Now endorsing PreSonus Audio gear! Just received an 1818VSL from them and it kicks major butt! Started using it last week on a new collaboration. Stay posted for info!
Great stuff guys! Happy to be working with you!
AK
GTRMix Blog
Hey everyone,
I have just launched a new blog revolving around mixing from the corruptive viewpoint of a guitarist. :-) The musical paths we choose shape us and provide their own perspective which can be a good thing. However, if it is not kept in check and well balanced, it can be detrimental to even the best song when one is trying to cut their tracks in his/her studio. I just wish to share what I have learned (and continue to learn) on this subject and hopefully in turn assist other aspiring artists and musicians. Hope you enjoy it!
Hey everyone, these past several weeks have been crazy! The post-NAMM biz just kept coming! Always a good thing. Now I'm finally able to get on here and update you all. The NAMM show was great and I couldn't be more excited to have met so many awesome people. It's amazing how much a fresh perspective and a boost of energy can help propel you forward. Anyway, I digress . . .
I managed to find some good gear and some potential additions to the studio along with a series of plans for collaborations in the future. More to come on those! The coolest thing I found was a new line of guitar amps from Phil Jones that I find to be just absolutely killer. They weigh almost nothing and just scream. Designed to be predominately clean and then externally effected, they push way more air than their size would suggest. They are still in production at the moment but I will definitely be looking into getting one!
'The Melting Pot' feat. Jennifer Batten has been released! So far, so good! Thanks so much for all of your support. It really means a lot! Anu Gunn (VH1's Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp, Season 1) hosted an online press conference for Jennifer and I on the day of the release (January 22) and it was an absolute success. I couldn't be happier with the result. The outpouring of support across the different social media platforms was awesome and there was some excellent conversation. You can read a full transcription of the press conference HERE. I met some wonderful people thru that release and one of the standouts was Marisa Gates of the Women's International Music Network. She is a big fan of Jennifer's and wanted to chime in on the discussion. After the conference, and upon hearing the song (The Melting Pot), she emailed me asking to host the song on their site. I am absolutely honored and can't thank Marisa and TheWIMN.com enough for putting it out there. It was an absolute pleasure to have Jennifer on the track with me! She has really paved the way for more women to rock the world. You rock!!!
To back track a little, The Blaze Conspiracy project I produced has been released and is doing well. You can check it out right here on NoiseTrade. To kick off the release, Anu Gunn and I hosted a press conference on facebook with Barry Dunaway (formerly with Yngwie Malmsteen) to take questions and talk about the project and it was a huge success! You can read the full transcription of the press conference on Musician Interviews. Here are the other artists involved with the project:
Well, that about wraps it up for now. Definitely more to come in the future! Thanks again to everyone out there for your continued support and attentive ears. It means more than you know! Until next time . . .
Aloha,
AK
LIVE Chat feat. Aaron Kusterer and Jennifer Batten
THE MELTING POT FEAT. JENNIFER BATTEN IS NOW AVAILABLE! In celebration of this release, head over to www.facebook.com/aaronkusterer1 today @ 7 pm EST for a live text chat with Aaron Kusterer and Jennifer Batten, hosted by Anu Gunn (VH1's Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp Season 1)! You won't want to miss this!
As a special bonus, the first 5 questions submitted PRIOR to the chat will receive a free download of 'The Melting Pot' through www.aaronkusterer.com! Be sure to submit through Aaron's Facebook fan page NOW!
Skype Guitar Lessons!
Hey everyone, I will now be offering Skype guitar lessons! Check out the 'Lessons' tab for more details!
Have more questions? Just email me at aaron@aaronkusterer.com. I would love to hear from you!
Cheers,
AK
Our 4th player . . Special Guest, Jennifer Batten!
Please allow me to introduce my 4th player, and extra special guest on The Melting Pot, Jennifer Batten! I have known Jennifer for about 3 years now and I must say that you will not find another individual who is more complete as a player and person than her. She is awesomely talented and just an incredible person to know and work with! An absolute sweetheart off-stage and a force to be reckoned with on-stage, I think all of you will really dig what she throws down on this upcoming single! Can't wait to release it!
The buzz on Jennifer Batten rose from the guitar underground, and the guitar magazines promptly began chronicling her savvy musicianship and highly original approach to the electric guitar in print.
At one point Batten was in 6 different bands, playing everything from straight ahead rock, to metal,fusion, and funk. A major turning point came when she was selected from over one hundred guitarists to play in Michael Jackson's highly skilled band which toured the world for one and a half years playing for over four and a half million people. Jennifer wasted no time after the” Bad” Tour's grand finale, diving into work on her own album with renown producer (and Stevie Wonder guitarist) Michael Sembello. The stunning results can be heard on “Above, Below, and Beyond”, the title appropriately describing the interesting diversity within. With this debut release, the world at large learned what all the excitement was about.
Shortly after the record's release in the spring of '92, she was asked again to join Michael Jackson for his upcoming "Dangerous Tour". In January '93, she joined Jackson to partake in Superbowl XXVII's half time entertainment which aired to one and half billion people in 80 nations. It was the largest audience in television history.
She completed her second solo record "Jennifer Batten's Tribal Rage~Momentum," just before she was again asked to join Michael Jackson for his 2 year world tour supporting his double album "HIStory" in 1997.
Jennifer's Tribal Rage project took a much different direction than her first record and is heavily influenced by world music. It is a hybrid of rock and very exotic sounds, including African percussion, Australian didgeridoo, Caribbean steel drums and Scottish bag pipes.
In the spring of 98 Jeff Beck asked Jennifer to join his band. They joined forces for 3 years on the CD’s "Who Else", and “You Had It Coming” which were both supported by world tours.
Other guest appearances include CD's with Carmine Appice, Michael Sembello, Carl Anderson, Carina Alfie and several rock tributes.
Jennifer has authored two music books and has just released her third solo CD/DVD entitled “Whatever”. With this 3rd effort, she’s ventured into electronica, vocal samples, and film. She’s supporting this release with a multimedia one woman show, playing guitar in synch with films projected onto a giant screen. The companion DVD includes over 90 min of art films, previously unreleased music videos, interviews, commentary, and an innovative guitar lesson.
Here is our 3rd player on The Melting Pot! Let me introduce, Phil Runge. I haven't been working with Phil real long, but he is a great player and an all-around great guy to work with! He also has some 'special' . . . oh let's call them musical talents that were captured after recording the bass tracks for the Melting Pot. :-) Might post a short clip of those soon . . .
Here is his bio:
Philip Runge is a graduate from Indiana University, a member of the 2008 Disney All-American College Band and a member of the United States Air Force Band. He has studied with many artists including John Clayton, Larry Grenadier and Ricky Rodriguez.
Conceptual Guitar Lesson!
In answer to a question I was asked in an interview with Peter Hodgson (IHeartGuitarBlog.com), I give you conceptual guitar! Watch the vid for a good barrage of philosophizin' straight from the studio! Enjoy!
Congrats on the new website!!!