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my musical wake-up call came when i was 11 and first heard jimi hendrix and carlos santana. afterward i started getting into rock bands like deep purple, led zeppelin, cream, pink floyd and the beatles (my parents listened to a lot of classic rock).

my father introduced me to the music of miles davis, the mahavishnu orchestra and weather report. later i discovered the sounds of keith jarrett, hancock, stevie wonder, curtis mayfield, terje rypdal, and john abercrombie which led me to even older jazz like early miles, wes montgomery and coltrane. although i spent a lot time exploring other musical worlds it's been rock and independent music that have always remained constant stars in my musical galaxy. around 1997 i became very inspired by dj- and electronic music. i began merging their rhythmic, loop-like thinking with my own approach to playing live. i started searching intensely for new sounds that i could produce on my guitar while experimenting with every little stomp box that i could get my hands on. i found that by creating repitious, atmospheric guitar sounds i was able to discover new and innovative ways of expressing what i heard in my head. most of all i was pleased to find how this approach to music began to enhance my interactions with other musicians. netzer, locut and orbit experience are some of my bands that display the hallmark of this approach.

around 1999 i started branching out again stylistically and found myself playing other string instruments such as sitar, mandolin, resonator guitar, pedal steel, lap steel and banjo. i also found other ways of approaching guitar by experimenting with open tunings, bottleneck slides and organic noises. as much as i enjoy exploring my own musical impulses i also love playing with other musicians. i find that helping to materialize other peoples ideas and bringing them into a strong sounding band context is a process that always seems to open new and often surprising roads to me. with „die fantastischen vier“ there's also this loop-like repetition and very rhythmic playing that allows me to feel a deep bond with the incredible musicians in the band. their soul and funk roots also add a great flavor to their sound . working with sarah brightman has also been very interesting for me because i get to play a lot of acoustic guitar. since we're touring around the world it's also given me a chance to see sides of life that i might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience. everything but giants is a band that i began out of my passion for strong, melodic song writing and guitar based bands with up-front vocals. it really brought me back to my roots and gave me a sense of coming full circle because the strength and power of a rockband with guitar amps is something that amazes me as much now as it did when i was growing up. writing, jamming and recording with this band has been a pleasure and i'm really looking forward to what we'll do in the future.
  © 2005 roland rausch