Interview With Robert Eldridge

Next up in our interview series of guitarists/songwriters is Robert Eldridge, guitarist and member of the band Zeut. Eldridge, who has been featured on NPR and PBS (among others) prides himself in creating a different type of sound -- one that he describes as "mental guitar music." You can check out his work at his web site.



We asked him:

You refer to your music as "mental guitar music." Can you elaborate on what that means, and how that may differ from other styles of guitar playing?

I actually call my style a self-described or self-nominated style entitled "eclectic and mental guitar music". The eclectic portion would encompass your traditional genres or styles of guitar including classical, jazz, blues etc....the mental guitar paradigm is more of style that transcends the traditional style of guitar while trying to provoke a aural setting musically utilizing a cerebral angle to it. I am basically trying to turn concrete and also abstract theme into an aural setting or thought provoking listening experience. Traditional guitar may play the guitar in order for their audience to basically listen. Mental guitar music is played in order for people, animals, or other living organism to do more than just listen. It is the intersection of the human senses. I am trying to turn the visual into the aural. I am basically trying to make the listener elicit their own "endorphin factory". ++