Minotaur Project is the musical journey of french-hungarian bassist/composer Matt Gabnai, writing a sort-of fusion metal music with an enormous variety of classical and jazz influences, often themed on literature, mythology, movies, or his own experiences.
He started to play bass at the age of seventeen, but music quickly turned out rather a lifestyle for him, than just a hobby. After finishing his years in the local contemporary music school he was a bassist for Budapest-based metal group My Small Community, co-founder of the blues group Peef-Poof Project, and was also known for his work as a sound engineer. In 2010, as he decided to move to Strasbourg, France, and beside joining the heavy-metal group Mystery Blue, the long-waited distribution of his own music -Minotaur Project- has begun, with only a handful of aims to achieve: to provide music with an uncompromised quality of his influences, and to invite as many of his friends and favourite musicians to play with him as possible. Since 2011 he's one of the west-European endorsers of Prolude Amplification.
Given in the introduction. I might add a note: I will continue to invite as many musicians as possible for a song or two. I don't intend to leave the Minotaur as a one-man group, I'd like to have a band out of this somewhere along the way.
I play live with my group Subdivision generally in France, or in Germany. The Minotaur Project hasn't been yet prepared to do live concerts, since I'm the only permanent member in it. On the long term I'd like to have gigs, but I'm yet uncapable to present this project onstage - still, I'm working on it.
I could write a book about this. Literally everything inspires me, that has taken a lot of effort or a lot of work to do, or has a good beat. Art in general, literature, paintings, other groups (tons of other groups from Saki Kaskas through Shostakovich to the most brutal skandinavian black Metal or other mainstream artists), conversations, movies (sci-fi in particular)... I try to have an eye and a mind opened to everything. Lately what inspires me most is deep interviews or "behind the scenes" shoots of my favourite musicians, not just their music only. I love the way they think, how they solve problems and even when they struggle to get something difficult right. I find it discustingly close to my state of mind, only they have better circumstances to record.
Details are always listed in every video I have done, but I'm proud to be one of the west-Europen bass endorsers of Prolude Amplification. I also use Tech21 (Sansamp) pedals, mostly with my Warwick Thumb 2011 Bolt-on CustomShop bass (4 strings, MEC pickups, custom electronics). I also use a Warwick Streamer 2001 Bolt-on Holoflash Custom Shop (4 strings, MEC pickups, custom electronics) frequently.
For distorted guitars I use a Line6 Pod HD Pro preamp, an ART ECC floorboard sometimes; I use a '96 Squier Showmaster electric guitar.
Elixir strings for both bass and guitar (D'addario for the fretless), Planet Waves Pro and Monster cables, M-Audio monitoring and a Panasonic reference headphone.
ProTools 7 and 10 for recording, mixing and mastering.
Also tons of fairly old VSTs I inherited from the studio I worked for - those stay my dark little secret :)
The rest changes all the time, as I buy new equipment to enhance the quality of my recordings.
If you liked my creations, I'd be more than happy if you could spread the word - facebook, twitter, anything that connects to your friends who might like what I do. Copy everything I've done, I don't mind. And thank you for taking the time to read this! Nothing is more important than the time and attention we give to other people, which means you gave me already one of the most important things, so thank you! Matt
