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Interview with Derek Sherinian - Derek Sherinian
The following is my interview with Derek Sherinian, which due to unfortunate luck took place at the ungodly hour of 3am. None-the-less, this interview was certainly welcome change in my usual routine of sleeping, and I was very happy with the outcome of Derek's answers with regard to all of my questions. After this interview I have come to realise that the man is definitely a very nice man, and it was great to finally speak to a metal head with a sense of humour! Enjoy!
All right lets go - my first question regards the opening track of the album black utopia, which is a collaboration with the infamous guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen, correct?
Yep.
Now, what was the motivation behind the songs title?
The Fury, well there's a little bit of mythology - well with Yngwie there's a lot of mythology that's attached to the legend, and there was an incident where there was an altercation with Yngwie and someone on a flight
Ahh yes
.Where he was recorded saying that he was going to "unleash 'the fury'".
(Laughs)
.And I wanted to write a musical adaptation of that. (Both laughing)
I see - I get it (pause). well that's what I thought. I just wanted to make sure.
I think that's hilarious.
Yeah, I liked that one - that was a good little addition.
Thanks.
Generally speaking, who came up with the song titles - was it the people you collaborated with?
No, I came up with all of them.
All of them?
Yes.
Okay - and I don't know if you're going to be able to answer this but what is your favourite track off the album, and why?
They're all my children, it's hard to like say which one is the best. All of them have been scrutinized over for long periods of time and made the final cut, so I can't answer that.
Could you then answer your LEAST preferred track, or is it the same situation?
It's the same, I mean - everything is there for a reason - every measure, every note, everything was very thought out.
I see.
I have no regrets over any of it
Oh no no, I understand. Ok, Moving on. When listening to the album, I honestly observed that al di meola does not seem as involved as say Steve Lukather or Yngwie - his participation generally speaking feels like a cameo appearance in a movie.
Yes.
Was this intentional?
Well, I had a limited amount of time to work with Al, So I utilized it as much as possible, umm I would have loved to work with him more, but I had a day.
Why was the time so limited?
It was actually a last minute arrangement, and he was leaving to go overseas and there was only one day of opportunity for him to come into the studio.
Ohhh.
.So I'm very grateful for at least getting him on to begin with.
I see.
And the door is open for the future to do more extensive recording and writing with him. Yeah, one of the good things is that I'm building my address book and phone book of all these great musicians, and all of them are willing to come back in the future to play on my stuff, so it just a matter of what combination or what vibe I'm trying to go for. I always know that I'll have the best musicians in the world on my music.
Oh so you intend to do this type of recording again, where you have a cast of musicians come and play with you?
A-absolutely, because I may put out a solo piano record one day, but that's not the kind of keyboard player that - I'm more of an ensemble player. So the beautiful thing about being a solo artist is that you can change your ensemble on record whenever you want.
I really thought it was a good idea with this album, I was sceptical at first but then when I actually heard it I was actually quite pleased with the album
Well, the thing is yoni, is that yeah - the first thing people might get sceptical is think 'oh it's just a bunch of names being thrown out' but the bottom line is, compositionally - the composition is quality, so only having the name just enhances the good composition.
I know, and that's why I think it worked and turned out nicely. Lets, uhh, just with the album I've got it here in front of me. Lets talk about the artwork, I've noticed a juxtaposition of nature with technology which is basically spelt out through the city crossed with these mountains, and then there's the machinery which symbolises the emergence of global industry and all that industrial revolution stuff. Maybe even some religion thrown in with that little angel statue - but I'm not so certain about the skulls and the cylinders and stuff - what can you tell me about that?
Well, umm I was just going for a vibe - I wanted a nice dichotomy of peace and also turmoil.
Peace and turmoil.
The skulls and the angels.
I see ok - well it looks nice - I like it. (Laughs)
You know what I just noticed here for the first time? I'm just looking at the Japanese version of the record and they took out the cross - there's like this evil cross?
Yes yes, I see it up the top. (I had my European version in front of me)
They took that out - I can't believe that! Oh my god!
(Laughs)
The balls on those people!
(Still laughing!)
Holy shit, they took the cross off the front!
Yeah, but what does that mean?
That means that they took it upon themselves thinking that I was making a religious statement and they altered my artwork, which means that's a big fucking problem!
.And you only noticed that now?
I just noticed it as I'm talking to you.
Ahh wow.but what did that cross.
It meant nothing!
It meant nothing?
All it is, is the font, it's the letter 't' in this particular font that I chose and the graphic artist decided to enlarge it and put it in the background, and I said 'ok that looks cool'. It wasn't like I said 'yeah put a cross back there' but I got used to the way it looked in the artwork. And now I can't believe that they took it off!
That is.. that's surprising. That's an interesting turn of events, that's not your average thing, or at least I hope not anyways - well that's the artwork.
But what confuses me a little bit, just a little bit. is that I need to know your intention with the album itself. You've got the name 'black utopia' which conveys a comment on contemporary society, I don't know if you meant that or not.
Yeah, I did a little bit - this record ' black utopia' is a lot darker and heavier than my last cd 'inertia' and I think that's attributed to the fact that the world is a much darker place now?
What do you mean, 'now'?
.And it was about two years ago.
Is that sort of through things like 9/11 and the war on Iraq?
Yeah, absolutely, I think that there's an undercurrent of, you know untrust or you know whatever you want to call it, and I think it's a lot more harder times and I think the music and the cover reflects that.
What about the song titles, I mean I notice that they're quite diverse, you've got, to carry out with the theme of utopia/dystopia you have the oxymoron 'sweet lament' which has Steve Lukather and shows that contrast that you're trying to get out with 'black utopia'.but I don't understand the stuff with . like, what was the inspiration with 'the sons of anu' or 'nightmare cinema'?
That is from Sumerian mythology.
Ok tell me about that?
It's very ancient mythology, anu was the sun god, and I just read this piece of literature on it, and I was fascinated with it, so I just dedicated this trilogy to that.
So it doesn't actually have anything to do with what you were just talking about?
Not at all.
It doesn't, and how about nightmare cinema?
Nightmare cinema is just a cool title.
Yeah, I like it a lot.
And the music is very haunting to me, so I thought it was pretty good. It's also a play on words, ahh it's the antithesis of Dream Theater.
Ahhh, I never noticed that!
Hey, there you go!
That's very nice, (pause) I hope you meant it in a good way?
Oh, absolutely - just a little play on words, and 'Gypsy Moth' - Al Di Meola had a very famous album called 'Elegant Gypsy'. Al Di Meola had a very famous album called 'Elegant Gypsy' so 'Gypsy Moth' is kind of like a take off of that.
Ahh ok - so you have fun with the song names? It's not all serious?
Ohh absolutely - they mean absolutely nothing. I mean if you're writing instrumental music there is no lyric - so how do you name an instrumental song? All I do is either an inside joke, or the song conjures up an image or a cool word or couple of words - and I just try to work it in.
Did the same sort of rules apply when you were writing stuff for planet x and your other solo material? Was it also this 'inner joke'?
Absolutely - a lot of it is I'm making a mockery - 'the sons of anu' even though I was fascinated by the uhh.the literature, if you look at the subtitles of the sons of anu, like 'for the glory of enki' 'of the ashes of ur' it's like I'm making a mockery of progressive rock in general, because a lot of progressive bands take the lyrics seriously. In the lyrics, it always comes out very pompous (laughs) I'm just mocking it.
And again, has this got anything to do with the fact that Yngwie played on that song, because he's characterized for having these 'fantastic' songs with wizards and that sort of stuff.
No.well, so is Al Di Meola, he's always had the pompous titles, so I'm just kind of mocking them in a lovingly way.
Oh ok - ok I can appreciate that.
Yeah, it's all out of fun
Yeah, Ok- lets move on. Your sound on 'black utopia' is tremendously different from your latest release with planet x which was 'moonbabies' as you no doubt recall. However, I thought track 5 'starcycle' which is off 'black utopia' is mildly reminiscent of the planet x style - just a little bit. But as you said, black utopia is a lot heavier and its obviously focussed on guitars as well.
With that in mind, was it much of an issue to provide a diversity on this album. By that I mean, did you feel you had to avoid your planet x roots in order to appease your fans with your new solo material.
No, absolutely not - Planet X is a democracy with Virgil Donati, Tony Macalpine and myself and my solo records is a total dictatorship. So this is an opportunity for me to really tap into my roots and have it exactly how I want, and I wouldn't be able to express myself that way in planet x
Because it's a democracy?
Because it's a democracy, and frankly, my two partners just don't have the metal roots that I do.
(Pause) oh I see.
So I'm honouring those roots in my solo stuff.
So in black utopia, during the recording process - it was also a dictatorship as you said. So the other musicians did not have a say in how the music turned out?
No but I allocated, I utilized everyone's talents accordingly, and I didn't dictate to them every note to play. I know what all of these great musicians are capable of, and all I tried to do was create the ultimate backdrop, so they could come In and create and be as artistically as expressed as possible while playing in the context of the backdrop. And that's where the artistry comes in, that's what I want people to focus on, the way that I created a backdrop for all of these different artists that are at the top of their field yet created a common red thread throughout the album. That's where the brilliance needs to be looked at.
But with that in mind, what was your influence for choice of guitarist. I mean we're talking about a very diverse range I mean Di Meola with Malmsteen; these are very different styles of playing.
That's right, but there is a correlation between the two. Two things, One, they're both based off of a shredding pick technique - and two, they both play a lot in the Phrygian and harmonic minor modes if you listen modally to their music.
Yngwie was influenced by Di Meola at one point, there's another link there also, so what I did with the sons of anu, is the best of neoclassical, and the best in jazz/rock fusion and made the two worlds collide in an eloquent way.
I can sort of picture that around the forth minute of the song.
It happens right precisely where they're playing the figure, with the nylon string, then there's the sound effect and then it goes into metal mode.
Yeah that's the part that really caught me.
That's the morph, that's the link - and that's why the magazines are calling 'Black Utopia' the crossroads of progressive rock, heavy metal and jazz fusion because I've boiled the three genres down to an essence, with the forefathers of each genre and melded it in a way to create my own sound which I call 'metal fusion'
.And this is your own sound 'metal fusion'
Yes.
It all sounds so formal though, was this process of boiling the genres down to a single component, was the process that formal in a sense.
Yeah.
Ok - you made it sound very simple that's all.
No - I'm just able to articulate it, but creatively that's precisely what I did, I'm just drawing on all of the stuff that influenced me when I was younger and still influences me today and just made my own fusion of it.
Just going back to that, what influenced you when you were younger?
Well, I used to like Ozzy with Randy Rhodes and Van Halen, for the metal. And black Sabbath, but then also I liked Al De Meola, Jeff Beck, Allan Holdsworth and there was a whole fusion side that I liked as well, and I always thought it would be wonderful to take the power of heavy metal in the guitars and mix it with the precision and harmony of jazz fusion. And that's what my sound is.
I like the sound - I think, I'm not just speaking for myself here I think a lot of people are into it.
Oh, thankyou - but it's really true and I think one of the reasons why people around the world are responding so positively to my album is that they're made out of total integrity. I'm not trying to like guess what nineteen year old kids want to listen to, or make commercial albums - I'm totally true to my music. And I don't spare any expense as far as getting the talent as far as getting to be true to my musical visions. I put everything into my records, and I think people sense that
I think they do, I think that is why your popularity spans, not just your popularity I'm talking about Planet X as well. I mean it spans more than just the US - I think it's going round the world I think it's going like wildfire.
(Laughs)
But lets continue, what kind of chemistry was there with each musician you recorded with? I mean, again the ultimate contrast you know we'll take Yngwie with Steve Lukather, these are two very different guitarists. But there must have been different vibes when you were playing with the two.
Absolutely, well I have the ultimate respect for each person that I asked to play on my record or else they wouldn't be playing on the record in the first place. So I'm in awe, I'm a fan as well as producer and keyboard player when I'm in these guys' presence. So I really try to make them feel as comfortable as possible in the studio to get the best performances out of them. What was really awesome about all of them, even though all of them have different personalities and ways of doing things is that they all really gave their all for this record, and treated it as though it were something special. And the cool thing is that all of these famous players don't need to play on a Derek Sherinian record to further their careers, they're all legends in their own right. I'm just honoured that they believed in me and my music enough to participate.
Mmm cool - I especially understand the part about them being famous and not having to establish themselves by playing on your record.
Yeah.
And how was the album received by your friends and immediate family?
Oh, everyone loved it! Even my parents listen to it!
And I'm assuming they don't really listen to this sort of music
No they don't, but they're learning to get past the heavy guitars
(Both laughs)
I think that's pretty universal with parents - even my parents are like that, but forget about them!
Umm - how about touring plans, what's happening there?
Doing two weeks in the U.S starting in June, and my label InsideOut who have been great to me have been trying to figure out a way to figure out a way for me to do this fall in Europe.
And how about Australia.?
(My Dictaphone tape cut out here because I was at the end of one side - as I turned the tape over Derek mentioned that he was attempting to coordinate something with his label in Australia)
.I'm trying; I really am trying, just know that.
That's good - I wouldn't mind coming to see you.
Oh cool
.But, with this album, you're touring with regards to this album.
And also my solo's, I'll be playing off my three solo albums
I see, but who would the lineup be, considering the vast.
It's Tony Macalpine of guitars, Jonathon mover from Joe Satriani on drums, and bassist Phillip Vino from Steve Vai's band on bass.
Oh ok, so even though Simon Phillips played on all the tracks on 'black utopia' you wouldn't take him on tour with you?
Oh I'd love to take him, but Simon you have to understand is one of the most in demand drummers in the world and his availability is very scarce. I'm lucky to get him in the studio.
Well I think he did a very good job on this album.I really liked.
Oh, Simon is amazing, he's the most amazing musician I've ever worked with.
Why's that?
Just because he can do it all, he can do anything technically and he does everything with the best feel and he gets the best sound and he has every angle covered, he's more together than anyone I've ever worked with, and I've worked with some of the best musicians in the world. Musicians on every instrument and I'm telling you, he's the most pro.
Cool! What a nice thing to say about someone - and there are a lot of good drummers out there, I mean we're talking about the prog scene here.
Out of great musicians, I'm telling you he's a pro out of every musician period
Because he's a mature player?
Everything about him makes him just you know .
Well you got him in the studio and he did a great job on the album. I must say, and I must say I was surprised at that. When I saw the line-up, again with Simon Phillips and then I'm thinking of Toto, and I'm thinking 'this is kind of strange' you've got this kind of a. not 'traditional' sound, not in any sense traditional, but it's certainly different to the planet x sound and your other solo material, so I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
Oh cool.
And I'm sure a lot of people were as a matter of fact.
Now I'd just like to know one last thing about the ending of the album, and I'm very curious with your answer because this often happens with many other people. The closing track is the song 'black utopia' which is the title of the album itself, but I'd like to know.the last track is 8:50, but the actual music stops at seven minutes? Seven and a half minutes or something like that -
Yeah.
.And you leave the track rolling with nothing but silence, but correct me if I'm wrong, and I've tried to listen to this a thousand times. Is the last thing that's heard on the album, the sound of someone with a bong?
Actually, it's an aboriginal water flute.
Okay - I didn't see that coming. It really sounded like a bong.
(Laughs)
No, that is a water bong - in fact yes - and you can hear that same bong in 'stony days' if you listen closely.
And what was the motivation to put..
I just enjoyed the sound of it, I think it has a unique sound and I just wanted to capture it on the record
I have to tell you, when I first heard the album in that last sort of minute and a half of silence I had the volume turned really loud because I thought there was some kind of underlying percussion or keyboard track going on. But when that sound came up I really got the fright of my life!
That's cool because you let the record go when you're in the other room and then so that it doesn't stop, but then a minute and a half later this bong sound comes up and it's like 'holy shit what was that?'
(Laughs) exactly - I really got the fright of my life!
That's cool.
Umm, ok well that's the end of my questions - is there anything you'd like to..
I'd just like that say one thing that there is mp3 samples of 'black utopia' on my website dereksherinian.com - also stay tuned there for tour updates.
Tour updates.
Yeah.
Unreal, unbelievable.
Are you based in Australia -?
The website I am part of is based in Denmark, but I myself live in Australia.
Oh, ok - Cool!
Anything you want to say to the fans, anything like that?
Just, I really - it's been a long time since I've toured in Europe or Australia or anything outside the U.S and I'm really anxious to come out and play for you.
Excellent, Derek - thank you very much for this interview opportunity.
Thankyou Yoni - I appreciate your time. Thanks for taking the time to speak with me.
Thanks very much man.
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Written by Yoni - 5/14/2003 |
This article has been shown 8626 times. Go to the complete list.
RevelationZ Comments
| Comment by Daniel (Anonymous) - Thursday, May 15, 2003 | Awesome interview, he sounds like a really cool guy and not a stuck up virtuoso, great stuff yoni :)
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| Comment by iben (Anonymous) - Thursday, May 15, 2003 | hey guys. I really don't know that guy you're talking about.. He looks so cute and nice. Take care.
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| Comment by candais (Anonymous) - Monday, August 11, 2003 | great interview but when is derek coming back to canada? if he is, when is he coming back to kelowna bc
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| Comment by ultimatebet (Anonymous) - Tuesday, December 20, 2005 | That's a good one :)
ultimatebet
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| Comment by partypoker (Anonymous) - Monday, January 9, 2006 | That's a good one :)
partypoker
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| Comment by Tony (Member) - Friday, January 2, 2009 | 
View Profile
Comments: 1
Ratings: 0 | | Beware of the sleestaks
Posted by Tony
Friday, January 2, 2009 |
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