Stephen Lee Bruner is a fascinating character. The Grammy-winning songwriter’s mind functions on a different level to that of the rest of us, at least judging by the conversation we have below, which steps away from the usual bass topics into deeper territory. Over the years I’ve found that some musicians simply express themselves better with their music than they do with words, and this definitely applies to Bruner, who records under the name Thundercat for reasons that appear to be closer to spiritual than commercial.
Listen to his current fourth album, It Is What It Is, for evidence of this: It’s a restless, groovy blend of electronica, funk, jazz and rock, with multiple bass textures throughout, and a wry lyrical perspective that disguises as much as it reveals. Produced by his long-time collaborator Flying Lotus and featuring contributions from fellow innovators such as Kamasi Washington and Childish Gambino, the album showcases Bruner’s phenomenally deft bass style, delivered on his unique signature six-string bass, the famous Ibanez TCB1006. The uncategorizable nature of it all is mirrored in Thundercat’s career, which started with the thrash metal band Suicidal Tendencies and the neo-soul queen Erykah Badu before expanding to include music of all stripes.
ãã®èšäºã¯ Bass Player ã® March 2021 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã8,500 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Bass Player ã® March 2021 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã8,500 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
Freekbass
The funk master talks us through five career high points.
ASHDOWN RM-800-EVO ll
What a lightweight! Kev Sanders tests the new head from Ashdown
DUVOISIN Standard 5
Mike Brooks gives this Swiss-style five a road testâŠ
I WAS THERE!
A historic moment in bass world â recalled by those who were there to see it
BAREFACED - One10T Cabinet
A new Barefaced cab? Kev Sanders feels the quality
KRIST NOVOSELIC
Itâs 30 years since the release of Nirvanaâs era-defining album, Nevermind, and high time that we revisited this 2011 chat with the great bassist turned political activist, Krist Novoselic, a musician who witnessed a truly chaotic period in music history
BASS PLAYER AWARDS 2021
After a year off thanks to the pesky virus, BPâs annual Lifetime Achievement Awards returnâand this time we add a new category. Raise your glass to this yearâs winners, Marcus Miller, Gail Ann Dorsey, John Taylor and Charles Berthoud.
RUSH TO READ
Rushâs Geddy Lee will release an âepicâ memoir in 2022
STAYING POWER
Tal Wilkenfeldâs recent album Love Remains features a five-string in tenor tuning with a capo. Ellen OâReilly finds out whyâŠ
TONEWOODS EXPLAINED
Do woods really determine tones?