Mattias Ia Eklundh
INTERVIEW
Is it true some people have not returned from the dark woods at Freak Camp?
IA: Certainly! Usually from wandering the Swedish wilderness in the
night… One year a bunch of campers swore they saw a UFO behind some
tree taking off. The next morning we were missing a few guys but the
show must go on, so… The Freak Guitar Camp stop at nothing.
Whats exiting about the next 2011 Camp? and apart form devil worship
and naked stuff, what else goes on deep in the freaky swedish woodland
(at the freak camp)
IA: Pretty much everything at the same time. We sink our teeth into so
many things at once it is ridiculous but also tons of fun. The mental
breakdown is part of the overall process of becoming a better player.
Cool guest teachers will of course also pop up in the woods.
Now I sound like were in court and I'm prosecuting, So mattias is it true there's no sleeping at freakcamp and you rotate
teaching until someone goes psycotic and then its a success?
But seriose give us a quick insite into what you give in your part
of the freak camp ?
IA: I teach like a mad person all day long from morning until
afternoon, with coffee and food breaks. Then my trusty side-kick
Christian Alsing (or guest teacher) take over in the night so I can
get a few hours of mad professor rest at my house. That’s it. Nothing
fancy but pretty damn rewarding if you really decide to go for it.
Check www.freakguitar.com for more information.
I own laney amplification becuse of you and for that I thanks you,
I have seen you use some real crazy ass junk for amps like in NAMM
showstalls or stall workshops and still get cool noises , are you still a
laney supporter and whats your worst amp, you like lol
IA: I am very much a Laney man, a 100% in fact Been playing their
lovely amps and cabs since 1996 and there is no way back. The tone,
the output, it’s a marvelous thing. I adore the GH100/50L and straight
GS cabs but also play the Lionheart, the VH100R live with Freak
Kitchen, the VC15 and many more. Great gear indeed! Happy you’re
playing it.
I've seen you with sex toys (for noise making through guitar
pickups) , in fact you've inspired alot of my kids toys to go walkies
lol whats the deal?, if it makes noise use it, how did you come up
with this idea ?? give us some easy noise making gagets?
IA: Anything with a motor built in will sound through your pickups.
The thing is, even if you use the most stupid and corny devices in
your music, it has to contribute some kind of musical point, otherwise
it is simply wanking. Wanking is fun for a while, but…
Ive seen the lesson that was in guitar techniques on harmonics and
lydian dominant scale up the strings in harmonics (if you can tap them
out) then seen it in a bunch of other mags and vids on it too , I bet
you get alot of harmonics questions , so I'll ask you a harmonic
question , do you
think you could get a harmonic from a piano , if the lid was open ?
IA: Of course! Any string instrument will produce harmonics. You just
need to plug that Steinway into a Laney.
I do love the way you write songs , I must confess I find lyrics
can be a necceserry evil between the riff and the solo but your tunes
are so
cool and describe stuff your doing and so really is that how you write mostly?
IA: I try to say something when I open my mouth. I have to live with
my tunes for the rest of my life and need to fill them with at least a
bit serious stuff, if somewhat twisted and sung in a cheeky way. There
is no formula when I write music, it can go any way. I might jerk
around with a hi-hat rhythm or have a title, a melody, a riff, nothing
at all and take it from there. You never know.
There are not a huge amount of guys that can pull off both comedy
and music , Zappa comes to mind , do you ever try to write moody
depressing stuff lol, do you find being seriose a drag? what are you
very seriose about ?
IA: I am deadly serious about my music, rest assure. But you can have
fun and entertain yourself and your audience while having a good time.
Comedians are usually the most serious human beings out there.
Ok endorse a couple of young players who you have on your mind at
the moment be it from freak camp or youtube, make their day ..
IA: Oh, I suck at this but do await, together with my collegues around
the world, for the next big thing to happen. The new guy/gal to kick
our collective butts. There are many, many gifted players out there
but it is so hard for them to get themselves heard today in the global
information overkill. We’re waiting to be floored. We are.
You have to stay in a hotel room for the deparment of corrections
for a few weeks and you can bring a guitar and some stuff to enjoy ,
what do you bring 1. for guitar study (vhs , dvd , and book) 2 for
playing guitar as well as the actual guitar (to make it fun-ner)
IA: I would bring my Apple Horn Yellow with True Temperament frets and
my laptop to write music and record. Would have no problem staying in
a hotel room for bunch of weeks to compose my butt off. Some strong
caffeine on the side would help.
Ok , you have just won a million dollars in music vouchers (non
refundable) , whats the first thing you buy? and what else ?
IA: Hmm… Don’t really need anything besides what I already got in
terms of guitars and amps and studio gear. Perhaps I’d buy a really
expensive mixing console, sell it and give the money away to
Greenpeace. (Can I do that?)
You can do anything you want LOL , We reviewed some awesome stuff of yours grow your own mostache :)).
Will there be any interesting DVDs and/or tutional stuff from you in
the near future mabey with the very cool rock house method?
IA: You bet your ass! I am on a plane right now, vividly planning a
series of DVDs I am making for Rock House Method later this year. Hope
it will turn into a book as well. Stay tuned!
You have a exellent vibe and fun manner and you seem to enjoy
life, what your secret ? how do you keep postive and a healthy
ballance ?
IA: What a splendid question! You are very right, I do enjoy life a
great deal and take good care of it. My family, friends, audience and
my music is everything to me. I am 41 years old and when you’ve
reached my age you refine life in a tiptop way. You know very much
what will get you into trouble, what is not worth wasting time and
energy on and focus real hard on the important things: the above. I
adore doing what I am doing and feel like I’ve merely scratched the
surface of things to come. Never thought it was more fun to play
guitar, to compose and record my zany tunes. I am most grateful for
this.
- Your music is so very rythmic , is there a really drummer inside you, but without the drooling ??
IA: Very much so. I play drums a lot more than I play guitar, I must
confess. Bjorn (Freak Kitchen drummer) left one of his magnificent
kits in my brand new studio, much better than my own drum kit, and I
can’t help but playing everyday, mostly beats to my Freak Guitar – The
Smorgasbord album. If you ain’t got that swing…
- Putting the comedy aside your music is awesome and guitar
solo's cooler than an eskimo's eyeball, you must take your music very
seriose, "Sick Death By Hypochondria" and "Honey your a nazi has
really deep message" under the humour you are deep dude
IA: Yeah, I do think that bringing difficult topics into your music is
important. I sing about things that concern me in one way or the
other.
whats the pro's and cons of the digital revolution , lots of
music and lost or piracy???
IA: Hard to say. The internet has certainly helped me in many, many
ways. I am old fashioned: I still buy products, CDs and movies and
books. Of course I want to get paid for what I do but also want people
to hear it so it is tricky business, piracy, Spotify, Wimp, e t c.
Of all guitar techniques , whats the most fun? whats the second
most fun? whats most essential and whats pure endugence ?
IA: I don’t really think of playing in various techniques, I have to
admit. I blend everything together in a big mess and simply do my
thing. A technique is there for you to use to make the music inside of
you come out the way you want it to.
John asks
Do you use any partucular hair products?
IA: Yes, organic shampoo and conditioner. I will ask my wife about the
brands. We have a river where we can swim in the backyard and during
summer I never shower but wash my dirty self off there. In order not
to kill everything living, I am vegetarian, we try not to pollute the
environment too much. Swedish hair I have indeed as the pagan I am.
James says
ask him what the weirdest thing he's used as a pick
IA: A bull’s penis… (See the Freak Kitchen YouTube channel, Taste my
Fist and Chopstick Boogie). Hard one to beat.
Alex erhsam asks
What do you do when you are off the guitar & touring ? Like Movies,
drinking, family, producing artists, books, ?
IA: I read, often several books at the same time, work with our house,
my studio, our garden and forest, hang out with my family (my favorite
activity), watch movies with Mrs. Eklundh, meet friends. The usual
stuff, I think.
Also he asked How much "Frank Zappa influenced" are you, in music & in life ?
IA: Loads! Once I got into Frank Zappa’s music at the age of 11, there
was no turning back.
Keith asks !!!
Can you ask him what gave him the idea of doing the acoustic cover of
Detroit Rock City? What a great freaking version!
IA: Thank you, Keith. If you do a cover of a famous tune, you need to
put your own moustache on it, or leave it be. I am huge Django
Reinhardt fan and always get in joyful mood when listening to gypsy
jazz, so… Glad you like it.
Adam Moore (who say's your a great chap) asks
You could ask him what particular songs have moved him the most
IA: I think the main theme from the movie Shine is brilliant, Outrage
at Valdez by Frank Zappa, anything with Howard Shore and lots more.
Music can certainly bring tears to my eyes in a split second.
say the first work that comes to you only 1 word to my one word ,
first thing you think ;))
Dog- IA: Buddy
tougue- IA: Wife
plectrum- IA: Good
pickup- IA: Better
strings- IA: Splendid
G-strings- IA: Harmonics
whales- IA: Overtones
gargle- IA: Pro
warble: Manure
wall- IA: Floyd
floyd- IA: Schaller
balls- IA: Accept
metal- IA: Aluminum
jingle- IA: No
santa- : Dean Martin
satan-: Polanski
handbag- IA: Heavy
ballbag- IA: Hernia
hole- IA: Kurt
black- IA: Pants
crack- IA: Caramba
pipe- IA: Dad
bang- IA: Biggus
dirty- IA: Patrick
dancing- IA: Swayze
dancers- IA: Copenhagen
fancy- IA: Nah
gaybar- IA: Copehagen
sausage- IA: Veggie
bulldog- IA: Chew
prison- IA: Break
hospital- IA: Help
disease- IA: Vaccine
ease- IA: Woods
relax- IA: Home
polltax- IA: Riot
axe- IA: Hernia
amps- IA: Laney
strings- IA: DR
picks- IA: Dunlop
pickups- IA: Caparison
rope- IA: The Tubes
tape- IA: Copehagen
shovel- IA: Summer
bombelt IA: Lybia
Biblebelt IA: Utah
Is it true some people have not returned from the dark woods at Freak Camp?
IA: Certainly! Usually from wandering the Swedish wilderness in the
night… One year a bunch of campers swore they saw a UFO behind some
tree taking off. The next morning we were missing a few guys but the
show must go on, so… The Freak Guitar Camp stop at nothing.
Whats exiting about the next 2011 Camp? and apart form devil worship
and naked stuff, what else goes on deep in the freaky swedish woodland
(at the freak camp)
IA: Pretty much everything at the same time. We sink our teeth into so
many things at once it is ridiculous but also tons of fun. The mental
breakdown is part of the overall process of becoming a better player.
Cool guest teachers will of course also pop up in the woods.
Now I sound like were in court and I'm prosecuting, So mattias is it true there's no sleeping at freakcamp and you rotate
teaching until someone goes psycotic and then its a success?
But seriose give us a quick insite into what you give in your part
of the freak camp ?
IA: I teach like a mad person all day long from morning until
afternoon, with coffee and food breaks. Then my trusty side-kick
Christian Alsing (or guest teacher) take over in the night so I can
get a few hours of mad professor rest at my house. That’s it. Nothing
fancy but pretty damn rewarding if you really decide to go for it.
Check www.freakguitar.com for more information.
I own laney amplification becuse of you and for that I thanks you,
I have seen you use some real crazy ass junk for amps like in NAMM
showstalls or stall workshops and still get cool noises , are you still a
laney supporter and whats your worst amp, you like lol
IA: I am very much a Laney man, a 100% in fact Been playing their
lovely amps and cabs since 1996 and there is no way back. The tone,
the output, it’s a marvelous thing. I adore the GH100/50L and straight
GS cabs but also play the Lionheart, the VH100R live with Freak
Kitchen, the VC15 and many more. Great gear indeed! Happy you’re
playing it.
I've seen you with sex toys (for noise making through guitar
pickups) , in fact you've inspired alot of my kids toys to go walkies
lol whats the deal?, if it makes noise use it, how did you come up
with this idea ?? give us some easy noise making gagets?
IA: Anything with a motor built in will sound through your pickups.
The thing is, even if you use the most stupid and corny devices in
your music, it has to contribute some kind of musical point, otherwise
it is simply wanking. Wanking is fun for a while, but…
Ive seen the lesson that was in guitar techniques on harmonics and
lydian dominant scale up the strings in harmonics (if you can tap them
out) then seen it in a bunch of other mags and vids on it too , I bet
you get alot of harmonics questions , so I'll ask you a harmonic
question , do you
think you could get a harmonic from a piano , if the lid was open ?
IA: Of course! Any string instrument will produce harmonics. You just
need to plug that Steinway into a Laney.
I do love the way you write songs , I must confess I find lyrics
can be a necceserry evil between the riff and the solo but your tunes
are so
cool and describe stuff your doing and so really is that how you write mostly?
IA: I try to say something when I open my mouth. I have to live with
my tunes for the rest of my life and need to fill them with at least a
bit serious stuff, if somewhat twisted and sung in a cheeky way. There
is no formula when I write music, it can go any way. I might jerk
around with a hi-hat rhythm or have a title, a melody, a riff, nothing
at all and take it from there. You never know.
There are not a huge amount of guys that can pull off both comedy
and music , Zappa comes to mind , do you ever try to write moody
depressing stuff lol, do you find being seriose a drag? what are you
very seriose about ?
IA: I am deadly serious about my music, rest assure. But you can have
fun and entertain yourself and your audience while having a good time.
Comedians are usually the most serious human beings out there.
Ok endorse a couple of young players who you have on your mind at
the moment be it from freak camp or youtube, make their day ..
IA: Oh, I suck at this but do await, together with my collegues around
the world, for the next big thing to happen. The new guy/gal to kick
our collective butts. There are many, many gifted players out there
but it is so hard for them to get themselves heard today in the global
information overkill. We’re waiting to be floored. We are.
You have to stay in a hotel room for the deparment of corrections
for a few weeks and you can bring a guitar and some stuff to enjoy ,
what do you bring 1. for guitar study (vhs , dvd , and book) 2 for
playing guitar as well as the actual guitar (to make it fun-ner)
IA: I would bring my Apple Horn Yellow with True Temperament frets and
my laptop to write music and record. Would have no problem staying in
a hotel room for bunch of weeks to compose my butt off. Some strong
caffeine on the side would help.
Ok , you have just won a million dollars in music vouchers (non
refundable) , whats the first thing you buy? and what else ?
IA: Hmm… Don’t really need anything besides what I already got in
terms of guitars and amps and studio gear. Perhaps I’d buy a really
expensive mixing console, sell it and give the money away to
Greenpeace. (Can I do that?)
You can do anything you want LOL , We reviewed some awesome stuff of yours grow your own mostache :)).
Will there be any interesting DVDs and/or tutional stuff from you in
the near future mabey with the very cool rock house method?
IA: You bet your ass! I am on a plane right now, vividly planning a
series of DVDs I am making for Rock House Method later this year. Hope
it will turn into a book as well. Stay tuned!
You have a exellent vibe and fun manner and you seem to enjoy
life, what your secret ? how do you keep postive and a healthy
ballance ?
IA: What a splendid question! You are very right, I do enjoy life a
great deal and take good care of it. My family, friends, audience and
my music is everything to me. I am 41 years old and when you’ve
reached my age you refine life in a tiptop way. You know very much
what will get you into trouble, what is not worth wasting time and
energy on and focus real hard on the important things: the above. I
adore doing what I am doing and feel like I’ve merely scratched the
surface of things to come. Never thought it was more fun to play
guitar, to compose and record my zany tunes. I am most grateful for
this.
- Your music is so very rythmic , is there a really drummer inside you, but without the drooling ??
IA: Very much so. I play drums a lot more than I play guitar, I must
confess. Bjorn (Freak Kitchen drummer) left one of his magnificent
kits in my brand new studio, much better than my own drum kit, and I
can’t help but playing everyday, mostly beats to my Freak Guitar – The
Smorgasbord album. If you ain’t got that swing…
- Putting the comedy aside your music is awesome and guitar
solo's cooler than an eskimo's eyeball, you must take your music very
seriose, "Sick Death By Hypochondria" and "Honey your a nazi has
really deep message" under the humour you are deep dude
IA: Yeah, I do think that bringing difficult topics into your music is
important. I sing about things that concern me in one way or the
other.
whats the pro's and cons of the digital revolution , lots of
music and lost or piracy???
IA: Hard to say. The internet has certainly helped me in many, many
ways. I am old fashioned: I still buy products, CDs and movies and
books. Of course I want to get paid for what I do but also want people
to hear it so it is tricky business, piracy, Spotify, Wimp, e t c.
Of all guitar techniques , whats the most fun? whats the second
most fun? whats most essential and whats pure endugence ?
IA: I don’t really think of playing in various techniques, I have to
admit. I blend everything together in a big mess and simply do my
thing. A technique is there for you to use to make the music inside of
you come out the way you want it to.
John asks
Do you use any partucular hair products?
IA: Yes, organic shampoo and conditioner. I will ask my wife about the
brands. We have a river where we can swim in the backyard and during
summer I never shower but wash my dirty self off there. In order not
to kill everything living, I am vegetarian, we try not to pollute the
environment too much. Swedish hair I have indeed as the pagan I am.
James says
ask him what the weirdest thing he's used as a pick
IA: A bull’s penis… (See the Freak Kitchen YouTube channel, Taste my
Fist and Chopstick Boogie). Hard one to beat.
Alex erhsam asks
What do you do when you are off the guitar & touring ? Like Movies,
drinking, family, producing artists, books, ?
IA: I read, often several books at the same time, work with our house,
my studio, our garden and forest, hang out with my family (my favorite
activity), watch movies with Mrs. Eklundh, meet friends. The usual
stuff, I think.
Also he asked How much "Frank Zappa influenced" are you, in music & in life ?
IA: Loads! Once I got into Frank Zappa’s music at the age of 11, there
was no turning back.
Keith asks !!!
Can you ask him what gave him the idea of doing the acoustic cover of
Detroit Rock City? What a great freaking version!
IA: Thank you, Keith. If you do a cover of a famous tune, you need to
put your own moustache on it, or leave it be. I am huge Django
Reinhardt fan and always get in joyful mood when listening to gypsy
jazz, so… Glad you like it.
Adam Moore (who say's your a great chap) asks
You could ask him what particular songs have moved him the most
IA: I think the main theme from the movie Shine is brilliant, Outrage
at Valdez by Frank Zappa, anything with Howard Shore and lots more.
Music can certainly bring tears to my eyes in a split second.
say the first work that comes to you only 1 word to my one word ,
first thing you think ;))
Dog- IA: Buddy
tougue- IA: Wife
plectrum- IA: Good
pickup- IA: Better
strings- IA: Splendid
G-strings- IA: Harmonics
whales- IA: Overtones
gargle- IA: Pro
warble: Manure
wall- IA: Floyd
floyd- IA: Schaller
balls- IA: Accept
metal- IA: Aluminum
jingle- IA: No
santa- : Dean Martin
satan-: Polanski
handbag- IA: Heavy
ballbag- IA: Hernia
hole- IA: Kurt
black- IA: Pants
crack- IA: Caramba
pipe- IA: Dad
bang- IA: Biggus
dirty- IA: Patrick
dancing- IA: Swayze
dancers- IA: Copenhagen
fancy- IA: Nah
gaybar- IA: Copehagen
sausage- IA: Veggie
bulldog- IA: Chew
prison- IA: Break
hospital- IA: Help
disease- IA: Vaccine
ease- IA: Woods
relax- IA: Home
polltax- IA: Riot
axe- IA: Hernia
amps- IA: Laney
strings- IA: DR
picks- IA: Dunlop
pickups- IA: Caparison
rope- IA: The Tubes
tape- IA: Copehagen
shovel- IA: Summer
bombelt IA: Lybia
Biblebelt IA: Utah