Renowned Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen recently opened up about his preference for working solo on his albums during a press conference at Hellfest in Clisson, France. Known for his virtuoso guitar skills and strong creative vision, Yngwie Malmsteen explained why he has eschewed collaborating with co-producers and co-writers.
Recalling his early experiences in the music industry, Malmsteen recounted a formative moment when he was first advised to adopt a minimalist approach. As he previously explained: “I was in the studio and a producer said to me, ‘Oh, wow. It was really good, man. Can we do another one? A little slower. Remember: less is more’. I looked at him and I was like, ‘No. More is more.” This experience reinforced his conviction that his music should be the unfiltered expression of his vision.
From an early age, Malmsteen demonstrated a keen sense of musical direction. “I started playing when I was five years old”did he declare. “I’ve always been a solo artist, always. And I never asked myself the question of knowing what I wanted… I knew what I wanted to play. I know what I want to write. I know what type of sound I want.”
Malmsteen explained his decision to handle all aspects of his music himself, from writing to producing. “I am not criticizing the producers. I think they did a lot of good things for a lot of bands”he acknowledged. “The difference is that I already have it in my head. It’s already there. So when someone else comes, it doesn’t add anything, it dilutes.”
He compares his approach to that of an author or a painter. “Instead of what you would call a [partenariat d’écriture] Traditional rock and roll: Lennon-McCartney, Keith Richards-Mick Jagger… I work more like an author, like for example Stephen King or Johann Sebastian Bach”he explained. “I want a pure expression of myself. Not diluted by the presence of Elvis Presley in the group.”
This fall, Malmsteen will embark on a 40-year anniversary tour, kicking off September 26 in Fort Myers, Florida, and concluding November 18 in New York City.
His latest album, Parabellum, was released in July 2021 on Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group.
