Los Angeles-based Kevin Parallax has released his newest, instrumental single, “Perplexing Emotions.” The single features bassist Ashwin Shriyan and drummer Rahul Hariharan, with each musician truly showcasing their talents on the explosive track.
We caught up with Parallax to talk more about his artistry and the fresh track.
How did you first get started in music, and how did you get to where you are today?
I first started taking guitar lessons at the age of 16, inspired by the likes of John Petrucci, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, and other musicians continued to further hone my skills learning from senior musicians in the vicinity.
One day when I applied for and got accepted to Musician’s Institute, Hollywood, is when life took a turn. Education abroad was out of my financial grasp, which is why I had to entirely reconsider my plans for the future.
Then came a letter from the school saying that I had won two scholarships, which cut my tuition by a significant portion and made it a little easier for me to be able to afford the course.
I flew to the United States with no financial planning or backup whatsoever except hope, and had to jump through a lot of hurdles to be where I am today.
What was the writing and recording process like for this recent single?
Writing “Perplexing Emotions” was quite difficult, as I had never written through-composed music with such complex use of theoretical knowledge before. I tackled writer’s block several times and had to leave behind many riffs and parts just because they didn’t sit well in the composition.
After I laid down the guitar parts, Rahul Hariharan proceeded with recording drums over it followed by Ashwin, who later recorded bass parts, partially layered the song with synthwork, mixed, and mastered it.
I also had programmed a drum track using sample packs while I was writing the guitar parts so as to know if it will suit the composition, which held my unrealistic expectations when it came to skill and playability.
But, Rahul was able to nail it and not only he was able to surpass my expectations, but also brought his own character and sound to the track.
What are the themes on the track?
It’s an instrumental; however, the single art was created with a theme in mind, where reds represent the diabolical nature of the music and the blues along with the earth was a creative for the progressive tones in the song layered with heavy synth work.
Who are some of your biggest influences, and who have you been listening to lately?
John Petrucci, Tosin Abasi, Keith Merrow, and Jason Richardson; I mostly listen to anything and everything between Dream Theater and Humanity’s Last Breath.
Is there anything else in the works in terms of future albums or touring plans you want to focus on?
Right now, I’m focusing on my next single, which isn’t an Instrumental, it’ll have vocals too. I do not like to or plan to tour.
Listen to “Perplexing Emotions” here:
For more from Kevin Parallax, find him on Instagram and Facebook.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Parallax
