http://alslavik.com/news.html AL SLAVIK: News Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:02:02 -0800 http://alslavik.com/news.html#62
2010 is just round the corner so i wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a great new year!

may the year 2010 bring you peace, health, joy and happiness

best

Al

ps:

On a personal level 2009 was an eventful year ...
My new album ”žTrust“ was released,
been to Australia & Europe and am now in Los Angeles where i already met some great and talented people

the journey continues ....]]> http://alslavik.com/news.html#62 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Creative Spirit - Music Person - AL SLAVIK - News http://alslavik.com/news.html#60 I still had to sing a few songs and more overdubs where added too...
While in Oz i had a little break from the album and it felt great to continue working on ”žTrust“ with a new and fresh approach.
Once again Mats Jakisic assisted me,this time to get all tracks ready for mixing.

Italy

It was time to mix the album so i flew to Milano where my friend Fabio Balestrieri picked us up.(Robert Altmann came along too;-)
In the next two weeks we spent long hours in Fabio´s studio.
Like always Fabio was a joy to work with, such a great guy...and he definately knows how to get great results.
Apart from mixing the songs i also added backing vocals.

Sorry to keep this note so short but its so hard to put all the details and feelings into words...The whole process was very intense so every night we were completely drained and fell into our beds...
But iam sure the music will speak for itself ...

I´d like to thank Fabio and Kika for their incredible hospitality and friendship...its overwhelming to know such special people...Thanks for everything !!!

ohh,nearly forgot...i simply have to mention Indiana,the housedog, too ...bellissima ;-)


all the best
&
take care

Al]]> http://alslavik.com/news.html#60 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Creative Spirit - Music Person - AL SLAVIK - News http://alslavik.com/news.html#59
Before i flew to Adelaide however i played a couple of Melbourne ”žduo shows“ with drummer Davey Porter.
I started playing in the ”žduo“ setting a while back.
Its a step up (or down,depends how you look at it;-)to the typical drums,bass,guitar- 3 piece band ...making those songs work only with drums (and me on vocals,bass,Stick) is a challenge i find very exciting.With drummers like Davey providing such a solid groove i can only blame myself if things go pear shaped;-)

Having arrived in Adelaide (2nd of December) i went straight to the Festival site where i set up my gear for the Chapman Stick talk in the Space Theater.
Fellow Stick player Andy Salvanos and i talked about what we´re gonna talk about ;-) and off we went...People had a lot of questions about the Stick so time flew by... but Andy and i still managed to have little jam on stage... nice one!

Next day Slava Grigoryan and i played our concert featuring songs from our album ”žContinental Shift“.
It´s been a while since Slava and i played together but we´ve got that chemistry and playing with him feels so natural every single time.
Its been always that way from the very first time we started working together all those years back...

The hangout joint ,like every year, was the Wah Bar where jams were happening every night...great gigs by Derek Trucks Band,Matt Walker and Band of Brothers which i joined for a song...It was great fun to play with them (Slava&Lenny;Grigoryan (guitars)and Joe& James Tawadros (oud&req;).We also opened up the AC/DC Tribute Open Air in Elder Park on sunday .
Pretty unusual to play the AC/DC classic ”žA Whole Lotta Rosie“ with this line up...but somehow it worked out nicely and the crowd dug it (video clip coming soon(ish))

And there was yet another AC/DC moment on the festival:
i had to get up at 6 am to do an early morning ”žlive to air“ TV call on the open air stage in Elder park (all in the name of promotion)...A great ,if a little sureal, experience to play ”žA Long Way To The Top“ with another twenty or so musicians at sunrise ...(thanks for the much needed coffee and breakfast ;-)

On friday night @ the Wah bar i bumped into Guy Pratt and Steve Hunter,both also featuring on the Bass Special ”žPhat Bottom End“ the next day...
What a laugh....so easy with Guy who,with his wit, really cracked me (and others) up all night...
In the end we decided to keep the night short (perhaps shortish is a better word) bedtime 3am...

Next day...soundcheck for my ”žBass/Stick Duo show“ ,Davey flew in from Melbourne this morning,perfect timing...quick and easy soundcheck (after all..only two players ;-)

The gig went really well (you can listen to the live versions in the music section of the website !!) and i also enjoyed watching Steve and Guy perform...so interesting to hear the same instrument sounding so differently in the hands of others...

Afterwards..well,you guessed it,...we all hit the Wah bar again.
Needless to say that this time round it got late..real late ;-)
Many reasons for this really...of course there´s always the adrenaline after playing a show, Derek Trucks and his band were kickin but, this being a festival, i bumped into old friends and made new ones...(...so nice to see the charming Adrian Belew again...)

It wasn´t easy to get up the next morning but i promised to join the ”žBass guitar Panel“ round midday.
To my relief Guy Pratt,Steve Hunter and Mark Evans were in a similar state so Steve Brown,the moderator, had a hard time to get the ball rolling... once on track though it turned out to be an informative and fun discussion were all of us shared some stories,jokes, and ,would i dare to say,a bit of wisdom too...

I had a fantastic time in Adelaide and would like to thank all those who made it such a well organised event....]]> http://alslavik.com/news.html#59 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Creative Spirit - Music Person - AL SLAVIK - News http://alslavik.com/news.html#58

After the recording sessions on the Austrian country side in summer 08(check out the videos below) i took a little break to reload my batteries again.
The recordings went really well ,with Robert Altmann playing some great guitarparts and me playing bass and Stick.
So nice to spend two weeks in nature to focus on the music only.
Nothing interrupts the flow and if you have an idea at 3am you simply record it straight away...“The flow“ is such a great state of mind ..you just let go and don´t even think what you´re doing...you´re simply ”žin the zone“!

In autumn 08 i started focusing on the lyrics;some of them were almost finished but others needed more attention.
Writing lyrics is pretty laboursome (at least for me) so iam very thankful that my good friend Phil Gould lent me a helping hand.
Phil and i cowrote four tracks on the upcoming album ”žTRUST“ and i also would like to thank him for his generous support throughout the whole process.
He´s one of a kind!

I also hooked up with Mats Jakisic to start editing,programming and weeding trough the tracks..oh,by the way...Mats also arranged and played all the string parts on ”žTRUST“...talking of a multi talent;-)
We had a great time together and things really took shape the next weeks...

Then it was time to record the vocals which i did on my own in my musicroom in Vienna...]]> http://alslavik.com/news.html#58 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Creative Spirit - Music Person - AL SLAVIK - News http://alslavik.com/news.html#57 whats new?
ok,iam in Melbourne right now,spent the winter in good old Vienna.
But the real news is that i finished my new album "Trust" !

so much more to tell and i promise i will do just that very soon;of course in more detail !

in the meanwhile:
why don´t you get in touch on facebook (click on "Contact")
also, please make sure you subscribe to my email list !
who knows...there might be a special treat ;-)

take care

Al]]> http://alslavik.com/news.html#57 Sun, 22 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Creative Spirit - Music Person - AL SLAVIK - News http://alslavik.com/news.html#56 Al Slavik recording in Austria Part 12 (Aug 08) by Al Slavik]]> http://alslavik.com/news.html#56 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Creative Spirit - Music Person - AL SLAVIK - News http://alslavik.com/news.html#55
Al Slavik recording in Austria Part 11 (Aug 08) by Al Slavik]]> http://alslavik.com/news.html#55 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Creative Spirit - Music Person - AL SLAVIK - News http://alslavik.com/news.html#54 Robert gets lost in sounds and Al plays Chapman Stick..afterwards: a typical evening on the countryside...
Al Slavik recording in Austria Part 10 (Aug 08) by Al Slavik]]> http://alslavik.com/news.html#54 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Creative Spirit - Music Person - AL SLAVIK - News http://alslavik.com/news.html#53 Al Slavik recording in Austria Part 9 (Aug 08) by Al Slavik]]> http://alslavik.com/news.html#53 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Creative Spirit - Music Person - AL SLAVIK - News http://alslavik.com/news.html#52
Click to watch the VIDEO
Al Slavik recording in Austria Part 8 (Aug 08) by Al Slavik]]> http://alslavik.com/news.html#52 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Creative Spirit - Music Person - AL SLAVIK - News