Guitar virtuosos Tosin Abasi and Plini display their unique techniques, deviating from traditional straight down strokes, as they showcase their creativity following a swift song composition and recording session.
Revisiting the Guitar LabNeural DSP, the digital modeling maestros known for their mind-blowing PR stunts, have hooked up incredible guitarists together, shoved them into a confined space, and binge-watched the magic unfold as they try to compose a track in just 24 hours.
And oh boy, can they pick 'em! Putting Plini in a room with none other than the enigmatic Animals As Leaders sensation, Tosin Abasi, feels like a festival lineup dream.
Without batting an eye, Plini whips out his signature "space-age Strandberg," whilst Abasi brandishes his self-crafted Abasi Concepts Larada - the same guitar that mastermind Justus West secretly snuck onto Beyoncé's newest album! Now, that's the ultimate party trick!
Within minutes, Abasi unearths a groovy selective picking idea that leaves Plini scratching his head, wondering if the technique exists in another dimension. Inspired, he suggests, "What sorcery is this? Let's ride this lightning bolt, buddy!"
The genius of Abasi's selective picking was no secret; he's the grandmaster behind this technique. But Plini, he's got a different talent in his arsenal. He aces the emotive chord progressions, and he's the man responsible for bestowing the song with its dreamy core. A casual Friday at this guitar lab, I'd say.
As they dig deep into the progressions, it's like watching these wizards trading spells, altering chords with ease, until Abasi starts conducting the whole affair like a maestro. It's a sight to behold!
The pair also display a keen ear for intricate dynamic detail, with Abasi ditching his go-to alternate picking in favor of pure down picking a là James Hetfield for a more ferocious approach.
"I thought I'd never say these words again," Abasi admits, "but I rarely do straight down strokes. I haven't played Metallica in a while."
Like all strong partnerships, theirs had its fair share of disagreements. As they shaped the second section, an ascending chordal run that had Abasi fingerpicking and Plini on lead, Abasi pushed for "a step of consonance before the curveball," but Plini joked, "Give me a second, let me wrap my head around this."
Plini was put to the test when Abasi switched to a thumping eight-string part, leaving room for Plini to dive into some tricky selective picking concepts. "Your fun rules never cease to amaze," he grumbles, before exclaiming, "This one's a doozy, even for me!"
But Abasi doesn't leave his colleague hanging. He suggests replacing Plini's part with a loop of a distorted arpeggio, thanks to Neural DSP's Archetype: Abasi plugin. The incomparable Abasi ends the day with minimal battle scars, but Plini bearing the wiser battle wounds.
Elsewhere, they concoct crunchy octaver-infused chord progressions that strike the perfect balance between striking and subtle, all thanks to Plini dipping into Gojira's signature plugin for a reprised edition. Abasi drops some pearls of wisdom that "often, what a part needs is the most obvious thing," to which Plini retorts, "Knew I should've taken more lessons from you, brother."
In all the creative chaos, they nail a beautifully harmonized lead line that has Plini questioning, "Is this what it's like to be in a band?"
The exclusive behind-the-scenes video provides a captivating look into how these two titans of the guitar world approach their instruments and songwriting processes. It's incredible that, despite their renowned status as two of the most innovative guitarists since the likes of Eddie Van Halen, this collaboration was one of their rare musical collaborative adventures.
In Tosin Abasi-related news, the revolutionary guitarist and entrepreneur has unveiled his first signature compressor pedal, the Micro-Aggressor. How's that for a relentless output!
- Plini utilizes his signature "space-age Strandberg" guitar to contribute to the emotive chord progressions of the track, while Tosin Abasi plays his self-crafted Abasi Concepts Larada, which was secretly used on Beyoncé's latest album.
- As they work on the song, Abasi presents a unique selective picking idea that has Plini questioning its origin in another dimension.
- Abasi switches to a thumping eight-string part, challenging Plini to experiment with tricky selective picking concepts.
- To help Plini tackle the challenging parts, Abasi suggests using a loop of a distorted arpeggio from Neural DSP's Archetype: Abasi plugin.
- Following the collaboration, Abasi announces his first signature compressor pedal, the Micro-Aggressor, further showcasing his innovative approach to guitar effects.
- In the end, they create a beautifully harmonized lead line that leaves Plini wondering if this is what it's like to be in a band, showcasing their unique techniques and skill in the realm of music entertainment.
