01- Hello Hugo , how are you? Thank you so much for the opportunityof the interview! Let's start by talking the tittle of your new songbook "Bloog String" , a pretty heavy metal strong tittle, don't
you think? Why did you choose it?
HM:Perfectly, the spirit is that, because all the songs transcripted on the book are Heavy Metal. I though it was a strong name and really did fit the concept of the songbook. I feel that musicians sometime go like I play metal, but I also play jazz, like playing metal was easy, in other words I respect all the styles, but I am a rock'n roll musician and that's my best.
02- How did you come up with the idea of doing this songbook?
HM:I got a lot e-mails asking me the solos and riffs from the songs I've recorded in my career, which tuning I used and etc. Since it has never been released something official , mainly from Ritual and Reason, I decide to the transcriptions by myself and to put together in a songbook with the most important part of the songs like Turn Away, Time Will Come, Distant Thunder and etc.
03- How did you choose the songs to feature the songbook?
HM: I chose songs from Ritual and Reason and Henceforth cd, in other words I took the little parts from the solos and most important riffs from all thos songs and I wrote everything, because thus the reader will learn these songs in the best way possible.
04- Which song was the hardest one to transcript?
HM: The ones I had to learn the riffs and solos again , as Ritual I haven't played since 2004 more or less, Over Your head which I think we played until 2003, beside other ones, but it was a really cool job to do, I used to do that when I had finished writing a song during late at night.
05- What's the response from the fans so far?
HM:It has been pretty cool, because the book can be purchased in some malls , galeria do rock (typical place in São Paulo) , internet and etc. The fans who attend to Andre Matos' band concerts will be able to purchase the songbooks there and they will definitely be happy with the product, because it is really cool.
06- Have you ever had the idea of doing a Songbook which besides talking about how to play the songs, to talk about the equipment used on it?
HM:I think it's a pretty cool idea and I aim to do that, inclusively I have already done a workshop inside a studio talking about it. The problemt about a issue like that is that there's no standard to get a sound from a studio, because several influence on the sound which you get from your equipment, so a book like that is very hard to write , but it something I am very interested with.
07- How are you other projects doing? Could they have been included on new versions of the songbooks?
HM: Definitely! I have just recorded the cd with my project named Remove Silence, together with Fabio Riberio, Ale Souza and Edu Cominato, inclusively it is coming soon, at this moment I am finishing the second one of Henceforth and getting started with the writing process of the songs for Andre Matos's second cd, in other words when it is all done I will take the time to do other songbook.
08- What are your plans for the future?
HM: AsI told you on the question above, there are a lot of things happening in the moment, on January I will be touring with Andre Matos band, a tour with Edguy, besides concerts which will do in Brazil until the end of the year. For those who got interested, please check our websites to know more about it.
09- Which artist have you listened to recently?
HM: A lot of things, I am a musician who looks for listening what I like regardless the style. At this moments I have listened to some albums of Third, Portishead, new Metallica's album, Remove Silence which is not released yet (lol), Era Vulgaris by Queens of the stone age and etc.
10- Thank you so much for the interview! Please leave a message to Guitar clinic's viewers.
HM: I am the one to thank you for the opportunity and I hope the readers enjoy my new effort (Blood Strings) and any doubt just e-mail management@hugomariutti.com. One more time thank you!
Hug