Phi Yaan-Zek’s blood is on fire with musical passion, and the expression of this creative energy is kinda what makes him tick. He’s recorded two eclectic solo albums so far (Anomalies and Worlds Beyond Cause), with contributions to the Guitarapalooza and Jason Becker tribute CD, Warmth in the Wilderness amongst others.

'Out in the Boonies' represents Yaan-Zek’s original blend of styles - intense ethno prog-rock groove fusion mit senf - with more to come on his forthcoming Solar Flare guitar instrumental CD. 'My guitar playing and music is about finding that flow', states Phi, 'where something unique, magical and authentic is born.'

TA Track: 'Out in the Boonies'

Phi Yaan-Zek: All guitars, keyboard, vocalising, percussion and programming
Ilhaam Selih: Hello voice on intro
Zak Haipney: Virtual flute
Recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered by Phi at Zub Zub Studios, Snowdonia, Wales, UK.

'I like to think of each of my tunes as mini guitar soundtracks, and so love to create unusual atmospheres, rhythms and melodies to convey the passions and sensations that inspire my music. "Out In The Boonies" is my fun way of expressing the wild magic and beauty of my new home here in Snowdonia National Park.'

Born 1969 in The Netherlands, Richard Hallebeek started playing guitar at age 10. At the age of 17 he enrolled at a conservatory where for five years he studied jazz and improvisation. In 1993 he was the second prize winner in the International Ibanez Guitar Award contest.

In 1994, Hallebeek received a scholarship to study at G.I.T. in L.A. where he played with Scott Henderson, Brett Garsed and Joe Diorio. That same year he signed a deal with Mark Varney and Legato records and released Generator, a jazz rock album with special guests Scott Henderson, Carl Verheyen, Frank Gambale and Tribal Tech keyboardist, Scott Kinsey.

Currently based in Amsterdam, Richard maintains a busy schedule, performing live, teaching, composing, and doing studio work throughout the year.

TA Track: 'Seasons'

Written by Richard Hallebeek & Antti Kotikoski

Richard Hallebeek: Guitars, VG-88, guitar synth, keyboards
David De Marez Oyens: Bass
Lale Larson: Keyboard Solo
Bas Cornelissen: Drums

Mixed and mastered at MDF Studios by Richard Hallebeek and Bas Cornelissen.
Richard Hallebeek uses Diezel Amps, Koch amps, Brian Moore Guitars and Patrick Koopman Strats. Customizing by Danny Marcovich.

'It was a windy early morning in spring and I was looking out over the city through my home studio window. I started wondering about the seasons and how nature always knows what to do in time. With that theme in mind, I came up with the head of this tune - with lots of changes flowing by.'

Richard Daudé was born in 1975 in Nimes in France. He took drum and piano lessons before taking up the guitar at age 15. Daudé then took jazz guitar lessons before attending a music school where he honed harmony, improvisation and performance skills. At age 21 Richard started work as a professional musician, playing with cover bands, rock bands and traditional African music and reggae which in turn made him more familiar with playing live and recording in the studio.

He has also taught guitar to a lot of students and took two days of lessons with Ron Thal. In 2001 Daudé joined the Line6 company and played in different music trade shows in Paris, Franfurt and Los Angeles. His guitar playing influences include Ron Thal, Allan Holdsworth, Greg Howe, Scott Henderson, Pat Metheny and Al Di Meola as well as horn players such as Michael Brecker and keyboardists like Michel Camilo and Oscar Peterson.

TA Track: 'Dark Ages'

'"Dark Ages" was written and recorded in a few days. What I wanted to represent with this track was the Dark Ages time period - all its roughness and mystery; tribal wars and witchcraft! Which is why this tune is always oscillating between romantica and brutal moments. Hope you enjoy!'

Rob Johnson is the 7 string guitarist for the melodic prog-metal band, Magnitude 9. They currently have 2 CDs on release: Reality in Focus and Chaos to Control. These can be found in CD stores worldwide & online at Amazon and CDNow etc.

His influences include: Yngwie Malmsteen, Tony MacAlpine, John Norum, Ronni Le Tekro, Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai and Greg Howe.

Before forming Magnitude 9, Rob released 3 instrumental guitar CDs. These have all been released in Japan and the US, and now in Europe (with new artwork & bonus tracks). These are: Rob Johnson, Peripheral and Guitarchitecture.

Rob also appears on the Jason Becker tribute CD, Warmth in the Wilderness, Guitar on the Edge, Jacob's Dream and Mattsson. He has established a good following over the past decade. Fans of over-the-top shredding & heavy 7 string riffs should enjoy Rob's music.

Buy Rob's CDs at: Guitar 9
TA Track:

'Supercharged' (courtesy of Rob Johnson's Guitarchitecture on Screemin Geetar Records)

Rob Johnson: Guitar
Karl Guther: Bass
Rick May: Drums
John Homan: Drums

'This is one of my personal favorite tracks from my CD, Guitarchitecture. It has all the elements I try to put into my songs: riffs, melodies, chops and unpredicatable changes. I was really happy with the way it turned out. I recorded it with my 7 string Universe. I hope you enjoy it!

Rusty Cooley started playing guitar at age 15 and went on to attend the National Guitar Summer Workshop in Conncecticut where he obtained a teaching job. Upon graduation he went on to study at North Harris County Community College.

His first sigificant band was Revolution which recorded and performed original music and opened for the likes of Badlands, Nitro and Every Mothers Nightmare. He then formed Dominion with bassist Brent Marches and in 1995 entered (and won) the 'Guitar Master Series' in Houston. He was also selected as a runner up in the AIM 'Jason Becker Scholarship Search'.

In 1998 Rusty joined Outworld, a mixture of metal, shred and progressive rock before moving to Alpharetta GA where he continues to write, record, perform and teach as well release an on going series of instructional CD-ROMs. He has appeared on compilation CDs such as Generation Ibanez, Guitar 2001, Guitarapalooza and Ballbuster. Rusty plays 7 string guitar exclusively.

TA Track: 'War of the Angels'

'The night I finished "War of the Angels" it was about 2:00 am in the morning and I thought to myself: "I am going to call this thing the first thing that comes to mind" - and that was "Sonic Biscuit". Quite a funny name I thought, but the guys in the band said it deserved something better. So after watching the movie The Prophecy, the name "War of the Angles" popped into my head which seemed to fit the mood and dynamics of the song.'

Additional info:
Rusty Cooley: All guitars, and drum, bass and keyboard sequencing
Bobby Williamson: Keyboard solo and drum sequencing
Recorded by Karim Khorsheed at Magik Studios, Houston, Texas.

Scott Hughes lives in Portland, Maine, USA and is one of the New England area's busiest guitar instructors. The July 1997 issue of Guitar Player magazine featured him in the 'Spotlight' column saying: '...strong vestiges of Holdsworth and Beck throughout ... a tasteful player with a promising musical personality ... his compositions possess an appealing, narrative quality'. In addition to juggling 50+ weekly lessons, he also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the University of Maine music department, where he teaches privately and directs the 'Progressive Rock Ensemble'. Scott is proud to be endorsed by Brian Moore Custom Guitars, and DiMarzio Pickups.

Buy Scott's CD: Guitar 9

TA Track: 'Common Ground'

Copyright 2001. Free Lunch Music.
Recorded November 2001 at Scott's house.
Mixed/Mastered January 2002 at Tone Zone by Gary Hibbard.

'After trying to develop a lot of "hip" and "clever" ideas, I was burnt out and instead wrote this simple melody around G, C, and D chords. All the odd-time bits in the melody were unplanned, and a cool surprise. My hope was to balance a nice tune with enough guitar-stuff to satisfy anyone who might listen.'

Scott Stine first picked up the guitar at the age of 16. Like many guitarists his age, Scott was greatly influenced by Shrapnel Records artists such as Paul Gilbert, Tony MacAlpine, Michael Lee Firkins and Yngwie Malmsteen.

When Texas guitarist Derek Taylor heard Stine’s playing he was so impressed he invited him to form Tommy Lamey (which later became Crimeny in 1993). Taylor and Stine also competed in the Ibanez/Tascam/Guitar Center 'Jam with Paul Gilbert' guitar contest and stole first and second place respectively.

Scott recorded with Crimeny in 1993 and he and Derek Taylor recorded albums for Shrapnel, each contributing to the other's recordings. Scott’s instrumental album, Broke was released in 1994 and immediately hit the Top 40 Import chart in Japan. As a session player, Scott has recorded with vocalist, John West, and locally with several rock, jazz, blues and country bands. He has given 7-string guitar clinics for Ibanez and also performed with guitarist George Lynch at a Dallas Mars Music clinic. Nowadays he works as Instrumental Music Director at his church, Grace Community Church in Plano, Texas, as well as playing jazz guitar in the style of Charlie Hunter.

TA Track: 'Day Off'

Scott Stine: Guitar
Todd Hatchet: Drums
Doug Kelly: Bass

'The idea behind "Day Off" was to write a good tune regardless of whether or not it had vocals. I wrote it on my day off and was looking for something that would start out kind of relaxing in the morning; like when you first wake up, it's your day off and you're having a cup of coffee. In order to build intensity, I started thinking about a skydiving experience I took on one of my days off. As the song ends, it becomes kind of a mood reflection on my day.'

Swedish guitarist, Stefan Rosqvist started his career playing with a band called Scratch, before appearing in several instrumental lineups in his native Helsingborg. In 1992 he left Sweden to study at the prestigious Musicans Institute in Hollywood where he met many inspiring and influential players. Between 1994-99, Stefan played gigs all over Sweden and Denmark, including one with Roger Pontare, winner of the Swedish Song Contest. Rosqvist took a teaching job at Helsingborg's community music school; he also gave private lessons.

In 1999, Stefan joined gothic band, Dawn of Oblivion and recorded the album, Mephisto's. In 2001, Rosqvist joined forces with an old friend: keyboardist Lale Larson (who, coincidentally appears on Stefan's tune, 'Neverland'), lending his guitar playing talents to Larson's rock fusion band, Ominox. Nowadays Stefan teaches guitar and midi/computer at Mega Musik Gymnasium in Helsingborg. He also plays with local band, Blåsta Av Arne and is hard at work on new instrumental tunes for a forthcoming CD.

TA Track: 'Neverland'

Stefan Rosqvist: All instruments (except piano outro)
Lale Larson: Piano outro
Drum sound samples: Peter Wildoer

'The original idea was to write a movie soundtrack without a movie. I wrote the main theme - then I rub it in your face one zillion times! This is a shorter version of the original idea. The longer version (all 13 minutes) incorporates a variation on the theme - then I rub that theme a zillion times in your face!'

Frenchman, Stephan Forté started playing the guitar at the age of 5 after being offered his first guitar by his brother. Nine years later he discovered Yngwie Malmsteen, a revelation for Stephan. From this point on he knew he would become a professional musician. Practicing for up to 10 hours a day, he eventually moved to CMCN in Nancy, France's most famous musicians institution. Shortly afterwards, he discovered the likes of Shawn Lane and Allan Holdsworth.

In 1996, Stephan released his demo Visions, which lead to endorsements with several instrument companies. In September 1999, he started collaborating with Ukranian keyboard virtuoso, Vitalij Kulprij on a series of vocal tunes. Kuprij was later replaced by Swedish keyboard wizard, Richard Andersson (Majestic). Other band members came on board shortly after: Franck Hermany (bass), Dick Bruinenberg (drums) and former Pink Cream 69 vocalist, David Readman. The result was symphonic metal band, Adagio and their highly acclaimed album, Sanctus Ignis.

Stephan's music is a mixture of metal and classical music from different periods (from Baroque to contemporary). Because of his progressive approach and his experiments with rhythm, Adagio are closer to the likes of Symphony X than Rising Force. A second Adagio album is planned shortly. Stephan will also release an instrumental album featuring many well known guest 'shredders' sometime in 2002.

TA Track: 'Prophecies of Loki'

Composed by Stephan Forté

Stephan Forté: Guitar, programming, keyboards, mixing
Kevin Codfert: Keyboard solos
Published by Jean Davoust editeur

Stephan Forté appears courtesy of Nothing to Say S.A.R.L

'This song was initially composed to appear on my solo album, but when Liquid Note Records contacted me to play on The Alchemists I thought it would really fit with the mood of this compilation. I enjoy this track because it's pretty representative of my actual playing: dark, neo-classical, oriental, progressive and ... shred! Exactly the same direction as the next Adagio album. Hope you enjoy it!'

TA Track: 'Schrödinger's Cat'

'One day a friend of mine who is studying Quantum Mechanics was explaining the idea behind Shrödinger's Cat. In 1935 Erwin Schrödinger proposed a famous thought experiment in which a cat was somehow both alive and dead at the same time. As he explained the details of the experiment, I imagined what this cat would look like. The picture in my mind was accompanied by a melody and that's where the initial idea for the song came from.'

Terry first became interested in guitar at the age of four when he heard Black Sabbath. At age twelve he encountered Ozzy's guitarist, Randy Rhoads which inspired him to take up the instrument himself. He began taking lessons and soon was transcribing solos from Randy, Gary Moore and Angus Young. He also discovered classical music and was inspired to practice up to fifteen hours a day. Syrek then began teaching privately and giging with a number of Pittsburgh bands. He then moved to the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he studied modern and traditional harmony, arranging, counterpoint, ear training and sight reading. Syrek was exposed to other types of music and became open to many styles of playing and writing. He played many shows and did many studio sessions as well as teaching students. He played in several bands, one of which appeared on Berklee's CD Sampler 1992 and a Berklee TV commercial. In 1989, Syrek taught advanced rock guitar at Duquesne University's summer program in Pittsburgh, PA and in 1990, began teaching at the Guitar Workshop (where he is a senior faculty member). In 1992, he graduated from Berklee with a Bachelor of Music degree.

Syrek has since appeared in Guitar Player magazine, Guitar, the New York Times newspaper and various fanzines and radio shows all over the world. He has played on the latest season of The Highlander TV show and various TV commercials. He has also released an instructional book and video (Shred is Not Dead - Alfred Publishing) and an instructional CD-R for the Chopsfromhell website (Unearthed Arcana). He has also contributed tracks to several compilation CDs, including Guitar 2001 magazine, Crushing Days (a tribute to Joe Satriani) and Lion Music's Jason Becker tribute, Warmth in the Wilderness. Most recently, he became involved with the Trans Siberian Orchestra and was awarded a platinum album by the RIAA for his work with them. Terry uses and endorses Jackson guitars.

TA track: 'Ritual Dance at the Foot of the Mountain of Om Al Saiif'

All instruments: Terry Syrek

Written, arranged & performed by Terry Syrek
Produced by Terry and Sheila Syrek
Mixed by Sheila Syrek
Mastered by Greg Kalemba

'"Ritual Dance At The Foot OF The Mountain Of Om Al Saiif" is a pretty good example of where I'm at right now, musically. I start by attempting to write a good song, regardless of guitar gymnastics. This tune is a combination of my favorite elements; working with non-conventional time signatures, eastern percussion, soloing over chord changes, heavy rhythm sounds, and creating balance in production and arrangement so that nothing outshines anything else. The song came to me, initially, as the opening riff and percussion. I just jammed it a lot; let it take me where it needed to go. Eventually it evolved into what you hear.'

Todd Duane grew up playing the trumpet, drums and bass and only became serious about the guitar in High School. After playing with a few local bands, Todd decided to move to Hollywood, California, and attend the prestigious Guitar Institute of Music (GIT).

Todd then started recording demos displaying his unique guitar abilities. One landed in the hands of Mike Varney, owner of the underground guitar label Shrapnel Records. After appearing in Mike Varney and Guitar magazine's 'Spotlight' column, Todd's self-titled debut instrumental CD was released on Shrapnel Records (SH-1088).

Todd has since released a 2nd CD, Omnipresent on his own label, Rosey Palm Records. He is currently recording a CD featuring several virtuoso Swedish musicians. The band, Electrocution 250 will release their CD sometime in 2002.

TA Track: 'The Rain'

'"The Rain" was recorded at my little home studio called The Dungeon Hillside. I decided to record a darker, more neo-classical type song as it seemed to fit the title and concept of The Alchemists. I used my Ernie Ball MusicMan AXIS, Peavey Wolfgang, and my Fender Telecaster. Bass tracks were recorded with an Ernie Ball Bass Silhouette.'

Magnus Olsson lives in Helsingborg, Sweden and has played professionally for about 5 years, averaging around 150-200 gigs a year, mostly in cover bands. He also gives clinics around his native Sweden for his sponsor, Ibanez.

Magnus spends much of his time recording his own material in his studio and along with instrumental music has completed CDs of children's music. He also completed a piece for the Swedish Olympic horse-dressage entry and the opening theme to a Swedish film festival. Magnus has also worked as a guitar teacher and a sound and light engineer.

TA Track: 'Whatever It May Be'

Magnus Olsson: All instruments (except keyboard solo).
Lale Larson: Keyboard solo
Evelina Andersson: Vocal part (intro)
Arranged & recorded in the Blue Room Studio by Magnus Olsson

Special thanks to Lale Larson for the amazing solo and for pushing me to finish the song! I owe it all to you, Lale. And thanks to Hans Karstorp at Ibanez, Sweden (Crafton) for my guitars.

'The beginning of "Whatever It May Be" was me trying to improve my drum programming. I already had the idea for the progression for the intro and took a fragment from that and made it into the main theme. Lale played his solo and that made me feel like I had to build something good around it. I went with the flow of inspiration and this is what came out!'

Vladmir Korovin started playing guitar when he was 14, playing in his school band. During military service Vladimir was an army band guitar player. He then graduated from musical school (Classic Guitar playing). Since that time he has played club concerts and has participated in no less than 10 musical projects.

Vladimir has released 3 solo albums and completed a grand total of 45 guitar compositions. As well as playing in his native Russia, he has also worked in Denmark and Turkey. The composition 'Olga' was written in September 2001 and is dedicated to his daughter.

TA Track: 'Olga'

V.Korovin: Lead guitar
V.Vladimirov: Keyboards
V.Yelizarov: Acoustic guitar
A.Dobroslavin: Bass
U.Kovalevski: Drums & percussion
Sound Engineer: S.Tuchin
Producer: V.Yelizarov
Recorded in the musical studio: SVE-Records
Mixed & mastered by SVE Records