Influences: Who are they?

As the person writing this blog, I will talk about my main influences.
When talking about influences it's important to mention anything that inspires or attracts you. Personally, I've been influenced greatly by multi-instrumentalist and composer, John Frusciante. I'm proud of being able to mention Frusciante as an influence because he's well versed and has experienced just about everything music.

In light of recent events, i'm drawn to mention the release of his newest solo album: Enclosure. The album is officially released April 8th, 2014, BUT was actually ROCKETED off into space March 31st, 2014 in order to launch the JF-14 app allowing one to stream the entire album once the satellite made contact with your device. This is a revolutionary launch as it's the first of its kind and the buzz created by it is surely to catch the media off guard, much like the music.

His music on this album marks the end of a Frusciantian era. Frusciante has these sections of time where he will stick to certain ideals of his imagination. He will imagine, create, write, and produce the pinnacle of his musical thoughts for that point in time, "Enclosure" marks that point. Looking back, "The Empyrean" (2009) was a close for a certain era, as well as "Curtains" (2005), and in ways "To Record Only Water For Ten Days" (2001) was also a close to his first two solo albums. These eras are all defined by certain qualities and sounds Frusciante was interested in exploring. While the music does differ drastically in sound quality, instrumentation, and focus the concepts somehow continue into his next phase of musical exploration just taking on a different form. For example, looking way back at Enter An Uh... off "Smile From The Streets You Hold" (1997), the melodies and physical way of playing is somewhat emulated in the way Frusciante programs synthesizers on his 4 latest avante-garde synth-pop/hip-hop albums. You can hear the growth and maturation of his musical ideas completely. Back in 1997 he was exploring sounds that he wanted to make on just his guitar. Flash forward to 2009-2014 he can finally bring these conceptual experimental ways of playing his guitar to instruments more suited as well as trying new things with the guitar, raw vocals, and sound engineering/design.

I admire Frusciante because of his ballsy philosophy toward musical exploration and self-realization. He makes the art that he wants to make and what more defines an artist?