 Michael Brook’s creative energies and expertise have been tapped over the years by those who recognize him as a record producer, soundtrack composer, instrument builder, inspired player and a solo artist possessed of a unique sensibility.
Michael was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and studied music at York University. In the early 80s he worked as an engineer at Daniel Lanois’ studio. At this time, Michael also met pianist Harold Budd and musical iconoclast Brian Eno.
In 1985, Michael's first solo album Hybrid, with contributions from both Eno and Lanois, was released on EG Records to great critical acclaim. That album remains among the ground-breaking works of the mid-80s.
As a musician, Michael’s electronically-enhanced guitar may be heard on many films, including composer Hans Zimmer’s scores for “Black Hawk Down”, “Mission Impossible 2”, and “The Pledge”. Michael’s invention called The Infinite Guitar was also famously used on U2’s song With or Without You from 1987's The Joshua Tree.
Over the years Michael has collaborated with a long list of international talent including Pieter Nooten, Mary Margaret O'Hara, The Pogues, Bryan Ferry, Youssou N'Dour and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Another form of collaboration for Michael is film music. Amongst others, he composed and performed the acclaimed score for the Academy Award nominated documentary "The Fires of Kuwait” and worked on the soundtrack to director Michael Mann’s 1995 film “Heat”. Most recently Michael has composed the score for the hot-button, 2006 Al Gore global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth and produced the soundtrack to the much lauded travelling exhibition “Ashes and Snow”.
Michael’s latest album RockPaperScissors was released in 2006. Into the mix, Brook introduced several singers: his former 4AD labelmate Lisa Germano; L.A. songwriter Shira Myrow; the UK’s haunting Ben Christophers; as well as the widely acclaimed Paul Buchanan of The Blue Nile. Michael takes some time out to discuss, amongst other things, his recent tour for RockPaperScissors.
FX - How did the tour go for your new album Rock Paper Scissors?'I think that BFD is a truly great and innovative product.'
MB - Very well. It was the first time I had been forced to play a lot of guitar in a long time and I really enjoyed that. Also interacting with the other musicians Julie Rogers and Lisa Germano was great. It has something that the typical studio experience of overdubbing lacks.
FX - What other projects are you currently working on?
MB - Still rehearsing for 2 more gigs, and trying to refine my touring setup. Getting my studio, and me, ready for a film score, probably starting in Mid March
 FX - What led to your engineering job at Daniel Lanois' studio?
MB - I met Dan through Jon Hassell and Brian Eno and did some engineering work to help pay for studio time for my first solo album "Hybrid"
FX - What and who have been your main musical influences?
MB - It's a bit hard to be aware of things like that for me , but things that I've listened to repeatedly are
The Beatles, Ennio Morricone, who I hope to meet tonight, Jimi Hendrix, JJ Cale Bismallah Khan, Miles Davis, Goldberg Variations, Rautavaara, Duke Ellington, Arvo Part, Captain Beefheart.
FX - What FXpansion products do you own and how do you use them, do you have any favoured techniques that you use again and again?
MB - BFD
One thing that I've used a lot is I had a drummer come in and play midi drums using BFD along to a bunch of songs that I liked, not necessarily the same part, but something that went with, and was inspired by, the song.
Then my assistant grabbed a bunch of loops from those sessions and put them into one big folder that I have always available.
This has worked out really well, giving me more nuanced, dynamic and subtly varied parts than I find with most loop libraries.
FX - Do you have any inventions currently in progress?
MB - Only a device called I-Contact that is a headset w microphone and noise reducing headphones that you plug into your Ipod and allows you to have a civilized conversation with a similarly equipped group of friends in a noisy restaurant.
Just kidding, but I wish that someone would sell it. I'd buy it
FX - What do you have lined up for the rest of the year?
MB - A film score, release of an ambient version of RockPaperScissors, some more touring I hope and then starting an album that is a bit more guitar oriented, as I'm enjoying playing it so much.
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