Talking to TG from behind a mask that falls somewhere in between the aesthetics of Daft Punk, Darth Vader and Power Rangers, with a heavily effected voice to disguise his true identity, Lord Phobos is certainly one of the more unusual characters you’ll find in these pages. He’s responsible for the guitar work in Canadian quartet TWRP, who have made waves as the backing band behind American comedic duo Ninja Sex Party. As well as original music, the two groups have collaborated on a series of albums named Under The Covers – where they reimagine famous tracks by Pink Floyd, Van Halen, the Bee Gees and many more.
“It’s been really fun working with Ninja Sex Party,” Lord Phobos says, holding a microphone running into a vocal processor that’s presumably set to its darkest and deepest robot setting. “Essentially, we provide the tracks and everything for their records. We linked up with them years and years ago after finding each other online. It was a mutually beneficial situation where we could provide good instrumental music and they’d bring the jokes and ideas. In terms of track choices, that’s all them. We show up, hear what song we’re doing and then learn it. Most of it I already knew, but I’m embarrassed to admit I hadn’t listened to as much King’s X before we started working on the cover of their song The Burning Down. That’s all part of the fun too, right? You discover artists by learning their music.”
What can you tell us about the art of delivering a great cover version?
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2024-Ausgabe von Total Guitar.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2024-Ausgabe von Total Guitar.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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"You Can Imagine a Song in a Completely Different Genre" - The mysterious Lord Phobos, guitarist for TWRP, has covered everything from disco to Def Leppard in his collaborations with tongue-in-cheek duo Ninja Sex Party.
The mysterious Lord Phobos, guitarist for TWRP, has covered everything from disco to Def Leppard in his collaborations with tongue-in-cheek duo Ninja Sex Party. He explains what makes a great cover version - and reveals the one guitar and the one pedal he couldn't live without...
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Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett is also a solo artist in his own right, and his latest EP Starry Nights & Campfire includes Lights covers of two great old rock tracks - Thin Lizzy's Cowboy Song and the ballad Don't You Ever Leave Me by Hanoi Rocks, the Finnish band that did so much to inspire Guns N' Roses.
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Into the groove with Giacomo Turra, the Italian guitarist who made his name covering classics by Stevie Wonder, Bruno Mars and more... Born in Milan, his funk guitar sensibility can be traced back to the dance studio where his mother taught, and the tunes he heard blasting out of her boombox. "I like to experiment with a lot of genres, but the really interesting thing for me is I really grew up on funk, and a little bit of jazz and fusion music," he says.
- Try out these creative tips and make your cover versions stand out
Try out these creative tips and make your cover versions stand out
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