From Guitar World · · 1m 20s
Alek Darson's Inner Child Project
Alek Darson mixes progressive metal with his inner child.
In brief
Alek Darson mixes progressive metal with his inner child. Alek Darson recorded Inner Child's debut album with Animals As Leaders drummer Matt Garstka, struggling to play a complex guitar passage he calls 'the hardest he's ever tackled'. Originally reported by Guitar World.
Alek Darson mixes Inner Child
Alek Darson mixed and mastered demos for Animals As Leaders drummer Matt Garstka's progressive metal project Inner Child.
Darson contributes to Inner Child
Darson played lead and rhythm guitar, bass, keyboards and programming while producing, engineering, mixing and mastering the album.
Inner Child's musical style
Inner Child uses odd meters, jazz-fusion phrasing, heavy riffing and quieter passages with string arrangements beyond a standard trio.
Darson's guitar choices
Darson uses an unusual E-A-D-A-D-G-B-E tuning and a WoodGuerilla Ghost of Isabel eight-string guitar for clean, edge-of-breakup tones.
Darson's amp setup
Darson uses Fractal's Axe-Fx platform for guitar tones, saying they've 'nailed it in the box' despite missing physical amp rituals.
Darson's toughest challenge
Darson struggled to play a complex guitar passage he calls 'the hardest he's ever tackled' at tempo.
Inner Child's personal meaning
Darson connected with the title Inner Child as an only child who spends much of his youth looking inward.
What it means
Alek Darson recorded Inner Child's debut album with Animals As Leaders drummer Matt Garstka, struggling to play a complex guitar passage he calls 'the hardest he's ever tackled'.
