Tristan Klein

Tristan Klein - Universal Mojo - 2010 - Grooveyard Records

IF EVER THERE WAS A TITLE OF A RECORD THAT ENCAPSULATED ALL THAT IS CONTAINED WITHIN IT, TRISTAN KLEIN'S UNIVERSAL MOJO IS IT. EVERY SOUND EMANATING FROM THIS DEEP FORAY INTO THE TRANSCENDENTAL HEADSPACE OF WHAT I'LL CALL THE "KLEINMIND" IS DELICIOUSLY DIVERSE.. SPELLBINDING.. JOYFUL.. SATURATED WITH A "TAKE NO PRISONERS" INTENSITY. MR. KLEIN PROVES FLUENT IN EVERY CONCEIVABLE MUSICAL FORM, EFFORTLESSLY FLOWING BETWEEN AND THROUGH THEM WITH THE SKILL OF A SURGEON AND DEADLY AS A SNIPER. SLICING UP TIME SIGNATURES LIKE A SONIC CHEF, HE TRANSITIONS BETWEEN EMOTIONALLY HEARTFELT, LIGHT TOUCH SUBTLETY TO FRET MELTING, RAW NERVE BUNKER-BUSTER RIFFS LIKE A TRAPEZE ARTIST, MAKING DIFFICULT MOVES SEEM EFFORTLESS. "UNIVERSAL MOJO" LAYS TO REST THE IDEA THAT A GUITAR INSTRUMENTAL RECORD CAN'T KEEP IT INTERESTING OVER AN ALBUM'S WORTH OF TUNEAGE. WHETHER DISPLAYING INCREDIBLY VOCALLY-INFLECTED AND ORGANIC WAH WORK IN "ALLIGATOR" AND "SOLID GROUND" OR A HEARTFELT AND RESTRAINED INTERPRETATION OF THE CLASSIC "GEORGIA", A TOTAL CONTROL OF THE GUITAR IS ON DISPLAY. "DARK SIDE" GOES FROM A BARELY AUDIBLE HYPER-ARTICULATED DEFTNESS TO NITRO-JAKED FULL AUTO SHREDIFICATION - ALL WITHIN ONE SOLO SECTION! "NOT DEAD YET" IS AN EMOTIONALLY-CHARGED BLUESY "DEAD STOP TO FASTER-THAN-LIGHT VELOCITIES WITHIN THE SAME BREATH" GEM THAT IS THE MOST INTENSE 2:46 EVER COMMITTED TO THE DIGITAL DOMAIN. YOU'LL BE SHAKING YOUR HEAD AND HITTING THE REPEAT BUTTON TO CONFIRM TO YOURSELF THAT YOU ACTUALLY DID HEAR WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU HEARD. YIKES! "GREEN ZONE" SPORTS A FUNKED UP 12-BAR WITH A SING-A-LONG MAIN RIFF WITH BROTHER KLEIN LEAPING 12 BARS IN A SINGLE BOUND - LIKE A SONIC SUPERMAN - IN AN INSIDE/OUTSIDE RIFF ROMP THAT MIXES RECKLESS ABANDON WITH SWISS WATCH PRECISION. "SHADES OF BLUE", AN ARTFULLY RESTRAINED BLUES SPORTING A FABULOUSLY BEAUTIFUL PROGRESSION, PACKS AN UNDERSTATED YET DEVASTATING EMOTIONAL WALLOP. VICIOUS GROOVES LIKE "SOLID GROUND" AND "RETRO VOODOO FUNK EXPRESS" GREASE THE RAILS OF HYPER HIPNESS, THE LATER FEATURING THE ALWAYS GRISTLICIOUS GREG KOCH TRADING "HAPPYHAPPYJOYJOY" TEETER TOTTER RIFFS WITH TRISTAN. THE SOLO SECTION IS SO MUCH FUN TO LISTEN TO I MADE IT MY RINGTONE. NO KIDDING. ON "MOJO", THE GREAT CRAIG ERICKSON AND TRISTAN TRADEOFF IN A SOLO SECTION THAT IS SORT OF LIKE A MUSICAL VERSION OF ICE DANCING - PRECISE, ATHLETIC, MOVING AT BREAKNECK SPEED - BOTH BEAUTIFUL TO BEHOLD AND DANGEROUS TO PERFORM. "BLUES FOR J.M." FEATURES FELLOW FRET SLINGER J.M. KAJDAN RIDING THE WIRE WITH TRISTAN IN AN OCTIFIED, WAHED-UP JAZZY BLUES FUSION, FEATURING AN OSCAR-LEVEL ARRANGEMENT WITH "MATURE" CHORDS SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT. THIS ONE MAINTAINS THE COOL FACTOR SQUARED. AN "EXTRA SPECIAL CREDIT" IS DUE TO EACH OF THESE PLAYERS - IT'S RARE THAT THE BACKGROUND COMP WORK IS AS INTERESTING AS THE BREATHTAKING "CLASH OF THE TITANS" SOLO EXCURSIONS THEMSELVES. KUDOS, BOYS! "GRATITUDE" CLOSES THE SET WITH A PLEADING MELODY, AS IF TO GIVE THANKS TO THE GODS, THEN RIPS THE ROOF OFF WITH A DAZZLING DISPLAY OF POWER-SOAKED SQUEEZED-OUT SMOKING BLUES SHRED - BY THE WAY, THE "KLEINMIND" PROVES THAT SHRED AIN'T DEAD - IF IT'S DONE RIGHT (AND HE DOES).. AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK IT'S OVER, A BONUS HIDDEN BLUESY GROOVE COMES INTO PLAY.. WITH TRISTAN AND HIS GUESTS PULLING OUT ALL THE STOPS AND JOYFULLY INDULGING IN SOME PRETTY MANIC IMPROVISATIONS. THE ART OF THE JAM IS ALIVE AND WELL. A WIDE AND TRANSPARENT MASTERING JOB BY NONE OTHER THAN THE GREAT TY TABOR (KING'S X, PLATYPUS, JELLY JAM) PUTS A RICH SONIC SHEEN ON THIS PRISTINELY RECORDED AND FLAWLESSLY EXECUTED MUSICAL DOCUMENT. WHAT DIRECTION IS TRISTAN HEADED IN? WELL, AFTER MULTIPLE LISTENINGS, IN A MUCH MORE MUSICAL DIRECTION THAN MOST OF TODAY'S TALENTED (YET CRIMINALLY OVERHYPED) PLAYERS WHO ARENT QUALIFIED TO CHANGE MR. KLEIN'S STRINGS. HE EMBODIES A NEW BREED OF GUITAR HERO FOR THIS MILLENNIUM, RISING FROM THE LANDSCAPES CREATED BY INFLUENTIAL PEERS INTO A NEW MUSICAL WORLD OF HIS OWN MAKING. THE HARMONIC SOPHISTICATION AND VIRTUOSIC CHOPS OF CATS LIKE MICHAEL LANDAU, STEVE LUKATHER, SCOTT HENDERSON AND THE LATE GREAT SHAWN LANE COME TO MIND, BUT I MENTION THESE PLAYERS AS REFERENCE BEACONS ONLY. TRISTAN IS HIS OWN ALPHA AND OMEGA. UNIVERSAL MOJO IS AN AWE-INSPIRING DISPLAY OF COMPOSITIONAL ADVENTURISM AND TRANSCENDENT IMPROVISATION, EXPANDING THE MUSICAL VOCABULARY OF THOSE GREATS THAT CAME BEFORE HIM.. AND IN THE PROCESS TAKING THE GENRE OF INSTRUMENTAL GUITAR TO AN ENTIRELY NEW LEVEL. THIS COMPREHENSIVE MUSICAL VISION, COMPOSED, ARRANGED AND ALL INSTRUMENTS PLAYED BY THE MAN HIMSELF, IS AN ESSENTIAL GUITAR DOCUMENT THAT SHOULD BE "REQUIRED LISTENING." TRISTAN KLEIN IS THE WHOLE PACKAGE, AND THEN SOME. THIS CD IS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.  - JIMMY RYAN (TRUTH SQUAD) (FEBRUARY 2010)

TRISTAN KLEIN'S NO-NONSENSE NON-VOCAL CD IS FULL OF GUITAR CHOPS AND FUNKY GROOVES THAT SERVE TO REDEFINE INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC WITH A BLUESY EDGE. IRONICALLY, THE CD IS LYRICAL, TOO, THOUGH NO LYRICS REVERBERATE IN ITS NEARLY ONE HOUR OF BREAKTHROUGH MUSIC. WHAT THIS MEANS, ESSENTIALLY, IS THAT THE CD NEVER GETS BORING, AS MANY INSTRUMENTAL CDS TEND TO DO. RATHER, MEMORABLE RIFFS AND VIRTUOSO PLAYING PERMEATE EACH TRACK, WITH NUANCE AND MEANING THAT USUALLY CHARACTERIZE VOCAL CDS AND POPULAR SONGS. GUEST GUITARISTS, SUCH AS GREG KOCH, CRAIG ERICKSON, AND J. M. KAJDAN, AUGMENT SEVERAL CUTS, ADDING SPICE TO AN ALREADY TASTY MORSEL. NOT THAT TRISTAN NEEDS THE HELP. HIS PHENOMENAL ABILITY FINDS HIM EQUALLY FLUENT IN JAZZ, BLUES, FUNK, ROCK, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. HE IS CLEARLY A GUITARIST'S GUITARIST, WITH A SENSE OF TIME AND TASTE THAT WOULD BE THE ENVY OF THE GREATEST OF PLAYERS. JOE SATRIANI AND STEVE VAI MOVE OVER: TRISTAN KLEIN IS DESTINED TO BECOME THE WORLD'S LEADING INSTRUMENTAL GUITARIST. - STEVE ROSEN, AUTHOR (FEBRUARY - 2010)

THIS FRENCH PHENOM INSTRUMENTAL GUITARIST IS NEW TO US. SO WHEN THE LASER HIT THE CELLULOID AND THE BLAZING "ALLIGATOR" CAME RAGING FROM THE SPEAKERS WITH JOE SATRIANI-LIKE MUSCLE, WE HAD TO HAVE MORE. UNBELIEVABLY THIS YOUNG, TALENTED AND EXTREMELY GIFTED PERFORMER IS ONLY NOW GETTING UNIVERSAL EXPOSURE. KLEIN HAS AN EAR FOR MELODY AND WILL TAKE A SONG - AND WHILE GIVING IT A SEARING-EDGE, FINDS ROOM TO ADD ELEMENTS OF JAZZ, BLUES AND METAL ALL IN THE SAME FIVE MINUTES. LIKE ERIC JOHNSON, KLEIN'S SOPHISTICATED AND INTELLIGENT PLAYING IS WHAT MAKES THE COLORFUL "DARK SIDE" AND "RETRO VOODOO FUNK EXPRESS" (WHICH GUESTS GREG KOCH) SO MUCH FUN TO LISTEN TO. IT'S THAT TYPE OF SONG SCULPTING THAT MAKES INSTRUMENTAL ALBUMS SUCCESSFUL. EVEN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE PLAYING ADJUSTS EFFORTLESSLY TO HIS MENTAL VISION. CHECK OUT THE SWAGGER OF "MOJO" (FEATURING CRAIG ERICKSON) AS THE LICK WRAPS AROUND THE RHYTHM MOVING INTO LEE RITENOUR TERRITORY. THEN THERE'S THE ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS, LATE-NIGHT MOOD OF "SHADES OF BLUE" SPILLING OVER INTO THE 11-MINUTE "GRATITUDE" THAT PERFORMS LIKE AN EXOTIC DANCER WITH SEDUCTIVE CHEMISTRY. FOR UNIVERSAL MOJO, KLEIN DOES ALL THE INSTRUMENTATION INCLUDING BASS, KEYBOARDS AND DRUM PROGRAMMING ALLOWING HIM, WITH ARTISTIC PRECISION, TO CRAFT EACH SONG LIKE PAINT ON A CANVAS. MASTERED BY TY TABOR (KING'S X) FOR SONIC DENSITY, THE ELEGANT "GEORGIA" MADE FAMOUS BY RAY CHARLES BECOMES A MASTERFUL MOOD SETTER COMPLETE WITH GENTLE HIGHS AND LOWS. LAUGHTER AT THE BEGINNING OF "GREEN ZONE" SHOWS KLEIN DOESN'T TAKE HIMSELF TOO SERIOUSLY AS THE TRACK ROLLS OUT A FUNKY STROLL LEADING INTO A BARRAGE OF BLINDING SCALE RUNS. ADDING FRENCH STRAT-JAZZ LEGEND JEAN-MICHEL KAJDAN FOR A DUET OF SORTS ON "BLUES FOR J.M." INCREASES THE MAGNITUDE OF WHAT THE TWO COMPOSE TOGETHER. THEY MERGE A RANGE OF COMPELLING STYLES AND TONES THAT FEED THE ECLECTIC AS WELL AS THE EXOTIC. BLUES-BASED "NOT DEAD YET" AND ROCKIN' "SOLID GROUND" HAVE SHADES OF RICHIE KOTZEN ALL OVER. PUNCTUATED AGGRESSION AND SHARP SOLOING MAKE THESE OUR TWO FAVORITE TRACKS AND WORTH THE COST OF THE CD ALONE. - TODD K. SMITH (THE CUTTING EDGE) (MARCH 2010)

Another guitar virtuoso performance from the Grooveyard label, which has now built quite a reputation with many new fabulously talented guitarists on it’s books. Tristan Klein is a gifted virtuoso from Rennes, France who can hold his own with any of today’s guitar greats. His playing is fluid, and he has a superb technique combined with exceptional compositional skills. Tristan is not very well known at the moment, but he is going to be a huge name in the music world. "Universal Mojo" is his first release with the innovative New York label Grooveyard Records. The album has blues, progressive rock, jazz fusion, and funk and it’s one of the best instrumental rock albums released in a long time by a truly great instrumentalist. Guitarists Greg Koch, Jean Michael Kajdan, and Craig Erickson play on three tracks. Albums as good as this don’t appear every day, and it’s VHR by A.O.O.F.C.  TK has released two EP’s, but a new album would be great to hear. Read an interview with Tristan @ http://www.guitar9.com/interview149.html [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 146 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Alligator 5:35
2 Dark Side 5:17
3 M O J O 7:28
4 Not Dead Yet 2:49
5 Georgia 2:25
6 Solid Ground 3:41
7 Green Zone 4:28
8 Retro Voodoo Funk Express 4:46
9 Blues For J.M. 6:05
10 Shades Of Blue 4:55
11 Gratitude 11:08

All tracks composed by Tristan Klein except “Georgia” composed by Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell

MUSICIANS

Tristan Klein - Guitar, Bass, Keyboards & Drum Programming
Greg Koch - 2nd Guitar on "Retro Voodoo Funk Express"
Craig Erickson - 2nd Guitar on "Mojo"
Jean Michael Kajdan - 2nd Guitar on "Blues For JM"