I met Jannis Anastasakis at a NAMM show in 2013, where he was displaying his colorful effects made in Greece, under the name Jam Pedals. Soon thereafter he sent me his Big Chill tremolo for review. It wasn’t until years later that I discovered he was a fine guitarist in the modern mold. It became obvious that, in addition to his sonic creations, the man himself deserved coverage in Guitar Moderne.
We have entered an age where guitarists often abandon notes for the musical manipulation of pure sound. Stian Westerhus is one, and Julien Desprez is another. Like Westerhus, the French guitarist is in such solid command of his effects that they become a musical instrument when combined with his manipulation of strings, slams on the guitar body, and twists of the instrument’s volume knob. Almost more amazing than Desprez solo, is how he integrates these sounds into such a wide variety of musical contexts.