Although he doesn't do much 'shredding' nowadays, Long Island-born Rich Kern is undoubtedly one of the best players to have hit the scene in the last decade. Nowadays he plays in the vocal oriented unit, mellow 26, whose sound is classic 90s pop, melodic and catchy. But before working in an exclusively vocal context Rich wrote a bunch of high-tech and original instrumentals which to this day have no equal.
Rich Kern first became serious about guitar playing at the age of 18. This was due, in part to his friend, John Petrucci (Dream Theater) who introduced him to Yngwie Malmsteen. Rich then attended Community College where he received his Associate Degree in music. He later spent time at Berklee College in Boston, where he met people like Joy Basu, Tom Cataldo, Terry Syrek and Chris Pisano.
In 1989 he recorded his first demo. This tape subtly bellies his major influences -- Jason Becker, Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen -- but the passionate melodies and individual phrasing suggest a maturity that few players can ever match. With such original statements as 'Irk', with its thoughtful melodies; the neo-classically suggested 'Buggenout'; and the acoustic, atmospheric 'Fluctuating Dreams', it's no wonder that guitar fans began to sit up and take notice. Throughout this and later recordings, Rich combines compositional diversity with technical skill (including dextrous sweeping and legato sequences/Paul Gilbert-like picking) to produce intriguing musical ideas.
After returning to NY, he started teaching at Focus II guitar centres. In June 1990 Mike Varney gave him a write-up for Guitar Player magazine. He then asked him to record a tune for the Shrapnel Records release, Ominous Guitarists from the Unknown. Called 'Story Teller', it was a first-rate Dream Theater-esque number containing exciting guitar/keyboard duels. Around this time he also played in Michael Grossman's bass project, Mott Street Devil where he continued to develop his progressive ideas.
However, Kern was beginning to tire of the instrumental guitar scene. 'I started doing more sampling and less playing in my songs,' he explains. 'Besides being bored with the scene and needing a change I got myself a nice case of tendonitis. Ouch.
'During 1993 I discovered the bands my Bloody Valentine and Lush; the music of these bands moved me more than any guitar-driven song did.'
Around this time, Kern wrote some instrumental tracks reminiscent of 90s 'industrial music' (popularised by, for example, Ministry). These included ' I Am No One' and the progressive 'No Fats and Fillers'. Strangely enough, the extreme nature of these tracks worked well alongside his usual sound; they demonstrated that he was not afraid to extend the experimental format into more modern areas of musical expression. His last instrumental, 'Not that kind of Dragon', was recorded at the beginning of 93 for Steve Blucher (at DiMarzio).
But his 'shredding' days weren't over yet. Says Rich: 'In April 1994 I received a phone call to teach at the American Institute of Music in Vienna, Austria ... I almost declined because of my change in taste. I wasn't playing that much guitar anymore and here I was going to replace Todd (Duane). Well, I took the gig and had the time of my life.' After teaching for a while at A.I.M. Kern moved to Sante Fe where he recorded tunes with an old friend, Dream Theater's Kevin Moore. He also played on a few tunes on Kip Winger's solo album. He then moved to Seattle to form mellow 26 with vocalist Joel Tippie. Finally the pair headed back to NY to continue writing -- which is where he lives today.
Whether Kern is writing techno-shred instrumentals, industrial-groove hybrids or gentle instrumental/pop tunes, the sheer diversity of his music is a revelation to behold. Guitar fans looking for a radical approach to composition, or simply musical talent in spades, need look no further than Rich Kern. For the full story, check out his guitar-oriented site:
And here's one of his (RealAudio) tunes, Evil Pokey
On a lighter note, try:
Email: bleachpic@prodigy.net
Matt's Playlist:
Greg Howe -- Ascend
Impellitteri -- Eye of the Hurricane
Bernard Herrmann -- The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (soundtrack)
Bernard Herrmann -- The Trouble with Harry (soundtrack)
Vitalij Kuprij -- Extreme Measures
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