Jimmy Page was very important to me and I still consider him one of the great guitar masters
W (Daniel Dystyler): Hello, Kiko?
KL: How are you all doing? Good afternoon.
W (DD): Good afternoon.
W (Rafael Masini): All right, all right, Kiko, good morning, right? Good morning here.
W (DD): Well, we're here talking to Kiko Loureiro, it's great to have Kiko here. Kiko, I wanted to start by asking you how you became interested in Rock and especially the guitar.
KL: Wow, that was a long time ago, huh?
W (DD): It's been a while.
KL: Well, as far as I remember, well… I had some cousins who listened to, you know? Kiss and bands like that, but I remember well when Kiss came to Brazil, I was super young, and it was something that was on TV. This was in the eighties, and then there was Rock in Rio in '85, which was very big too. But by then I was already listening to some bands, so much so that I was already a fan of Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, Ozzy, Scorpions, who were at the first Rock in Rio. But I studied at Rio Branco, the school, and there at Rio Branco there was a library where you could borrow vinyl. So I would research when I was about 11, 12, 13 years old, I would borrow vinyl records of bands I didn't even know very well but I liked the cover or something I heard about and I'd go back there, you know? So I ended up listening a lot to Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, bands that weren't from my time, contemporary ones. Pink Floyd, I got to know them and started liking them, so I would record them on cassette tapes. And when I became a big fan of a band, I started buying them, building my vinyl collection and all that, you know? But it all started in high school.
W (DD): That's really cool, Kiko. Tell us, you were chosen by the Japanese magazine Burn! as the best guitarist in the world. How does it feel, thinking back to when you were a kid and started listening to and getting interested in guitar, to reach such an important point?
KL: Ah… It's crazy. Also, when you start listening, playing, you do it for pleasure, right? You never imagine that one day you'll be in Japan, and one day a Japanese magazine will choose you as the best and all that, but it's definitely rewarding, right? Of course it is, you know how many years you spend doing the work and you kind of understand why people like you. I mean, you can't always understand, right? Why people like us. So much so that in Japan the first album went gold and we were kind of confused. When Angels Cry was released there.
W (DD): That's great.
KL: I think that was even more powerful, right? When we recorded Angels Cry and it came out in Japan, and then the news came, "Oh, you guys are gold in Japan." Magazine cover, best new band and all that. That was super powerful because we were in Brazil living with our parents, you know? Life was just the same, right? Nothing changed.
W (DD): Yeah, you guys were just kids back then, right?
KL: I was 21, the guys were 22, right? Rafael, André, and so on. So that was intense, because it was something distant. We didn't feel it, there wasn't that glamour or anything, right? But it was cool, right? It was cool, this whole gold record thing and being featured in magazines in Japan. And receiving letters, back then there were letters, right? There was no internet. I received letters in Japanese, gifts, things like that. That's really gratifying and something you can't even imagine. So, you're studying guitar at 15, 16, 17 years old and a few years later, like, when you're 21, this happens. So, I think that was even more powerful than being elected later, after more than 10 years of my career, right?
W (RM): That's really cool. And speaking of that, picking up on what you said about Japan electing you as the best guitarist, this "best" thing is always a bit subjective, right?
KL Ah, so, that's why… It's cool that you won the award, obviously, right? I'm not going to be hypocritical and say "Oh no, nonsense," but I feel it more as recognition from the fans, or like, the fans liked it, it was around the time Angra's Temple of Shadows came out and I had made a kind of Brazilian fusion album, Universo Inverso, which went totally against the stereotype of the metal shredder, you know? That album.
W (RM): Yes.
KL: And it helped a lot that we had a really good album, which we're very proud to have made, Temple of Shadows by Angra, and along with this album that shows another side of Kiko that the guys didn't even imagine, I think those two things combined generated this thing of being recognized as the best there. Because it was very well spoken of in Burn! magazine about both albums. We also won best album of the year with Temple of Shadows, best cover, and I don't know what else we won. We won several things that year.
You never imagine that one day a magazine from Japan will name you the best, but it's certainly rewarding
W (DD): Yeah, and in a little while we'll talk a bit more about your solo work, right? And Universo Inverso is really a very different album, very cool for guitarists, very nice, it has some really cool phrases, feelings, and vibes. And you said it was great to see the fans' recognition, so I wanted to turn the question around a bit: as a fan, who are the three guitarists you think are the coolest of all time, and who have you been listening to most lately?
KL: Man, when it comes to all-time guitarists, we end up going to a common place, which would be Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix… Of guys who are still active, it sounds kind of repetitive too, but Jeff Beck, because he's super active. And he doesn't live in the past, he's a guy who's always proposing new things, coming out with different albums, and he's a legend. A living legend of the guitar, but when he releases an album there's always something new, he's not a guy remaking things he did in the past or being a cover of himself, like there are several more legendary artists out there who live a lot in the past, right? Not him, he shows that creativity has no age. The guy who's always proposing new things, so I think he's one of the biggest references for guitarists today. Jimmy Page was very important, because he was one of the main reasons I started playing guitar when I was in high school, at Rio Branco. I listened to a lot of Led Zeppelin, so it was something I said, "Wow, I need to play guitar" because of those Led Zeppelin songs. So I think Jimmy Page was also very important to me, and I still consider him one of the great guitar masters.
W (DD): That's really cool. Yeah, yesterday I met Felipe and Rafael at the G3 show here in São Paulo and those guys – Petrucci – are amazing musicians.
KL: Also, G3, Steve Morse, yes. Yeah, I'm mentioning the most legendary ones, right?
W (DD): Sure.
KL: But of course, there will be moments, right? Petrucci, Steve Vai, Steve Morse, I mean, those not so modern ones. I don't even know how old Steve Morse is, but there's even the guys, Tosin Abasi, for example, who are fantastic, right? Eight-string guitar. Then it's really young kids, super good. Periphery, Animals as Leaders, these bands that are coming up with influences from this mix of Steve Vai and Meshuggah. I don't know, a mix like that, which is what's happening now in the United States, which is in vogue now in the guitar scene, in Metal, which is really cool. Tosin Abasi, I recommend them.
W (DD): Good, good recommendation. Kiko, let's talk a little about Sounds of Innocence. Are you touring, are you promoting it, how's the release of your fourth solo album going?
KL: So, it just came out, right? And now we're putting together a tour for March of next year in Brazil.
W (DD): Oh, that's great.
KL: Yeah, because of the schedule and also because I pushed it forward so I could put together something in sequence. Something a bit more in the style of what's done in Europe, and so on, which is to push the tour forward and try to put together a more complete sequence of shows, a longer sequence of shows.
W (RM): That's great, very cool. We were very honored to discover that you wrote to us, that you listen to Wikimetal, listen to our episodes, so you should already know that we always ask the same question to all our special guests, a classic question that we like to know, so we can play some music here for us to listen to a little beyond our conversation. Imagine you're listening to your iPod, on shuffle, in random mode, there are millions of Heavy Metal songs and suddenly a specific song starts playing that you can't control yourself with, that makes you feel the need to headbang wherever you are, what song is that for us to listen to now on Wikimetal?
KL: Haha. Man, that's a tough question, but it's definitely one of those songs that really got me into Heavy Metal during that teenage phase I was talking about. So, Powerslave, for example, by Iron Maiden, would probably be one of them.
W (DD): Very good choice, Powerslave by Iron Maiden, here on Wikimetal. Awesome.
You go to big festivals around the world and you run into a lot of artists that you grew up listening to
W (DD): Okay, Kiko, so you've already done some great guest appearances with other vocalists and guitarists, and so on. Tell us about one that really stood out, one that you really enjoyed working with.
KL: I did it with Tarja… I did two long tours with Tarja and recorded with her too. And that thing with Tarja happened because it was just one tour, it was a month, and it worked out, and that was it. Then that thing grew and we did another one. But I never had time to accept invitations, like, last year they invited me to play with Thin Lizzy, which is a historic band, right?
W (DD): Wow, that's awesome.
W (RM): Legal.
KL: Yeah. But then, it wasn't possible either, because the guys wanted to go on a 5-month tour, they'd have to abandon their lives to face it, you know? So it ended up not happening, it wasn't feasible, but it's a cool, historic band, you know?
W (DD): It's an honor to receive this invitation, isn't it? That's really cool.
KL: Yeah, it's because I know Mark Mendoza well, the bassist who used to be in Whitesnake, right? He's in Thin Lizzy now. So he invited me, for example. Sometimes things like that happen, but it doesn't always work out, right? Because you have to give up everything you're doing to do that. In Tarja's case, it was certain because I was just replacing the lead guitarist, who was going to have a child and she needed me. And some of the recordings I did were on acoustic guitar, which she likes, Angra always has some nylon-string guitars, something a bit more classical, or more Brazilian, and she wanted some of that on her album, so that's why I participated, it wasn't even to play electric guitar, right? And the festivals with Angra, that's the coolest part. You go to festivals, big festivals around the world, and you run into a bunch of artists you grew up listening to backstage, right? I think you guys must have done that too. But it's cool, you get to be on the same stage and chat with the guys where you're eating, right? Suddenly you're sitting at the table with the guy from Twisted Sister, you know? They were a band I loved when I was a kid. Or, I don't know, Queensrÿche. I also did a summer camp in Europe last year with Allan Holdsworth, who was a guy I always admired a lot, or this year I did one with Greg Howe, with Uli Jon Roth, who was the guitarist for Scorpions, right?
W (DD): Uhum.
KL: So, that's super cool, especially when you have time to hang out with the guys, right? Talk, spend a few days together, and then you really get to know the person. That's really cool, really cool.
W (RM): Kiko, in the show's intro we played Dilema, which is from your album "No Gravity," and now I'd like you to choose a song from your new album, "Sounds of Innocence," for us to listen to now on Wikimetal.
KL: Well, one of the songs on the album is a bit more Metal, the album is quite varied, right? But there's a song called Conflicted, which leans more towards Metal, and it has spectacular drumming by Virgil Donati, a great drummer, one of the greatest drummers in the world, and he made a super special guest appearance on that song, especially. A great drummer who took the song to another level when he recorded the drums, so I think it's worth listening to.
W (DD): That was Conflicted, Kiko's choice was really cool, the sound of the new work is also very good. Yeah, I wanted to ask you something that I'm sure thousands of Metal fans around the world want to know, which is: what's the current situation with Angra?
KL: So, Angra, we're currently in the process of listening to and discussing vocalists, and so on, right? So, we're in that role now. Actually, Rafael is more involved in this; he's receiving the material. Rafael is a great singer, right? People have probably already seen his solo album. So he's even more suited to do this initial screening, right? And then, obviously, we already kind of know the great singers in Brazil and in São Paulo that people keep saying: "Why don't you call this one, why don't you call that one?" We kind of already know all the people that people recommend, right? We know at least four or five fantastic guys in Brazil, but it's good to hear others too, right?
W (DD): Uhum.
KL: Sometimes there are others who aren't exactly well-known, so to speak. It's good to know how to speak up, like, send your material, send it, maybe we'll also meet a fantastic guy out there, kind of unknown, like Dragonforce did, right? Dragonforce, they took a guy who had absolutely no experience.
W (DD): Their new vocals are really good.
KL: Exactly, they got a good guy, but… I remember meeting Herman Li, they had just discovered this new vocalist and he told me: “We preferred to get an unknown but good guy.” And you have to wait for the guy to gain experience, but I think that's not much of a problem when you already play in a band with a lot of experience. The guy adapts and things work out. So here we are, Rafael is receiving the material, and of course, we already know a little about these great vocalists we have in Brazil and soon we'll sift through them, see them, discuss them and talk directly with these people, you know? And record, make a demo, do something like that, maybe even do a show…
W (DD): That's what I was going to ask, if you guys don't intend to do something similar to what Dream Theater did with Mike Mangini.
KL: Yeah, if it works out, it'll happen. But you need someone who knows about the subject, right? About production, TV, programs, to make something good. You can see that Dream Theater was really well done, right? And so we're talking to this production company to see what format we can do, right?
W (DD): Legal.
"I was invited to play in Thin Lizzy, which is a historic band."
W (RM): Well, Kiko, I'm just asking you for a song, but it's because the songs from your career are really great. I wanted to, since we're talking about Angra and there's this good news that you're searching and will soon have you back on stage. Choose an Angra song for us to listen to, a song that you're proud to have played and will play. Which song would that be? An Angra song.
KL: Well, we've been talking about this for a while now, there are so many songs, right?
W (RM): That's right.
KL: That's difficult, but it could be Angels and Demons. We were talking about Temple of Shadows at the beginning. So I'm going to choose a song from Temple of Shadows, Angels and Demons, a song I really like. Edu and I composed it, and the song was born in an afternoon, like, I always like it when songs are born quickly like that, in just one day, right? There are some bands that use this technique, they arrive at the studio without any ideas and whatever comes out that day they record and so on, and they believe in the idea that came out in that brainstorm of the whole band, so I think this song was more or less like that, I think it's cool to show it to the guys, then.
W (DD): Very good, that was Angels and Demons, chosen by Kiko Loureiro, very cool. Kiko, what was the best band to emerge recently, in your opinion?
KL: Wow, that's a tough question, isn't it? So many bands, man, I'm here in Europe, every day when you see the events that are happening, there are a lot of bands I've never heard of, and when you listen to them they're super good and all that, right? It's a breeding ground for bands. It always has been and it's getting even more so. So I don't know, I mentioned Animals as Leaders, but it's instrumental. It's very interesting, very interesting… it's an American band, for those who like a more progressive sound with some good guitarists, it's heavy, kind of Meshuggah-ish, but it's a new path, right? It's a new mix, so I'll mention Animals as Leaders.
W (DD): Okay, Kiko. We're almost finished with our interview, and I just wanted to ask you to give some advice to a musician who's just starting out, a 13 or 15-year-old kid who's thinking about either forming a band or starting to play guitar. What would you say to him?
KL: Well, there's that common saying, right? Like, believe in your dreams. We've always said that you really have to believe in them, right? Dedicate yourself. You have to live music 24 hours a day, you have to study your instrument, you have to go to shows, you have to rehearse with your friends, everything, right? Watch videos and stuff, and stay focused on music constantly so you have the vocabulary, right? To know the history, to have resources when you're composing your own songs. And that's it, find the guys you identify with to form a band and believe in the dream. Then it's just practice and dedication and going all in. But of course, when I started, with the bands that start today, I think it's a complicated thing, man, because when I started playing, I had my neighborhood friends who were musicians as good as or a little better than me, they were all starting out, it was all the same thing. There was this teacher who was, of course, the best, and then there were the great foreign musicians, who had to be much better, the great rock stars, right? So it made sense, didn't it? Nowadays, with this YouTube thing, you open up a gigantic spectrum in front of your computer, right there? In front of you, and suddenly you see a five-year-old Chinese kid playing Virgil Donati's drums, so it can be encouraging, or it can discourage the guy who's studying, because he's there at 15 years old studying guitar and then an eight-year-old Japanese kid appears playing a thousand times better than him. This happens a lot, right? Today it's open, the whole world is open in front of you, right? And this thing about YouTube videos brings a violent evolution to humanity, I believe, because people see these kids playing well, this in everything, not just music, but art in general, in everything, right? So I think it can be discouraging. So that's the big moment for you to believe in yourself, to compose your own things, right? Because those elements you learned about music since childhood, only you will have them. That's where the composition aspect becomes important, the aspect of believing in your ideas, in your worldview.
W (RM): And a final message for our listeners.
KL: Well, first of all, it's a pleasure to be here at Wikimetal. I met you guys through Nando at Rock in Rio, backstage; he was recording interviews with the band and all that. And I'm a podcast fan, actually. Since I travel a lot, one of my companions ends up being listening to podcasts on general topics, you know? And I was happy when I saw that there was a Brazilian podcast about Metal, right? And we see, there are even some American ones and stuff, but I was very happy to see that you guys were doing a good job, and so I wanted to congratulate you on the initiative and hope I can participate more often, why not? And long live Wikimetal. Hugs to everyone.
W (DD): That's right, cool, Kiko, thank you for the compliments, it's an honor for us to have one of the greatest guitarists in the history of the country here saying this about us, and participating, and for sure the doors are always open for you to come and promote your solo work, work with Angra, anything you might do in the future.
KL: Beauty.
W (RM): Yeah, Kiko, I also want to congratulate you on your latest album. I already liked Universo Inverso a lot, and I loved the work. You can see your dedication; it really gets better and better. Congratulations on this latest album.
KL: Wow, thanks, thanks. So here's my promise, as soon as I have some dates, some more concrete news about Angra, I'll let you know. It's great to have a chat like this.
W (DD): That's it, great, Kiko, thank you so much and thank you for all the time you spent with us, because I know your schedule is super busy and it was worth it for participating here at Wikimetal.
KL: No problem, thanks a lot, man. Big hug to everyone there. Bye bye.
