CHIMP SPANNER
PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLD TIGHT PR  l  WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/chimpspanner

WHEN STARTING ON THE GUITAR DID YOU FIRST LEARN YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS AND THEN MOVE ON TO CREATE YOUR OWN COMPOSITIONS OR DID YOU ALWAYS DO YOUR OWN THING ON THE INSTRUMENT FROM THE BEGINNING?

Yeah I seem to have bypassed the ‘standards’ and learnt just the stuff I needed to get my ideas down! I guess it’s good in the sense that there are certain things I do that are definitely Chimp-isms, but I do sometimes feel like there’s a gap in my knowledge that I’d do well to fill! Nothing worse than having an audience and being asked “so what songs do you know”, only to stare blankly and attempt to do it from memory (with mixed results!).

DID YOU LIKE MANY GUITAR PLAYERS START WITH A SIX STRING, THEN MOVED ON TO A SEVEN AND THEN AN EIGHT STRING AND DO YOU THINK THAT IN YEARS TO COME WE WILL SEE NINE OR EVEN ELEVEN STRINGED GUITARS?

I did start on a six, although that was really my only option because I was borrowing my dad’s! The first guitar I asked for was a baritone, so I think even then I knew I wanted the lower range too. I only stuck with that for about a year before settling very quickly into 7 strings. I’d still say I’m primarily a 7 player but that will probably change with the next CD. I know there are a few 10+ string instruments floating around out there. I don’t know if they’d ever achieve production status! But I think where there’s a demand for something, someone will make the instrument. If a player’s needs call for 20 strings, then yeah…game on!

GUITAR MAKER BERNIE RICO JR. NOW ENDORSES YOU. WILL YOU FINALLY BE ABLE TO CREATE YOUR DREAM GUITAR, AND WHAT EXTRA FEATURES COMPARED TO A STANDARD GUITAR WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE ADDED ON THAT GUITAR?

Well the 8 will have a trem, where the Ibanez just looks like it does! It will also have a greater number of frets than usual - 28. Otherwise I’m not really after anything particularly crazy/different. One thing I would like in the future is a MIDI equipped guitar. But not just yet.

DO YOU GET “ATTACHED” TO YOUR GUITARS OR GIVE THEM NAMES AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GUITAR BRAND OF CHOICE OVER THE YEARS?

Yeah I gotta say; I do tend to associate a particular guitar with certain songs. I haven’t gone quite as far as naming them! But they definitely all have their own character. My ‘Supererogation’ guitar is sadly no longer with me – that’s one move I definitely regret. It just had a feel all its own, compared to my other 7’s. Definitely miss it! I’ve been playing Ibanez for quite some time now. I’ve had a largely positive experience with them – only really had two guitars that weren’t all that, and they were definitely lower end models. I’ve been told to expect a whole new level of playability once the BRJ’s get here though.

YOUR DEBUT ALBUM “AT THE DREAM’S EDGE” HAS A REALLY COOL SOUND. DID YOU USE THE SAME GUITAR TONE FOR ALL THE SONGS OR IS EVERY SONG DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO CHOOSING THE CORRECT TONE IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

Thanks! I had one blank template saved for all the songs, so that any new ideas would sound like they came from the same album. I basically used about 4 tones for the whole album: rhythm, lead, bass and clean. They don’t change from song to song. Whether or not I’d do that in future, I don’t know. I mean it can help everything sound cohesive, for sure. But it could also get a bit draining on the listener.

WHAT REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION WAS THE SOUND OF THE BASS GUITAR ON THE ALBUM. IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE A SECOND GUITAR AND HAS A REALLY “THICK AND HEAVY PUNCH” TO IT. MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY DON’T REALISE WHAT A HUGE DIFFERENCE A BASS GUITAR MAKES TO THE FINAL GUITAR SOUND OF A SONG?

Totally – the guitar tone on its own isn’t really that high gain, or powerful. A lot of the ‘aggression’ in the riffs is supplied by the bass. For the most part they just mirror each other, so it’s kind of an extension of the guitar tone. I would like to be able to have more…inventive bass parts in future though. So I’m working on breaking the link between the two somewhat.

DO YOU SEE CHIMP SPANNER AS BEING PART OF THE DJENT MOVEMENT THAT HAS GROWN TO BE VERY POPULARITY LATELY AND DO YOU THINK THE DJENT GENRE WILL LIKE NU METAL AND METALCORE BE PRAISED AT FIRST AND LATER BE “REJECTED” BY THE MUSIC MEDIA?

I think you can already see traces of a backlash against even the idea that djent is a style, on a lot of the forums and online communities. It has become popular very quickly, and I suppose like any genre there’s the chance that it might get over-saturated. But I think it’s natural for there to be a peak in interest.

What really counts is where people take it from here, after the initial surge dies down. Some people will continue to stick firmly to the djent thing, and plenty of people will want to hear it. Other people will try and take it in a new direction. I like to think I’ve attempted that myself, with more emphasis on melody, chords and atmospherics than chuggy/aggressive riffs throughout. 

I GUESS THE WRITING AND RECORDING PROCESS FOR THE SECOND CHIMP SPANNER ALBUM IS ALREADY WELL ON ITS WAY. EVEN THOUGH YOU DO ALL THE RECORDING BY YOURSELF DO YOU SOMETIMES ASK SOMEONE WITH A “FRESH EAR” FOR THEIR OPINION ON THE SONGS YOUR WORKING ON?

Oh yeah all the time. It’s kind of a done thing amongst home recordists! My ‘received files’ folder on MSN is crammed full of various mix tests from other people. And I’m sure a fair few of my unfinished snippets are floating around out there also. My parents are musicians as well, so if I ever need to get a fresh ear on the mix, or a section I’m unsure about, I just call them upstairs and see what kind of face it makes them pull!

DO YOU FIND LIKE EVERY OTHER RECORDING ARTIST THAT PEOPLE DO COPY YOUR MUSIC “ILLEGALLY” BUT THAT AN ILLEGAL CUSTOMER BECOMES A PAYING CUSTOMER LATER ON WHEN THEY ATTEND ONE OF YOUR FUTURE LIVE SHOWS OR BUY A BAND T-SHIRT?

I do personally know of a few people that were passed the album ‘illegally’ who then went on to buy the download/physical CD. I think most people are pretty generous and willing to support artists who make music that they like. Ultimately I’m glad people want to hear it enough to obtain it! But the vast majority of them understand that in order for me to make more of it, I have to keep the lights on. So it all balances out.

IS ENGLAND REALLY AS FOOTBALL (SOCCER) CRAZY AS ONE SEES ON TV AND DO YOU HAVE A FEW TEAMS THAT YOU SUPPORT?

The English are big on their football, yes! Although, I’m one of a small number of people who aren’t. If there’s a big match on, I just stay hidden away so I don’t make an idiot of myself and cheer on the wrong team ;]

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING ELSE FANS SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?

Remember guys, October 23rd in Cologne, I’ll be playing a Chimp Spanner set with the fellas from Monuments! Should be fun. Otherwise, just keep tuned in to the MySpace and Facebook pages for the latest on the new CD!

INTERVIEW BY NEIL VAN ZYL