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Nu Instrumetal is my debut release on Steve Vai's Favored Nations label, blending the tuned down intensity I love so much about today's bands with my passion for instrumental music. This disc has its roots in a project that featured Stu Hamm on Bass and Atma Anur on drums. "Five Hi" was the only track that made it from those recordings, but I am very glad I chose to add it to the disc. Each time I hear that song I remember how much I enjoyed playing with such an amazing rhythm section. Stu has this amazing red 5 string bass that you can hear on that track, and Atma is really in his element playing in odd meters. Everything DHA (Doppler | Hamm | Anur) did was in odd meters, but with a modern sound and it really prepared me in so many ways to make Nu Instrumetal. Producer Peter Karr is a very old friend of mine, and on a trip up to the Bay Area, he brought along some of the stuff he had been doing with loops and Reason. 10 seconds into the first song I was sold. The way the disc was recorded was nothing short of abstract if not bizarre. With the exception of Five Hi, every track started with me playing rhythm to a click track which I transferred from ProTools to my Roland VS1880. I then took the 1880 (in two sessions) over to the old rehearsal space and tracked Atma's drums. In case you didn't know, Atma made his name playing with some of the most brilliant instrumental guitarists out there including Richie Kotzen, Greg Howe, Jason Becker & Marty Friedman - just to name a few. Oh yeah, he was also in Journey for a while. In any case, he is brilliant in the studio and cut the first three tracks - Wicked, Grind, and Funky Armadillo in less than two hours once we had drum tones - that includes hearing the track, writing his parts and recording what were largely first takes with an occasional punch. The mics were mainly Shure, 57's and a Beta 52 on the kick. When it comes to getting drum tone in any situation, Atma is the man. I then took the drum tracks back to my studio and dumped them into ProTools and got to work replacing the scratch rhythm guitar tracks with double tracked parts done with one of my Ibanez S740 7-Strings through a Mesa-Boogie Road King Dual Rectifier. Keep in mind these songs had no melodies even up to the point of my keeper rhtym guitar parts, which is not how Ground Zero was done. In any case, once I had the rhythms, I went to L.A. and Pete fattened this up on the rhythm tracks, added the loops and sent me back to the Bay Area to track my melodies and solos. Mind you, we did not have a deal yet, so it was very much an act of faith. I certainly hoped Steve was going to put the disc out on Favored Nations, but I had no assurances in that regard. Once I tracked wrote and tracked the melodies and cut the solos, I returned to L.A. and Pete and I mixed the first three in hopes of securing the infamous "record deal'. To be continued... CREDITS This album is dedicated to Gerald M. Doppelt, with much love and appreciation for his endless support. As they say, like father, like son - Love ya Papa, DD Doppler, Inc. is: Doug Doppler would like to thank: Lolita Doppelt and John
Dixon - AMAZING; Pastors Mark, Gail & Mike, and all of my C3SF.com
family - RIGHTEOUSLY on; Stuart, Brad, Billy & - AWESOME; Gary
@Brawer.com - the BEST; Brian Fessenden and Zand Gee - ALWAYS; Larry
DiMarzio, Michael Altilio & Steve Blucher @DiMarzio.com - FANTASTIC;
Rob Nishida and Mike Taft @Ibanez.com - YES; Josué, Antonio
y Mr. Yano @Yamaha.com.mx - GRACIAS; ENGL-Amps.com - BOOTAY, Rob
Schenk @LanXPert.com - TECHCELLENCE; Jim Branstetter & Ed Caballero
- ENDURANCE on the first Guitar411.com DVD; Yana Leventon - FRIENDSHIP;
ALL my wonderful students - INSPIRATION… To my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, your amazing Spirit IS the light, for I am nothing without you but lost. My life and music are living testimony of both Your greatness and power for blessing. My heart is yours, and I remain humbled by the anointing that You alone have poured upon my music. In Your mighty name I put all my trust. And to my beloved Melissa, in you GOD has answered all my prayers - you ARE my heart's desire… The band would like to express a personal thanks to our "angel of radio" - Billy Steel at 107.7TheBone.com for supporting us way above and beyond the call of duty, you ARE the greatest. Doppler Inc. would like to thank the following: GregBackGuitars.com;
IraBlack.com; Mick Brigden, Nikole Gretton & George Silvers
@ClearChannel.com; Cornbread; Dennis Erokan @BAMForever.com; Mike
Faley @MetalBlade.com; Dave Felice; G3 et al; BradGillis.com; Bill
Goodyear @DeeperCalling.com; StuartHamm.com; Kyle Harrison @TrampledUnderfoot.net;
HappeninHarry.com & the Cat Club; RichieKotzen.com; Chris @Lommori.com;
Wayne Morrison @Rock4xXmas.com; Phil Burks, Fedj & MI.edu; Alex
Nikas; Mike Oliver; Michael Pharris; Scott Rootenberg and the Grant
& Green; BillySheehan.com; Michael & Peggy Sarina; Neal
Schon; 3rdRail1.com; Michael Westbrook; Andy "Citizen"
Zane… Doug Doppler's Studio Setup:
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Nu
Instrumetal can be purchased online via the Favored Nations 