Flat Tire: Music for a Non-Existent Movie

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Flat Tire: Music for a Non-Existent Movie
Allan Holdsworth - 2001 - Flat Tire.jpg
Studio album by
Released1 December 2001 (2001-12-01)
Recorded2000–2001
StudioThe House, San Juan Capistrano, California
Genre Jazz fusion
Length47:30
Label Megazoidal
Producer Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth chronology
The Sixteen Men of Tain
(2000)
Flat Tire: Music for a Non-Existent Movie
(2001)
All Night Wrong
(2002)

Flat Tire: Music for a Non-Existent Movie is the eleventh and final studio album by guitarist Allan Holdsworth, released on 1 December 2001 through Megazoidal Records [1] and reissued in 2013 through MoonJune Records. Besides the first track, the entire album was recorded by Holdsworth himself using the SynthAxe, [2] an instrument for which he became well known since Atavachron (1986).

Allan Holdsworth English guitarist and composer

Allan Holdsworth was a British guitarist and composer. He released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played a variety of musical styles in a career spanning more than four decades, but is best known for his work in jazz fusion.

MoonJune Records is a record label that concentrates on progressive rock, jazz rock, and forms of avant-garde music. It was established by record producer Leonardo Pavkovic in 2001.

SynthAxe

The SynthAxe is a fretted, guitar-like MIDI controller, created by Bill Aitken, Mike Dixon, and Tony Sedivy and manufactured in England in 1985. It is a musical instrument that uses electronic synthesizers to produce sound and is controlled through the use of an arm resembling the neck of a guitar in form and in use. Its name comes from the words synthesizer and axe, a slang term meaning guitar. The system was developed as a joint venture funded by Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

Contents

In the liner notes, Holdsworth briefly talks about events in his personal life which had resulted in the loss of his home studio, The Brewery, as well as explaining the concept behind the album: "I always liked the idea of trying to create music for movies and through my experiences of the last 18 months The Movie – Flat Tire was made, hence the subtitle Music for a Non-Existent Movie."

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz Favourable [3]
All About Jazz (2)Favourable [4]
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Flat Tire has received mixed reviews. The staff at All About Jazz gave the album a positive review, calling it a "very uniquely rewarding listening experience" and going into detail about the quirks of the SynthAxe. However, they suggested that diehard fans of Holdsworth's work would appreciate it more than "devoted guitarheads". [3] David R. Adler at AllMusic gave the album three stars out of five, describing the music as "more of a one-man band effect than a solo guitar performance" and "a bit static and repetitive overall". He called the album "not the best introduction" to first-time listeners of Holdsworth, but recommended it for fans of his work. [1]

<i>All About Jazz</i> comprehensive American website for jazz enthusiasts and professionals, based in Philadelphia

All About Jazz is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, Jazz Near You, about local concerts and events.

AllMusic Online music database

AllMusic is an online music database. It catalogs more than 3 million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musical artists and bands. It launched in 1991, predating the World Wide Web.

Track listing

All music composed by Allan Holdsworth.

No.TitleLength
1."The Duplicate Man (Intro)"1:52
2."The Duplicate Man"4:41
3."Eeny Meeny"4:48
4."Please Hold On"4:01
5."Snow Moon"8:04
6."Curves"5:35
7."So Long"5:31
8."Bo Peep"3:46
9."Don't You Know"9:12
Total length:47:30

Personnel

Guitar fretted string instrument

The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that usually has six strings. It is typically played with both hands by strumming or plucking the strings with either a guitar pick or the finger(s)/fingernails of one hand, while simultaneously fretting with the fingers of the other hand. The sound of the vibrating strings is projected either acoustically, by means of the hollow chamber of the guitar, or through an electrical amplifier and a speaker.

Drum kit collection of drums and other percussion instruments

A drum kit — also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums — is a collection of drums and other percussion instruments, typically cymbals, which are set up on stands to be played by a single player, with drumsticks held in both hands, and the feet operating pedals that control the hi-hat cymbal and the beater for the bass drum. A drum kit consists of a mix of drums and idiophones – most significantly cymbals, but can also include the woodblock and cowbell. In the 2000s, some kits also include electronic instruments. Also, both hybrid and entirely electronic kits are used.

Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices and computer software, such as sequencers and workstations, to generate sounds of musical instruments. Programming is used in most electronic music and hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in "modern" pop and rock music from various regions of the world, and sometimes in jazz and contemporary classical music.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Adler, David R. "Flat Tire: Music for a Non-Existent Movie - Allan Holdsworth". AllMusic . RhythmOne. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  2. Feuillerat, Olivier (June 2003). "Interview with Allan Holdsworth". ofeuillerat.free.fr. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 Staff (12 April 2002). "Allan Holdsworth: FlatTire: Music For a Non-Existent Movie (2001)". All About Jazz. Retrieved 30 September 20140.
  4. Astarita, Glenn (13 July 2013). "Allan Holdsworth: FLATTire: Music For a Non-Existent Movie (2013)". All About Jazz. Retrieved 30 September 2014.