A look into the history of Orange Amps, Orange Records, and Orange Studios and the landmark products along the way.
To read more from The Book of Orange, check out our exclusive excerpt!
Cool compression profile that yields blooming and nasty fuzz with fangs. Simple. Excellent value!
Not a ton of variation in the fuzzās simple controls.
One big, bad, and very boss no-frills fuzz.
On the surface, fuzz is an almost barbarian conceptāa nasty sound thatās easy to grasp in our imaginations. But contrast David Gilmourās ultra-creamy Big Muff sounds with James Gurleyās free and visceral fuzz passages from Big Brother and the Holding Companyās Cheap Thrillsand you remember that two different fuzzes, in the hands of two different players, can speak very different languages. The latter artist concerns us here because Gurley did his work with a Jordan Boss Tone, which is the inspiration for the Ananashead Spirit Fuzz.
Ananasheadās Pedro Garcia has a knack for weirder 1960s fuzzes. HisMeteorite silicon Fuzzrite clone, for instance, is a knockout. This take on the two-transistor Boss Tone is equally thrilling, and genuinely idiosyncratic when it runs at full tilt. It exhibits tasty inherent compression, and transient notes ring out as pronounced and concise before blooming into full viciousnessāa quality that shines when paired with neck-position humbuckers (and which probably made the original circuit appealing to Spiritās Randy California, another 1960s Boss Tone devotee). That tone profile gives the Spirit Fuzz meatiness that stands out among ā60s-style two-transistor circuits, and the sense of mass, combined with the pedalās intrinsic focus, makes it superb for tracking. The Spirit loves humbuckers, which coax real sweetness from the circuit. But it was just as happy to take a ride with a Jaguar bridge pickup and an old Fender Vibrolux with the reverb at 10. Sounds painful, right? On the contrary, it was one of the most haunting fuzz sounds I can remember playing.
A hyper-versatile algorithmic reverb with a new and groundbreaking Ensemble engine for generating orchestral-inspired pads is now available for your DAW.
Strymon Engineering has announced the release of the Cloudburst ambient reverb plugin. A direct code port of their award-winning hardware pedal of the same name, the Cloudburst plugin offers a vast library of reverb sounds and orchestral-inspired synth pads, all easily controlled by a simple and elegant user interface.Initially based around the Cloud algorithm from Strymonās iconic BigSky, Cloudburst refactors the reverb at every position on the Decay knob, allowing it to be used not only for the other worldly dreamscapes that Cloud is known for, but also for hyper-authentic rooms and halls that complement any recording style or genre of music.Controlled by a single knob, the new Ensemble engine creates synthetic pads by analyzing 48frequency bands in the source audio and then generating corresponding upper harmonic partials of what it finds in each band. The result is harmonically rich and organic synth pads that closely follow the source audio, adding complexity and dimension to any sound itās applied to.
Cloudburst Plugin Official Sound Samples | Strymon
āOne of the fun things about using a plugin version of a hardware product you know very well isthe surprise and delight that come from using it differently in a session for the first timeā, saidSean Halley, Strymonās Head of Marketing and long-time recording professional. āThe first timeI tried it on tracks I couldnāt wipe the grin off of my face - I put it on classical violins and guitars, drums, percussion and synths, and in every instance it could stay out of the way and remain infinitely professional, or it could change the genetic makeup of the sounds if I wanted it to.Even though the interface is very clean and simple, there is a virtual sonic universe in there to explore.ā Gregg Stock, Strymon co-founder and analog circuit guru said āwe couldnāt be happier with how it turned out. Weāre hoping that being able to easily run multiple Cloudbursts in a session really changes what users feel is possible, sonically. Weāre looking forward to hearing the music!ā
The Cloudburst plugin is available now directly from Strymon and from dealers worldwide for $79 US.
From devastation to celebration, Lari Basilio comes out on top with her latest album, Redemption.
The Brazilian guitaristās soaring new instrumental record chronicles her recent journey from tragedy to triumph.
āThe journey of this album actually coincides with my motherhood journey,ā says Lari Basilio, speaking about her newest release, Redemption. āWhen I started writing the songs, I had no idea that I was pregnant. It was always a dream of mine to become a mom.ā
However, tragedy struck shortly after Basilio learned of her pregnancy. āA few weeks later, unfortunately, I had to deal with the miscarriage of my very first baby. It was actually one year ago,ā recalls Basilio. āIt was a very sad time. These songs kind of became the soundtrack for this period of my life. And everything that I livedāthe emotionsāended up reflecting on my compositions. Basically, my day-to-day life ended up inspiring me to write my songs.ā
The guitar proved to be therapeutic for Basilio. As she learned to cope with the loss, Basilio found solace in her 6-string. Many of the songs on Redemption like the title track, āNew Chapter,ā āHeartbeat,ā and āForever" have a nostalgic, reflective quality. āMusic and the guitar are definitely a place of comfort for me. And I kept working and writing the songs and finishing the album,ā she explains. While working on the record, Basilio was met with a surprise. āIn the middle of the process, I found out that I was pregnant again! And at the end, weāre here. Iām about to release the new album, and I have my baby with me. It feels like my redemption moment, you know? Everything is summed up in this moment for meā
Basilio gave birth to her first child, Liam, just 20 days before our interview. The past few years leading up to this moment have marked other significant changes in Basilioās life. Two years ago, she uprooted to Texas to live in a peaceful place where she could raise a family, after a six-year stint in Los Angeles that started in 2017. She had emigrated from SĆ£o Paolo, Brazil, then to pursue her music career after gaining notoriety through her eponymous debut album and followup release, The Sound of My Room.
For her third album, 2019ās Far More, she recruited an ensemble of A-list session players like drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, bassist Nathan East, and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes. This album also featured Joe Satriani (whom she met after he invited her to be an instructor at his 2019 G4 Experience) as a guest on the track, āGlimpse of Light.ā Continuing this trend, Redemption, Basilioās fifth original release, features a return appearance by Colaiuta, in addition to bassists Leland Sklar and Sean Hurley (both of whom previously recorded on Basilioās 2022 release, Your Love), and keyboardist Mari Jacintho.
āEverything that I livedāthe emotionsāended up reflecting on my compositions.ā
Redemption is Basilioās fifth full-length of original instrumental music, and her third since moving to the United States in 2017.
Lari Basilioās Gear
Guitars
- Ibanez LB1 Signature with Seymour Duncan Lari Basilio pickups
- Ibanez Prestige AZ24047
Amps
- Laney Lionheart L20T-212
- Laney Cub-Super 12
- Laney Cub-Supertop
- Laney Ironheart IRT-SLS
- Laney Black Country Customs Ironheart IRT60H
Effects
- JHS The Violet Lari Basilio Signature Distortion
- Laney Black Country Customs Secret Path Reverb
- Seymour Duncan Vise Grip Compressor
- GNI Music Delay
- TC Electronic Flashback Delay
Strings and Picks
- DāAddario Regular Light XL Nickel (.009ā.046)
- Dunlop Standard Tortex Pick (1.0 mm and 1.14 mm)
While it can be intimidating to be in the studio with such legendary studio musicians, Basilio doesnāt really get nervous around them anymore. āI think Iām more relaxed now because we ended up becoming friends,ā says Basilio who spent two days with them in Studio Two at EastWest Studios in Los Angeles, then finished the guitars and postproduction later. āBut they never cease to amaze me. Every time Iām in the studio with them Iām absolutely blown away. Every time. So this doesn't change, because theyāre amazing musiciansāthe way they put their emotions and their personality into the songs, into the performances, itās just brilliant. I give them total freedom to put in their ideas and do anything they want, and they're always so polite, and they ask, āOh, can I do that?ā Or, āI hope you donāt mind that I tried that.ā And I would sit there and you know, I just canāt believe that these guys are there playing my songs and weāre having these amazing moments and creating these memories together in the studio. Thereās only one Vinnie. Thereās only one Leland. I hope that maybe one day Iām gonna be able to do a concert with all of them together.ā
Though Basilio maintains her public persona of guitar hero, she is also a lawyer. In fact, she comes from a family of lawyers. Her dad, husband, and two brothers are lawyers, and her mom graduated from law school, although she isnāt a practicing attorney.
Basilio at EastWest with her collaborators, from left to right: Leland Sklar, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Mari Jacintho.
Photo by Eduardo Orelha
Having a background in law, however, doesnāt mean Basilio strictly follows the rules on everythingāleast of all guitar. She sometimes employs an unorthodox fingerstyle technique where she keeps the pick tucked into her palm by using her right handās ring finger, while keeping the thumb, index, and middle finger free to pluck. Basilio says, āI think this is one of the things that came naturally. Every player has to try to find what is natural for them.ā
This approach can be heard on tracks like āSeasons,ā where Basilio plays percussively with her fingers. āI love playing fingerstyle. I play a lot both with a guitar pick and fingerstyle, and I kind of developed my own way to play fingerstyle out of the necessity of looking for new tones and new dynamics,ā she explains. āAnd I love to incorporate it into my songs, to get those percussive sounds and lots of ghost notes. Itās so much fun.ā
Redemption closes with the beautiful āForever,ā which showcases Basilioās fingerstyle technique. The song also demonstrates her strong background in music theory, which she built thanks to the organ lessons she started at age four before her father, Jesonias, handed her a nylon-string acoustic guitar and showed her open C and D chords when she was around eight years old. āForeverā is Basilioās first solo unaccompanied guitar recording, though she has performed that style many times in public over the years.
āThis is something that I always did for my videos, for my YouTube channel, but I havenāt had a full song written that way,ā Basilio explains. āI just sit down and try to play by myself, just me and my guitar. And I think it was about time for me to have a song written that way, and Iām happy I could do it for this album. Itās so much fun to try to develop it because at the end of the day, this songwriting process and style of composition is something that you develop by practicing. Some people might think that you donāt have to practice songwriting and composition, but I think it comes from practice as well.ā
Flanked by her trusty Laney amps, Basilio wields her signature Ibanez LB1-BK.
Photo by Eduardo Orelha
YouTube It
Lari Basilio uses her unique fingerstyle approach to perform a delicate and ethereal unaccompanied intro to her composition āRunning to the Other Side.ā Once the band kicks in, she goes all out from precision picking to right-hand tapping to display her jaw-dropping chops.
Fall Headline Tour Scheduled to Kick Off October 31st with Special Guest Myles Kennedy GRAMMYĀ® Award-nominated songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Wolfgang Van Halen is back with the latest single from the band he masterminds, Mammoth.
Mammoth: The End (Official Video)
āThe Endā is an adrenaline-driven rocker that kicks off with a signature lead guitar riff that has become a fan-favorite element in Wolfgangās music. The anthemic build of the intro gives way to the driving verse melody with each part carefully created and performed by Van Halen and his returning collaborator Michael āElvisā Baskette. The chorus is driven by the unforgettable vocal melody as the message of āTake your hand in mine and watch the end with me.ā The song is now available for pre-save via all digital service providers here.
āIāve had the tapping idea on the intro for āThe Endā since before Mammoth. I was able to fit it into this world. Itās still over-the-top and shreddy, but itās also melodic and controlled. Overall, I was doing some different things on the record, and I knew this was going to be a big step. Once we finished āThe End,ā it felt really special to me,ā explains Wolfgang Van Halen.To coincide with the single release, Wolfgang and Mammoth have released a music video for āThe Endā that is one for the history books and something rarely seen in music videos anymore. Wolfgang teamed up with legendary director Robert Rodriguez to do a modern-day interpretation of Rodriguezās 1996 hit film, From Dusk Till Dawn. The video tells the story of a rock band that is booked to play a show at a dive bar and given an ominous warning from the club owner portrayed by Danny Trejo. Mammoth decides they know better, and things quickly turn dire for the band before a surprising revelation during the final moments tie the complete video lore from the band together. Friends of Mammoth including Slash, Myles Kennedy and Wolfgangās mother Valerie Bertinelli all show up throughout the short film. Horror effects icon Greg Nicotero offered his talents to the video to create zombies, werewolves and vampires that all bring a deadly end to the attendees of the show.
With a short run of May dates creating excitement for a Mammoth tour, the band is announcing a Fall headline run. The End Tourkicks off on October 31st and runs for 5 weeks before it wraps up on December 7th. The tour will make stops in Las Vegas, NV (November 1), Atlanta, GA (November 8), Montclair, NJ (November 14), Chicago, IL (November 26) and Tempe, AZ (December 6) to name a few. Longtime friend Myles Kennedy will be the special guest on the run. Tickets will be on sale starting May 5th via artist presale and on sale to the public on Friday, May 9th. More information on all tickets and VIP passes can be found at www.mammoth.band