The Guitar Player's Resource
Explorations with looping devices and effect led Panamanian guitarist Ernesto Schnack to record the music on Wood, his new instrumental CD-R release. Wood started out as a demo to get gigs as a solo acoustic guitarist but eventually grew into a full album's worth of material. The ten tracks bounce with melodic guitar lines set within interesting moods and atmospheres. For example, "Envelope" could be the soundtrack to a detective movie, while "Commuter" displays rhythmic confections and relentless energy reminiscent of Jimmy Page's acoustic work on "Led Zeppelin III". "Mountain Song" has a cinematic feel as well, taking you on a journey through woodsy pine forests and unusual rock formations. Schnack is clearly on a path towards creating some really interesting and compelling fingerstyle work. Let's hope his future 'explorations' are as refreshing as his pieces on Wood.
Ernesto started playing guitar at the age of 14, when he discovered the music of Metallica and Iron Maiden. After learning "Kill 'Em All" and "Live After Death" note for note, he started listening to guitarists like Satriani and Vai, as well as prog rock groups like Rush and Dream Theater. Eventually, he started to lose interest in the shred/prog/metal genre, and started to explore all types of music, which have included 20th century classical, electronic music, jazz, the downtown scene in NY, new metal acts like Dillinger Escape Plan and Meshuggah, and various ethnic music from around the world. In 1998, Ernesto began his studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he earned a B.A. in Composition. During his first couple of months there, he discovered the music of Michael Hedges, which introduced him to the world of fingerstyle guitar, and got him interested in classical guitar as well. It also got him interested in the idea of being a solo performer, and led him to explore looping and effects to expand the concept of what a "solo acoustic guitarist" was supposed to be.
Ernesto is currently back in Panama, recording new music, composing chamber works, and playing with musicians in the area.
Ernesto Schnack
Panama
Web site: schnack.does.it