Friday, August 13th, 2010
Being compared to the likes of Joe Satriani, Jeff Beck, Steve Vai and Steve Lukathar may have prompted a less ambitious musician to perpetually play it safe...
For a man who’s been frequently compared to some of history’s greatest guitarists, Tim Scott’s forward-thinking attitude towards dance music is not only commendable, but has assisted in producing some delectably unique music. Being compared to the likes of Joe Satriani, Jeff Beck, Steve Vai and Steve Lukathar may have prompted a less ambitious musician to perpetually play it safe, something which Scott has absolutely failed to do.
Following his impeccably well-received debut Bald On The Inside that was released in 2003, Scott has continued to experiment with his own unique take on genre fusion, and some of the results, such as the improvised live guitar mash-ups that he performed alongside Judge Jules in Ibiza in 2005 and 2006, have helped to develop a style that Scott can definitely claim to be all his own. His successful partnership with Jules continues to this day.
Following some similarly successful collaborations with some similarly prominent dance producers (including Mike Koglin and Herd & Fitz) Scott’s eagerly awaited second album was released in 2008. Called Guitar Mashing, the album was the guitarist’s most critically lauded creative endeavour yet, with the likes of Guitar Techniques, Total Guitar, CityLife and The Express all lavishing it with some seriously noteworthy praise.
The last two years have seen Tim Scott focusing primarily on digitally released material, and to no less applause. In the month of its release, last year’s excellent Amy Jane single made Total Guitar’s list of the Top Ten Tracks to download, with Sound On Sound describing it thus: “The production is slick in the extreme.” And Scott’s most recent release, the Cosmic Ignition single that emerged in mid-July, quickly earned the distinction of being his fastest-selling download ever.
With more singles to follow, as well as a slew of upcoming Guitar Mashing events planned for well into the new year, Tim Scott’s next creative move is yet to be determined, but fans can easily rest assured that the results will be as fresh and as unexpected as ever.
Paul Stokes
