Philip Burton
Philip studied violin, music, composition and conducting before moving into recording and production of other artists. It was after this time, which he calls his 'dark, developing days' that Philip decided he wanted to go it alone and find out for himself what it was really like to create a piece of music from scratch and take it all the way through the process to a recording on compact disc.
Having achieved this with his first album Red Lights and Lonely Feelings, Philip decided that he wanted to concentrate on more organic forms of composition and began an experimental phase of developmental music where structure and idea was of less importance and where the music was more transcendental in nature without being frivolous.
Subsequently, he has written two further albums Raging and All Roads lead to Oblivion both of which draw on the experiences of the first album but show an increased awareness of world events.
The first album, Red Lights and Lonely Feelings is in truth an autobiographical album but is interwoven with stories of people he has met and who have had an impact on his life in some way. For example Lady could be about a number of female encounters he has had but is about one person specifically but he will not say who.
When asked about the title of the album he said "It came to me one day while I was out riding my motorbike as a courier and I was forever being stopped by the red lights and the loneliness of life at that time became the other part of the title".
Philip admits that each of the tracks is about at least one person but he does not wish people who listen to the music to read anything into it but would rather that the listener be moved by the music through their own experiences. The idea of having a story for each track is nothing new but Philip states that Edward Elgar and The Enigma Variations was a big influence on the structure of the tracks and the album as a whole.
Drawing heavily on his classical background and training, he readily admits to a love and worship of the great masters of the first Viennese school Bach, Beethoven and Brahms but is also equally influenced by such modern day masters as Schoenberg, John Cage and one of the pioneers of electronic ambient music Jean Michel-Jarre. He is also still "blown away" by Jimi Hendrix especially the Woodstock gig, is a devotee of Pink Floyd and has a deep appreciation of his musical heritage across a number of styles.
Looking forward, Philip is currently collaborating on a series of animations where he has written the original music and is working as a co-producer on the soundtrack. This is where his previous wide ranging taste and experience in the music industry is really coming to the fore.
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
sometimes, in England - like it lots - playing an electric violin is one of my favourite things
Your musical influences
Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Jarre, Cage, Pink Floyd, Hendrix - not in any particular order and not all at the same time
What equipment do you use?
Varies on the piece and the moment, not to mention the people I might be with. Too numerous to mention here.
Anything else?
Rock on Tom!! Peace and Love!! Roll over Beethoven!!
