Tim Scott's Biography ~ Bald On The Inside
Biography
Bald On The Inside Biography
Tim has been a guitarist for twenty years. Initially
self taught, he went on to study at the Guitar
Institute in London. He has since been in numerous
bands with highlights including radio airplay of
early original material and supporting Suzie Quatro
on a radio road-show.
Always busy, busy, busy, Tim also played as a
session musician, contributing to network TV
commercials and theme tunes plus many radio jingles.
Recently he collaborated with legendary Radio 1 DJ
Judge Jules on the track 'Puesta del sol' for his
album 'Proven Worldwide'. He has also been working
with other DJ's on remixes and original material,
as-well as teaching a Master-class at the Guitar
Institute in London on dance-guitar, covering areas
such as playing live with DJ's in clubs and session
work on dance records.
These latter opportunities have been due, in part,
to the release of Tim's Extraordinary Debut Album
'Bald on the Inside' in 2003, an intriguing
collection of musical structures with something
refreshingly different about nigh on every track.
Tim's guitar playing is always technically
brilliant, but it is through the album that his
imagination gets to have free reign.
The result is interesting and often inspiring, and
repeated listening always rewards one with some
unnoticed quirk revealing itself, whether it's the
flexi tone on 'Exercises for Anoraks', or the guest
appearance of the egg harp in the track 'Steel ¥'.
There's even the sound of his heartbeat in there
somewhere, and this perhaps best symbolises the
personal nature of the albums' conception.
The subject matter behind the tracks conceptions is
varied and ranges from the profound to the
ridiculous. 'Friends in the Sky' is something of a
reflection about the passing away of his
Grandmother. Tim was recording the album at the time
and his commitments, he felt, delayed the onset of
mourning in some measure. The track is an
exploration of these elements; work, life, death,
the human at the centre of it all dealing with
things the best way they can, a theme that we can
all relate to.
'4am and I can't Sleep' takes as it's structure a
day in the life, beginning with the titular problem
and the singing of the birds, then sonically
describing the ups and downs before ending with the
sound of motorbikes one can't help but speculate
what went on! Bald on the Inside stemmed from a
'stupid quote to a mate'... and so on.
Of the 'songs' themselves, you'll have to make up
your own mind. I use 'songs' hesitatingly here as
perhaps pieces or arrangements would be more
accurate; nowhere on the record will you find a
lyrical line expressed by a human voice. Tim is
certain of his reasons for this. He doesn't do
words. The rhythm, melody, and intricacies of
instrumentation are his medium, the expression of
his own swing.
He describes his composing technique as, 'like when
I was a kid and used to take a line for a walk', and
maintains that it is his dyslexia that has a central
part in this. Pictures and structures, and the
relationships therein, not written words, are the
way in which he relates to his music.
The pattern created when a kid takes a pencil for a
walk, the different crescents and lines of colour,
all chaotic yet somehow cohesive, is perhaps as good
an illustration of the texture of the work as any
other. Immersed in his craft/art he has the facility
to join the dots and create a finished piece from
what often begins as only a fragment, be it a rhythm
tapped out
on a pub table or a bass line inspired by the
humming of a fridge.
This process is combined with obvious and perhaps
not so obvious influences of some of his
inspirations including Steve Lukather, Joe Satriani,
Yes, Jeff Beck, Miles Davis, Steve Vai, Herbie
Hancock,... to name but a few. There are
comparisons, yet the album certainly has a flavour
all its' own.
Currently Tim is working hard on his second album
which takes elements of dance production and mixes
them with his own unique musical style and approach.
The result promises to be a worthy follow up to his
debut album, taking the essential elements of his
style and mixing it up with cutting edge production.
S.J. Gudgin
^top of page |
