Below, you can read our interview with Les Fradkin and listen to his album Mr. Midi Guitar. Check out our full music review of Mr. Midi Guitar here.
Q: “Mr. Midi Guitar” presents Baroque and Classical repertoire through a modern rock lens. What sparked the idea to revisit these historic compositions at this particular moment in your career?
A: I have a Bachelor’s degree in Baroque and Classical music. That and my huge collection of Nonesuch Classical albums form the foundation for all of my musical career. The spark/ idea of using it for Rock music seems to be a natural progression for what I do with Midi guitar. It lends itself to that kind of approach. That said, I think automatically in that mode.
Q: What challenges arise when reimagining pieces that were never intended for modern rock instrumentation?
A: From a harmonic standpoint, it applies itself seamlessly. The major challenge was how to program the Ztar for the best results.
Q: Was there a specific piece that served as the conceptual “anchor” for the album – the one that told you this project needed to exist?
A: “Lift Off” would qualify for that position since it was the first piece recorded. But “Canon In D” and “Presto Changeo” pointed the way towards the intertwined new music concept which forms the overall sound.
Q: You describe this album as a showcase for your Ztar playing. What does the Ztar allow you to express that a conventional guitar cannot?
A: 8 nested turnings plus 32 zones allow me to discard the traditional chromatic scale and place things for comfort and convenience. The Ztar has zero latency which allows me to play at speeds impossible on conventional pitch to MIDI instruments. And play pitches above and below the range of a guitar.
Q: For listeners unfamiliar with MIDI guitar, what should they be listening for to appreciate the complexity of your performances?
A: Imagine trying to do some of this stuff on a regular guitar. Impossible.
Q: Did you experiment with different sonic palettes for each track, or did you aim for a cohesive tonal identity across the album?
A: I tend to go for a tonal identity that’s cohesive. The lead sound is sort of Moog-like, and there are a lot of Mellotron sounds on the album.
Q: How do you balance the “human touch” with the inherent precision of digital instrumentation?
A: I play every part, and I don’t Quantize anything.
Q: Which track from “Mr. Midi Guitar” is your favorite to perform, and why?
A: Lift Off. it’s got some tricks in it that are impossible on regular guitars and are impossible to be played on anything but a Ztar.
Q: What do you hope new listeners take away from this project, especially those encountering MIDI guitar for the first time?
A: Hopefully, inspiration and an introduction to classical music.
Q: Any shout-outs you wanna make?
A: Thank you very much to Harvey Starr at Starr Labs for making the Ztar.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: Enjoy!
(Want to be interviewed by The Ark of Music? Click HERE.)