for short films, including the award winning 'Daddys Little Helper'.
His live work is often compared to watching a one man guitar orchestra or wall of sound.
Matt inspires anyone wanting to get the most out of their life with a guitar so if that's you, listen up!
GBS: Hey Matt, thanks for taking the time and sharing some more about you and your music. How long have you been playing guitar and how did you get started?
Matt : "I got my first guitar when I was 14 because I wanted to be in Iron Maiden or Guns N Roses - I used to practice 8 hours a day, I was obsessed with the guitar. So I have been playing for 20 years. When I first started I was very metal then punk and Jazz then UK indie stuff and US guitar noise stuff. It's all music and genres are stupid - it's all rhythms and chords to me."
GBS: I hear you, genres do tend to box people in, in more ways than one. Have you got some influences that helped in your music?
Matt : "Loads of stuff from metal to soundtracks to jazz and 60's pysche stuff. Carcass to the Todd Rungren to John Coltrane. I remember hearing the Mahavishnu Orchestra for the first time and I didn't really understand it but I thought they were the best band I had ever heard, incredible playing and amazing chord progressions.
I was lucky in that I had a fantastic guitar teacher called Richard Beaumont who took me through chords and odd timings, indian ragas, all sorts of stuff. Great bloke. Also the local music scene was isolated, weird and inspiring in Rushden, Northants. Loads of bored kids trading tapes of great music. Brilliant. "
GBS: Yes, you can't beat a great mentor. What Guitars do you have and what Guitars would you like?
Matt : "I have a quite a few guitars but my main guitar is a knackered old Ibanez acoustic with a hole in it, I also love my old mexican Tele although I rarely play electric guitar now. I would like a new acoustic but I love my guitar and I think its fairly unique. I recently had a serious spinal injury and I am looking at getting a light weight acoustic and electric, maybe something Headless or is that too 80's?"
GBS: Ok, Do you hear that Ibanez?! Not headless methinks..unless you have 80's hair. Matt, any favourite guitar accessories?
Matt : "I love the ebow - brilliant for crazy feedback sustain sounds on the acoustic guitar, love the Digitech Whammy pedal - I use it for bass lines down and crazy up an octave up swooping effects. I've tried Big Muff fuzz on the acoustic but it sounds rubbish!
I also have a line 6 filter pedal for Fripped out guitar synth sounds. A volume pedal for looping volume swell chords for fake synth sounds is also essential."
GBS: Cool, I can hear those synth/string sounds on your recordings, they sound really good. It contributes beautifully to that solid wall of sound you have. Can you tell us more about the looper pedal?
Matt : "Its a line 6 DL4 really basic looper, but it works. It has no undo so you have to get it 100% first time - very scary!!! It lets you record a short amount of guitar then loop it round then overdub onto it live, its lots of fun. I've thought about getting 2 so I can play them like DJ turn tables but I haven't tried that yet."
GBS: I love the way you experiment and are keen to tackle new paths making sounds even when it's scary :-). So,where do you want your music to take you?
Matt :"I'm not sure - I had no idea when I first put up music on the interweb that I'd end up playing festivals, so, as far as I can really. Its fairly esoteric music with odd timings etc and no vocals but people seem to like it so we shall have to see what happens. As long as I am honest in what I do and the music is genuine then its all good."
GBS: Yea, your timings work really well. Even though they are something of a surprise, they don't throw you off the melody. Nice work. Can you tell me about some of the challenges & fun you had recording your sounds?
Matt : "The challenge on the first record was trying to get a variety of sounds using just one acoustic guitar. We hit the guitar for percussion sounds, and used a volume pedal to fade in chords for fake string sounds.
All sorts of ways of getting different sounds. Thankfully on the new album which we are working on at the moment we have started using a few other instruments, which is fun."
GBS: I confess, I hit a guitar once. Had to get a new one after that, so well done on your restraint and artistry. (See, Ibanez, you can trust this man with your guitars!) Are you playing live and if so where can people see you?
I'm playing at some festivals this summer - full details at www.mattstevensguitar.com
GBS:Can you give some tips for people learning Guitar?
Matt : "PLAY! Just keep playing and learn lots of songs by the beatles, mahavishnu, crimson or any bands that you love - learn the chords then improvise your own parts over the top then write your own songs. Learn as much theory as you can - its all useful and the more you know the more options you have."
GBS: Excellent. Can you give some tips for anyone wanting to record their sounds?
Matt :"Don't spend ages trying all the options - limit yourself and you'll get more done! Get Kevin Feazey to produce your album he's good."
GBS: I was watching Kevin manipulate that Watkins machine.(video below) He's obviously got talent in that department. Love the videos actually, I had difficulty choosing which ones to feature so have included three below. (Watch all three all the way through people!)
Matt, whats your favourite qoute?
Matt : "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" (Robert Fripp)"
GBS: That's just brilliant. Ok, How do people find your music and what will it cost?
Matt : "You can download my music on itunes, emusic, amazon etc or go to www.mattstevensguitar.com and download my album and pay what you want (even free) until the end of February.
The amazing thing is people pay for things that are free because they like it, people are great.
Also from February onward this year I am giving away a free song every week as part of my sunday free noodle give away, that's 'Matt Stevens Guitarists live tracks and collaborations and remixes and spoken word stuff.
Subscribe to the podcast feed on my site to get that stuff."
GBS: Matt, thanks heaps from me and my readers for sharing your time and talents.
Mucho gracias and our very best wishes for your future.
Ok, I've been listening to Matts music while I drive and write and it's been both eye opening and thoroughly enjoyable.
Enjoy!
Alan R
p.s. Now watch these videos carefully and please, do go to Matts site to check him out some more. Yea, hes giving music free if you want it that way but please don't be a tightarse if you have spare cash. If you like the music, buy it. You won't regret it. Any musician gets a huge buzz from tangible support and your purchase helps keep it going. This is the age of the independent artist folks!
You can ask any questions and read a crowd sourced interview here.
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