Tosin Abasi
Encyclopedia
Tosin Abasi is a Washington DC based virtuoso
guitarist
who is best known for playing in the instrumental
progressive metal
band Animals As Leaders
. Before Animals as Leaders was formed, he was the guitarist for the technical metalcore band Reflux. He has recorded and released two albums with Animals as Leaders: a self-titled debut
and Weightless
.
noticed his skill and offered him a record deal as a solo artist. At first, he refused saying he didn't feel comfortable with his skill level to write his own record. " Afterwards, Abasi enrolled at the Atlanta Institute of Music
, and after he graduated, he contacted Prosthetic Records asking if the offer still held. He then formed his "solo" project, Animals as Leaders
, the name loosely being derived from the book Ishmael
. At first, producer Misha Mansoor (from Periphery
) programmed all the drums and synthesizers in the album, but Tosin then chose Javier Reyes and Navene Koperwies on rhythm guitar and drums, respectively. Tosin has recently been making material with his new band T.R.A.M., consisting of Animals as Leaders alumnus Javier Reyes, Suicidal Tendencies drummer Eric Moore and former Mars Volta wind instrumentalist, Adrian Terrazas. 'T.R.A.M.' stands for Terrazas, Reyes, Abasi, Moore. In mid March, 2011, T.R.A.M. played their first show at South by Southwest, a multi-day music festival in Austin, Texas. Animals as Leaders released their second album, entitled Weightless, on November 8, 2011.
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
who is best known for playing in the instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Animals As Leaders
Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders is an American, Washington, D.C.–based instrumental progressive metal band, formed by guitarist Tosin Abasi in 2007 which now includes guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Navene Koperweis. The self-titled debut album was released in April 2009 by Prosthetic Records...
. Before Animals as Leaders was formed, he was the guitarist for the technical metalcore band Reflux. He has recorded and released two albums with Animals as Leaders: a self-titled debut
Animals as Leaders (album)
-Release and reception:The album was released on April 28, 2009 by Prosthetic Records.Ken McGrath of Rock Sound described the album as "a space-prog head-trip" and compared its sound to Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, 65daysofstatic, and Meshuggah....
and Weightless
Weightless (Animals as Leaders album)
All tracks written by Animals as Leaders.-Personnel:* Tosin Abasi – lead/rhythm eight-string guitar* Javier Reyes – rhythm/lead eight-string guitar* Navene Koperweis – drumsProduction* Navene Koperweis - engineering* Javier Reyes - mixing...
.
Career
Tosin Abasi is a self-taught guitarist. He was the guitarist for the Silver Spring, Maryland based metal band PSI. He joined Reflux in the early to mid-2000s. During a Reflux show, Prosthetic RecordsProsthetic Records
Prosthetic Records is a record label specializing in heavy metal recordings. Founded by E.J. Johantgen and Dan Fitzgerald both former employees of Columbia Records, in Los Angeles, California in 1998...
noticed his skill and offered him a record deal as a solo artist. At first, he refused saying he didn't feel comfortable with his skill level to write his own record. " Afterwards, Abasi enrolled at the Atlanta Institute of Music
Atlanta Institute Of Music
The Atlanta Institute Of Music is a facility with an instrumental certificate program for guitar, bass and drums. A recording arts program, complete with DigiDesign Pro Tools training, began in October 2008...
, and after he graduated, he contacted Prosthetic Records asking if the offer still held. He then formed his "solo" project, Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders is an American, Washington, D.C.–based instrumental progressive metal band, formed by guitarist Tosin Abasi in 2007 which now includes guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Navene Koperweis. The self-titled debut album was released in April 2009 by Prosthetic Records...
, the name loosely being derived from the book Ishmael
Ishmael (novel)
Ishmael is a 1992 philosophical novel by Daniel Quinn. It examines mythology, its effect on ethics, and how that relates to sustainability. The novel uses a style of Socratic dialogue to deconstruct the notion that humans are the end product, the pinnacle of biological evolution...
. At first, producer Misha Mansoor (from Periphery
Periphery (band)
Periphery is an American metal band from Bethesda, Maryland , formed in 2005.- Formation and lineup changes :Periphery was formed by guitarist Misha Mansoor in 2005...
) programmed all the drums and synthesizers in the album, but Tosin then chose Javier Reyes and Navene Koperwies on rhythm guitar and drums, respectively. Tosin has recently been making material with his new band T.R.A.M., consisting of Animals as Leaders alumnus Javier Reyes, Suicidal Tendencies drummer Eric Moore and former Mars Volta wind instrumentalist, Adrian Terrazas. 'T.R.A.M.' stands for Terrazas, Reyes, Abasi, Moore. In mid March, 2011, T.R.A.M. played their first show at South by Southwest, a multi-day music festival in Austin, Texas. Animals as Leaders released their second album, entitled Weightless, on November 8, 2011.
Equipment
- Guitars:
- IbanezIbanezis a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
RG2228 8-string Custom 2011 - IbanezIbanezis a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
RG2228 8-string - 8-string Ibanez LACS RGA
- 7-string Ibanez LACS
- 7-string EastmanEastman-People:* Carole Eastman , American screenwriter* Charles Eastman , Native American physician, writer, national lecturer and reformer* Crystal Eastman American lawyer, antimilitarist, feminist, socialist and journalist...
ER-1 hollow body - Custom Illustrated Luthier 8-string
- 2 Custom Strandberg 8 strings
- Legend custom 6 string
- Mayones Regius 8 string
- Ibanez
- Pickups:
- Lundgren guitar pickupsLundgren guitar pickupsLundgren Guitar Pickup's is a Swedish manufacturer of guitar and bass guitar pickups formed in 1990 by Johan Lundgren and situated in Jönköping. The company provides pickups for companies and luthiers such as the Ibanez's Custom Shop, Halkan Guitars, Conklin Guitars, Nevborn Guitars, Crimson...
M8 - Q-tuner BL-5
- EMG 808/EMG 808X
- Kent Armstrong Handmade Pickup
- DiMarzioDiMarzioDiMarzio, Inc. is an United States manufacturer best known for its revolutionary direct-replacement guitar pickups. The company also produces miscellaneous guitar accessories, such as cables, straps and hardware.DiMarzio became known for its Super Distortion model, which was the first after...
D Activator 8™
- Lundgren guitar pickups
- Amp(s):
- Fractal Audio Axe-FXFractal Audio Axe-FXFractal Audio Axe-Fx is an all in one electric guitar preamplifier/effects processor made by Fractal Audio Systems LLC., in Plaistow, New Hampshire. The processor is a two-space rack unit. The first version, called simply Axe-Fx, was introduced in 2006. Axe-Fx Ultra was introduced in 2008...
Ultra preamp (previously he used a Line 6 POD unit) - Fractal Audio Axe-FX 2
- VHT 2/50/2 stereo power amp
- Fractal Audio Axe-FX
- Cabinet(s):
- Orange AmplificationOrange AmplificationOrange Music Electronic Company is a British electric guitar and public address amplifier manufacturing company, famous for its distinctive sound and bright orange Tolex-like covering on amplifier heads and speaker cabinets...
4x12 speaker cabinet
- Orange Amplification
- Effects:
- Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro MIDI Foot Controller
- Fractal Audio MFC-101 MIDI Foot Controller
- Boomerang Plus Phrase Sampler
Animals as Leaders
- Animals as LeadersAnimals as Leaders (album)-Release and reception:The album was released on April 28, 2009 by Prosthetic Records.Ken McGrath of Rock Sound described the album as "a space-prog head-trip" and compared its sound to Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, 65daysofstatic, and Meshuggah....
(2009) - "Waves of Babies (Digital Single)" (2010)
- WeightlessWeightless (Animals as Leaders album)All tracks written by Animals as Leaders.-Personnel:* Tosin Abasi – lead/rhythm eight-string guitar* Javier Reyes – rhythm/lead eight-string guitar* Navene Koperweis – drumsProduction* Navene Koperweis - engineering* Javier Reyes - mixing...
(2011)