{"id":42939,"date":"2014-07-26T09:23:19","date_gmt":"2014-07-26T14:23:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=42939"},"modified":"2014-07-28T06:30:33","modified_gmt":"2014-07-28T11:30:33","slug":"interview-with-marco-minnemann","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2014\/interview-with-marco-minnemann\/","title":{"rendered":"Marco Minnemann"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Christophe Pauly<\/span>
\n– Senior Photojournalist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Drummer Marco Minnemann, currently touring with Joe Satriani, checked in with Hardrock Haven and discussed his new solo album EEPS<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Marco<\/p>\n

Chris: Hi, Marco! Thanks for this interview about your new album.<\/p>\n

Marco: Thank YOU!<\/p>\n

Chris: First, could you explain me why and when did you get the idea of doing this solo album?<\/p>\n

Marco: Well, I always write music as you might know, and when there\u2019s a mission or certain vibe I like that could be completed into an album, then I collect these songs and put it into a \u2018frame\u2019 so to speak. And this album here had a mission. I was experimenting with a lot of new sounds and felt it would be cool to introduce this to an audience.<\/p>\n

Chris: Your album, EEPS<\/em>, really surprised me for 2 main reasons: I (as many fans) didn’t expect it because of your over booked schedule with Satriani and other projects. How did you find some time off to compose and record such an album?<\/p>\n

Marco: I always find time to write, also when I\u2019m on the road. I usually carry recording gear with me. And especially on the Joe Satriani tour there\u2019s so much time and the travels are so comfortable, that you really can spend time to compose and do everyday activities you usually do. That\u2019s the key, isn\u2019t it \u2026 a all organized tour shouldn\u2019t affect your daily routines\/needs.<\/p>\n

Chris: And the second reason was your implication in it. It’s a true solo album because you did everything on it ! How did it worked? Did you play all those instruments for a long time? Or did you wanted to try them and get the best you could of it?<\/p>\n

Marco: On most of my solo albums I play all instruments. I started playing organ when I was 5, then moved on to guitar and drums a few years after. So I still kept all the instruments as \u2018useful friends\u2019 around me, to translate my compositions. And meanwhile, with all this amazing recording opportunities, you can easily complete songs on your own, without booking studio time or engineers. It got all so compact and high quality. I work with Steinberg software and Universal Audio Interfaces, and the recording facility and plug ins are just amazing.<\/p>\n

Chris: What was the biggest challenge for you on this album?<\/p>\n

Marco: I never see making albums as being a challenge. To me, making music is fun and a mission. Having said that \u2026 I of course want to get the best possible result and there are certain steps that need to be done \u2026 mixing, getting the right sound, mastering and artwork. But I don\u2019t have a deadline or anything, so usually the album is done once I am happy with the result.<\/p>\n

Chris: Where did you find your inspiration?<\/p>\n

Marco: These things or ideas mostly fall from the sky. I never really sit down and think, \u201chmm, I want to write something that sounds like x or y or z.\u201d I mainly just grab the guitar, bass or keyboard and stumble across a riff or theme that inspires me. And then I spin the idea further and turn it either way into a song structure or an instrumental piece.<\/p>\n

Chris: Why didn’t you collaborate with other people?<\/p>\n

Marco: I just get really fast to the point I want to go when working on my music. It\u2019s not that I rule any collaborations out though by all means. For example with my band Aristocrats we are three, and also writing for LMR (Levin Minnemann Rudess) was clearly a group effort.<\/p>\n

Chris: Which song did you enjoy the most in term of composing and playing?<\/p>\n

Marco: That\u2019s a difficult question, hmm. I think the title track EEPS<\/em> has an energy I like. It\u2019s just so unusual, crazy and \u2018up\u2019 sounding. I incorporated burp sounds using the word \u2018Eeps.\u2019 You sometimes don\u2019t know what song works and which one doesn\u2019t you know \u2026 Sometimes an idea you might think could be great turns out to be \u2018just OK\u2019 and you move on. And then there\u2019s all of a sudden a piece like \u2018Eeps\u2019 or \u2018Live Ghost,\u2019 just coming out of the blue and the energy is right there. There mostly is no master plan for that. I just let it happen.<\/p>\n

Chris: You’ve played with many great musicians, what’s your best collaboration so far?<\/p>\n

Marco: I\u2019m very proud of the Aristocrats, the band I have with Guthrie Govan and Bryan Beller. It\u2019s such a wonderful chemistry and we truly share the band. Then there\u2019s Joe Satriani, who\u2019s not only a great and experienced musician, but also a great and wonderful person. Touring with him is so much fun and the vibes are always good. The album The Raven\u2026<\/em> we did with Steven Wilson did also pretty good and the shows are always a cool experience.<\/p>\n

Chris: Do you think about doing another instructional video to teach your playing?<\/p>\n

Marco: Honesty, I\u2019m not sure about that. See, I always enjoyed writing and playing music and going out with my bands. The instructional side I just did, because people where curious about my techniques and approaches to the instruments. Right now I\u2019m just enjoying the recording and touring universe way too much (laughs).<\/p>\n

Chris: Who was your idols when you started to play drums?<\/p>\n

Marco: Drums: John Bonham, Simon Phillips, Stewart Copeland, Buddy Rich, Vinnie Colaiuta \u2026 many more out there I like. Guitarists: Jimmy Page, Brian May, Eddie Van Halen, David Gilmour, Alex Lifeson … also many more out there I love listening to.<\/p>\n

Chris: You’re touring with Joe Satriani. How did you begin this collaboration?<\/p>\n

Marco: I received an email from him and his management asking for my availability for the tour in 2013. He said he wanted to try something new and if I\u2019d be interested. So we started playing and it felt great right from the get go. And well, now we\u2019re already in the second year of touring and the fun continues.<\/p>\n

Chris: What do you like most with him?<\/p>\n

Marco: He\u2019s very mature, has a pair of great and experienced, very musical ears. And as a human being he\u2019s just lovely to get along, which is very important when touring and traveling together.<\/p>\n

Chris: Do you plan other collaborations in the future?<\/p>\n

Marco: Right now I\u2019m happy with my band and the wonderful people I\u2019m working with at the moment. But I always keep an open mind. You never know what comes along and what door opens.<\/p>\n

Chris: What about the Aristocrats? Any new project?<\/p>\n

Marco: The Aristocrats were never a project. We\u2019re a full on band (laughs). And we are in fact planning our new album, which is going to be recorded and released in 2015. <\/p>\n

Chris: Thank you for your answers! I hope the best for you and for this great release! I’ll review it soon as I did for your project with M. Levin and Rudess.<\/p>\n

Marco: Thank you so much and I\u2019m looking forward to hearing from you soon again.<\/p>\n

Visit Marco Minnemann online: http:\/\/marcominnemann.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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