Beam of light, entering through a window, illuminates a vacuous room, revealing Ghost Guitar: Rafiq Bhatia shares his innovative methodologies credited for an Oscar nomination on his score compositions, and the roots traced back to Jimi Hendrix.
Rafiq Bhatia, a renowned composer and guitarist, is set to release his latest solo album Environments on September 12, via Anti Records. The album marks a significant departure from Bhatia's meticulous, studio-based work, as he delves into a more spontaneous and intimate creative process.
Bhatia's decision to focus on improvisation and experimentation was influenced by his desire for a more personal, instinctual setting. The album's tracks are fully improvised, some recorded in one take, reflecting a return to spontaneity after a decade-long period of detailed production.
Pushing the Boundaries of the Guitar
In a bid to transform the guitar sounds, Bhatia aims to make them resemble other instruments like woodwinds, creating a sense of both intimacy and unfamiliarity. To achieve this, he uses his custom Flipperkaster guitar, built by Dutch luthier Flip Scipio. The guitar features a blend knob between two pickups, inspired by a baritone guitar built by the same luthier that Bhatia encountered at a studio.
Moreover, Bhatia's "ghost guitar" sound, showcased in the album Tomorrows, is achieved by pitch-shifting the guitar up into a higher register, playing it through a speaker, and using a volume pedal to activate reverb.
The H90 Harmoniser Multi-Effects Pedal
Bhatia also uses the H90 Harmoniser multi-effects pedal by Eventide to create unique sound combinations. He requested the removal of certain features from the H90 to make it smaller and more versatile, including insert points, MIDI program change capability, and set list mode.
A Pedalboard Fit for a Maestro
Bhatia's pedalboard includes a Klon KTR, a Strymon Iridium amp and guitar cab simulator, and a Z.Vex Fat Fuzz Factory with a 'SUBS' switch to activate low-end rumble, which he prefers over a traditional octave pedal.
Influences and Collaborations
Bhatia cites Madlib, Flying Lotus, Jimi Hendrix, A.R. Rahman, and early Wu-Tang records as pioneers in the field of studio-as-instrument. He has continued his soundtracking work with his Son Lux bandmates, scoring the recent Marvel movie Thunderbolts and being Oscar-nominated for their work on Everything Everywhere All at Once.
In a previous collaboration, Bhatia composed for the ensemble Alarm Will Sound, along with Afrooj Aftab, Devonte Hynes (Blood Orange), and Daniel Wohl, as part of a series pairing composers with filmmakers to create new works for film and live orchestra.
The Tour Ahead
Bhatia's upcoming tour in September and October aims to explore the unpredictable nature of the music on his upcoming album Environments. With a focus on improvisation and experimentation, each performance promises to be a unique and captivating experience.
- Rafiq Bhatia, for his latest album Environments, is using his custom Flipperkaster guitar, built by Dutch luthier Flip Scipio, to create guitar sounds that resemble woodwinds.
- Bhatia's "ghost guitar" sound in the album Tomorrows is created by pitch-shifting the guitar up into a higher register, playing it through a speaker, and using a volume pedal to activate reverb.
- The H90 Harmoniser multi-effects pedal by Eventide is a gadget that Bhatia uses to create unique sound combinations on his album.
- On his pedalboard, Bhatia includes a Klon KTR, a Strymon Iridium amp and guitar cab simulator, and a Z.Vex Fat Fuzz Factory with a 'SUBS' switch for low-end rumble, instead of a traditional octave pedal.
- Bhatia takes inspiration from various artists such as Madlib, Flying Lotus, Jimi Hendrix, A.R. Rahman, and early Wu-Tang records in his work, and has collaborated with Son Lux, Alarm Will Sound, Afrooj Aftab, Devonte Hynes (Blood Orange), and Daniel Wohl.
- Bhatia's upcoming tour set for September and October seeks to convey the unpredictable nature of the music on his album Environments, with a focus on improvisation and experimentation.
- Each performance of Bhatia's tour is promised to be a unique and captivating entertainment experience, reflecting the spontaneous and intimate process behind the creation of Environments.
