By: Dr. Matt Warnock
When you think of shred-guitar prowess and monster metal chops, players from the U.S., the U.K. or Brazil normally come to mind as the guys standing at the top of the heap. But, there is a guitarist living in Croatia that is quickly making a name for himself as a player to watch out for on today’s scene.
Ivan Mihaljevic has everything one needs to be a great guitarist, chops, ability to write catchy riffs and melodies and the knowhow to put it all together to write solid songs. His latest record, Destination Unknown showcases the guitarist as a multi-instrumental composer and lyric writer who not only plays the hell out of his guitar, but also writes poignant and memorable lyrics.
The album is very well-written. It’s heavy when it needs to be, “Instant Star (Add Water),” there are more chilled out moments, “Shadows,” and of course there is plenty of shredding to go around, the intro to “Choosh Pies” is absolutely killin’. Though there are many great songs on the record, “Dreamscapes” stands out as a dynamic and intense guitar ride that will melt the face of even the most veteran shred fan. While the song is full of lightning fast runs and fretboard acrobatics, it is the strong sense of melody that locks everything together, making it not only a standout on this album, but easily one of the best guitar instrumental tracks of the past year.
Guitar International recently caught up with Ivan for a quick conversation about his new album, his gear and his being a multi-instrumentalist.
Ivan Mihaljevic and Side Effects – photo courtesy of SE mgt.
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Matt Warnock: On Destination Unknown
Ivan Mihaljevic: I’m not a very good keyboardist as I haven’t practiced in ages. [Laughs] Guitar is my strongest instrument for sure, but lately I’ve been working on my singing a lot, so we’ll see where it all takes me down the road.
Matt: You feature some great guest artists on the new album. What was it like working with Australian guitarist Brett Garsed, who’s a huge name in the fusion guitar world?
Ivan: Well, I actually only exchanged a couple of emails with Brett when we worked on the record. I would love to meet him in person someday if I get the chance. I was originally put in contact with him through John Denner, who’s a great player as well, and Brett just recorded his solo in his studio and sent me the track to use on the record.
Matt: Speaking of John, he’s featured on that same track, “Dreamscapes.” John is an amazing player with an amazing story. How did you first meet John and what was it about his playing that inspired you to feature him on the album?
Ivan: I actually met John online through Ernie Ball-Music Man forum. I wrote a couple of songs for his album and “Dreamscapes” was one of them. For whatever reason his album was unfortunately never released, so I decided to rerecord the track for my album and get it out to be heard.
Matt: What guitars are you playing on Destination Unknown, and are you a one guitar guy or do you have a big collection that you choose from when you get into the studio or on stage?
Ivan: I used my two Music Man JP6 electric guitars as well as my Seagull S6 acoustic. After I finished recording the album, I picked up a Music Man Silhouette Special, which I use on a regular basis in the studio right now. I use the same guitars live as I do in the studio, so those are the ones I’m playing on these days.
Matt: What amps and effects do you like to use in the studio and does that rig differ from your stage setup?
Ivan: I use an Engl Powerball amp in both situations. When I’m recording, I usually record my guitar sound dry, and then add effects later in the mix, except for the Wah of course, which is done right there. On stage, I use an MXR Carbon Copy delay, MXR Stereo Chorus, Ernie Ball Wah and a Korg Pitchblack and a stage tuner, which is not really an effect but it’s on my pedalboard.
Matt: Are you planning on touring to support the new album and if so any chance you’re getting over the U.S.?
Ivan: My band Side Effects and I are playing a lot of shows here in Croatia right now in support of the album. We’d love to tour the US, but I don’t think it’s possible at the moment for various reasons. Hopefully it will happen in time, until then we’re just having fun playing for our Croatian fans.
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