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Mike has been playing the bass guitar for 27 years. His first instrument was the upright bass in jazz class. “I had messed around with piano and guitar for a short time,” he says, “but the bass notes always felt more like home to me.” This almost goes without saying; listening to Mike’s execution, it is perfectly apparent that he’s playing straight from the heart.
Mike's style is perfectly attuned to progressive music. With a jazz background and an affinity for metal, Mike can very attentively play and meld to many different scenarios. Throughout Effigy, you can tell his style encompasses much of Odd Logic’s varying direction from one track to another, while still retaining his personal style. Even so, when it comes to musical preferences, Mike says his tastes haven’t changed much over the years. “I still think about bass lines from a jazzier starting point.” |
Before Odd Logic, Mike was involved in many different projects. The most notable bands (for him, as he clarifies) were Krenshaw, Ones and Zeroes, Debris, and 10 Point Tokyo. Currently, Mike also plays bass for another Seattle-local post-metal band called Black Bone Exorcism.
Mike is a musician through and through. "When I’m not playing bass,” he says, "I listen to a lot of heavy bands to figure out their pulse!"
Mike is a musician through and through. "When I’m not playing bass,” he says, "I listen to a lot of heavy bands to figure out their pulse!"
MIKE'S INFLUENCES
Mike’s influences come from a wide range of sources. “My earliest influences [on bass] were Geddy Lee, Chuck Rainey, and Geezer Butler,” he adds. His parents frequently listened to classic bands including Steely Dan, Black Sabbath, and the Rolling Stones. Mike attributes his love of bass as stemming from such influences. "Bass was a big part of their music," he recalls. "So I guess that is what spoke to me the most."
Mike’s booming voice (a natural result of being 6’6” tall!) was perfect for some aggressive vocals on Penny For Your Thoughts. On the track “Life, Lore, and Love”, he provided a dark, aggressive spoken word voiceover which concludes with a monstrous bellow.
Mike’s booming voice (a natural result of being 6’6” tall!) was perfect for some aggressive vocals on Penny For Your Thoughts. On the track “Life, Lore, and Love”, he provided a dark, aggressive spoken word voiceover which concludes with a monstrous bellow.
MIKE'S EQUIPMENT
On Effigy, Mike used:
Fender Jazz and Precision 5-string Basses
Bass Mods K6 6-string Bass
Musicman Sabre 4-string Bass
Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0 amp, Schroeder 410r cab
Mesa Boogie Bass 400+ and 2x15 Diesel cab.
Custom effects
Fender Jazz and Precision 5-string Basses
Bass Mods K6 6-string Bass
Musicman Sabre 4-string Bass
Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0 amp, Schroeder 410r cab
Mesa Boogie Bass 400+ and 2x15 Diesel cab.
Custom effects