Joy Basu

This month we take a look at US-based guitarist Joy Basu. Born in Calcutta, India, he moved to the United States at the age of 2; from the age of 12 Joy was performing with several rock, metal and school jazz bands. By the time he was 16 he had begun teaching and doing sessions. His early influences include Van Halen and Kiss; plus guitarists like Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen and Randy Rhoads.

Joy later moved to Boston and attended The Berklee College of Music. In the summer of 1990 he moved to Hollywood, CA, and since then has recorded and/or performed with members of Dio, Dweezil Zappa and Billy Idol. Nowadays he performs at NAMM as well as other international trade shows.

Joy’s debut, self-titled CD was released by Bandai Music in Japan in 1996. The CD consisted of 'funky rhythms, bluesy licks, industrial headaches, and last but not least, total shred.' It is also distributed world-wide by Inner Groove Production and can be purchased from his web site (see below).

I can highly recommend Joy’s CD. It starts as it means to go on, with '2ND Soul', a vibrant, exciting rhythm underpinning the catchy melody line. From the funky 'Dr. Funhouse' to the more restrained 'Post Depression', there’s lots to enjoy and several musical styles to absorb. Joy has a progressive, earthy style which is readily projected into his music. This extends to the pick attack, bringing to mind Paul Gilbert, the arpeggios reminiscent of Jason Becker, a strong influence on Joy. His arsenal of licks and tricks includes some great use of tapping (as on 'Dr. Funhouse') and sweep-picking, supplemented by an ability to structure his solos so that they have a beginning, a middle and an end.

I recently asked Joy to comment on his music and how he felt it fitted into the instrumental scene in the 90s. 'Music has always been a great way to express oneself,' he says. 'Whether you feel like slowly torturing some being to death or loving someone deeply enough to die for, you can express it through music. I have always enjoyed music that brings out extreme emotions. I love ballads as well as the heaviest industrial tunes.'

So where does shred fit into all this?

'Shredding is a tool to bring out certain feelings. When executed with balls, shred brings out the aggressive side of people. Good shred makes me want to drive fast, fight, have aggressive sex, and anything else dealing with high levels of testosterone. If shred is not creating these or other feelings within me, chances are the shredder I am listening to just played fast for the sake of showing off and has no feel whatsoever.

'Good shred is awesome. Bad shred is staler than bad sex. Good shredders can make most styles of music sound good because they allow the listener to experience various emotions. To me that is what music is all about.'

Joy’s tunes can also be heard on Hottest Unknown Guitarists, Ominous Guitarists From The Unknown and the forthcoming Legacy CD, due out this summer.

Check out Joy’s web site:

Joy Basu

Or email him on: BasuRox@aol.com

Matt's Playlist:
Bumblefoot - Hands (w/Ron Thal)
Steve Reich - 6 Pianos
Terry Syrek - 1998 Demo
Prashant Aswani - Revelation
Shakti (W/John McLaughlin) - A Handful of Beauty

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