Stonebridge Guitars International

Menu

  • Home

Browsing Tags Kris Schulz

Album Review: Kris Schulz – While the City Sleeps

May 5, 2016 · by Derek Harrison

When I was in university, I was pretty uptight about the guitar. I thought that using capos was cheating and that open-tunings were boring – to the point that I wrote a couple of pieces of music in standard that imitated some of the chording and motions often associated with open tunings in order to “prove” that open tunings were lazy.

Today I’m a much better guitarist and I use capos and open tunings most of the time. It’s obvious now that I was naive not to recognize the tonal possibilities that those tools provided, but at the same time I’m glad I developed my skills in standard tuning and the more advanced chording required by not using a capo, so that I could have a solid foundation before I began adding these additional elements into my technique.

A technique that pales compared to Kris Schulz, as showcased on his new solo album While the City Sleeps, self-released this past January and being supported by a tour which began on Wednesday, May 4th in Kris’ home of New Westminster, BC and will be reaching Montreal before the month is over.

Kris feature

Now in his 40th year, Kris Schulz, a lifetime multi-instrumentalist with a 25-year career in guitar teaching and one of the coolest-sounding jobs in the world (personal guitar instructor at the video game developer Electronic Arts) has made his first solo guitar record in While the City Sleeps. Coming fresh off the heels of placing 4th at the Canadian Fingerstyle Competition, it’s a record that feels overdue.

Despite a genre going by the slightly-misleading name of “percussive fingerstyle”, While the City Sleeps is a very melodic record, with the well-chosen leading track “Through Your Eyes” setting the tone with a pastoral and uplifting vibe. This tune already shows Kris’ well-developed instinct for movement and his ability to tell an emotional story with nothing but a single guitar.

Kris doesn’t stray from the single-guitar formula for any of the 13 mostly-lengthy tracks on this album, and while from a lesser performer this would be tiresome, here it is very welcome. The second track “Sagroovian Juice” begins similarly low-key, with arpeggiated chords only subtly suggesting a tonal shift from the opener, until about 30 seconds in when the tune jumps to a much more aggressively played bluesy groove interspersed with a harmonic-heavy section showcasing Kris’ ability to play lead, rhythm and percussion parts simultaneously.

download

Strange as it sounds, since this is a solo guitar record, While the City Sleeps showcases the fact that Kris is a multi-instrumentalist by trade. Though the common association of percussive fingerstyle with metal music is well-earned, and Kris does indeed have a background in metal, the musicality at work here is so effective because it clearly draws from so many genres, techniques and influences.

That being said, the third track “Circadian Rhythms” could be easily called acoustic metal. The melodies, guitarmonies, time signatures, and multi-movement structure all fit what you’d expect from metal, except that it’s played on a single unamplified instrument.

Not one to be easily-defined, though, Kris immediately moves away from that sound with “Dave the Grizzly”, which is the most memorable track for me, perhaps because it’s the one that comes across the most as a “song”, a term I typically avoid using to describe instrumental music. It follows a distinct lead melody and has a defined verse and chorus, and the music is mournful, almost funereal, and quite beautiful.

With other highlights including the title track, the folky “Larch Hill”, and the what-would-Radiohead-do-with-a-single-acoustic-guitar “Gray Never Felt So Good” this is a remarkably consistent record, a little lengthy but with no skippable tracks, beautifully recorded and perfect for any number of moods

As for the performance, you could do no better than to catch Kris at Schulz at one of his upcoming shows across Canada:

  • 05/04 New Westminster BC @ The Heritage Grill
  • 05/05 Chilliwack BC @ Tractorgrease
  • 05/06 Kelowna BC @ Doc Willoughby’s
  • 05/07 Enderby BC @ Lorenzo’s
  • 05/09 Golden BC @ The Golden Taps
  • 05/10 Revelstoke BC @ The Last Drop
  • 05/11 Canmore AB @ TBA
  • 05/12 Lethbridge AB @ Mocha Cabana
  • 05/13 Calgary AB @ Vern’s
  • 05/14 Edmonton AB @ Brittany’s Lounge
  • 05/16 Regina SK @ The Artful Dodger open mic
  • 05/19 Kitchener ON @ The Boathouse w/ Luke Michielsen
  • 05/20 Toronto ON @ The Central Bar w/ Dylan Ryche
  • 05/21 Montreal QC @ TBA
  • 05/25 Kitchener ON @ Bread Heads w/ Luke Michielsen
  • 05/26 Winnipeg MB @ The Ship & Plough

Stream and buy “While the City Sleeps” here!

a3608312502_2

  1. Through Your Eyes
  2. Sagroovian Juice
  3. Circadian Rhythms
  4. Dave the Grizzly
  5. Ferus Caballus
  6. A Smile From India
  7. While the City Sleeps
  8. Larch Hill
  9. Dime on D
  10. When Friends Fall
  11. Fingerlicker
  12. Gray Never Felt So Good
  13. Ten More Seconds

 


Kris Schulz plays a Furch/Stonebridge OM31SR-C-DB as his main guitar.  It is a deep body OM with sitka spruce top and Indian rosewood back/sides.

More more photos and demo videos click here: http://www.sgimarketplace.com/?product=stonebridge-om31sr-c-65083

65083-OM31SR-C-STONEBRIDGE-1-748x374

  • Follow us on Instagram

    This week’s feature from our showroom:) A Furch RAINBOW OMc-LR-xDB. The moment we started tuning the first string up to pitch we were impressed by the volume and tone. Once it was tuned to concert pitch, we put this guitar through the paces and it’s a monster! Can’t believe the power and clarity of the bass. Words fall short to describe the feeling of playing it. This guitar was custom ordered for our stock. Price: $5795 CAD ($4400 USD) Specs: Straight grain alpine spruce top, master grade rosewood back and sides, Koa back centre strip, Koa tail wedge, rosette of premium Koa with abalone shell ring, ziricote fingerboard and bridge, ziricote headstock overlay, Koa binding of body, fingerboard and headstock. Gotoh 510 gold patina with ebony buttons. Amazing build by @furchguitars ! #acousticguitar #guitar #luthier #musician
    ****SOLD**** contact us to order your own RAINBOW Series today.***** We are huge fans of alpine spruce tops. It’s a tonewood with incredible sweetness and clarity. It’s a softer spruce that leans toward cedar in tone but still has the clarity we love from Sitka when played with force. We custom ordered this Furch RAINBOW series Gc-LC for our showroom here at @sgimusiccorp / @brickhouseguitars . It has an alpine spruce top (Switzerland moon wood) and cocobolo back and sides. There’s a host of other appointments too. At less than $4500 USD ($6000 CAD) @furchguitars is producing elite level custom acoustic guitars, with premium tonewoods and solo luthier level voicing, at a much more attainable price bracket than a guitar built by the competitors. Free shipping anywhere in North America! Send us a DM. #acousticguitar #customguitar #luthier #alpinespruce #cocobolo #fingerstlyeguitar #guitar #wow #madeinczech #usa #musicians #songwriters #canada #kitchener #kitchenerwaterloo #ontario
    This delightful pre-owned Stonebridge guitar from 2008 was recently traded-in to @brickhouseguitars . The guitar is perfectly set up and plays very smooth in the hands of beginners and pros. The solid cedar top has opened up brilliantly and produces a soothing yet defined tone. It is exceptionally versatile and excels when you put it through the paces. An ideal companion for the road or studio. $725 with gig bag. #acousticguitar #cedartop #luthier @sgimusiccorp
    One of a kind Furch RAINBOW Series with aged sitka spruce top, adirondack spruce bracing and ebony back & sides. It’s very hard to explain how amazing this guitar sounds. In terms of power it’s a 10/10 cannon but it also prevails in how expressive it is. Visually it’s a masterpiece. #acousticguitar #furchrainbow @furchguitars #guitar #luthier #czechmade #customguitar #fingerstyleguitar
  • Follow us on Twitter

    My Tweets
  • Follow us on Facebook

    Follow us on Facebook
  • Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Connect with us:
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Cancel