Kevin Estrella of Pyramids on Mars

 

TRA: Tell us about your project?

 

KE: Pyramids on Mars was conceived Jan 6th, 2011 (The age of Aquarius).  Melodic

Instrumental rock from the Mystical Red Planet.  What made me decide to want

to be a musician was after hearing Joe Satriani’s “Surfing with the Alien” back in 

1987.  His approach to instrumental rock was what I knew I wanted to do.  Thus 

began years of practice.  The whole concept of Pyramids on Mars embodies all my 

influences, and my passion for aliens, ufo’s, and the alien artifacts that are scattered

throughout our solar system.  Pyramids on Mars actually do exist.  And through my

music I am hoping to peak peoples interest to do their own research and find out 

the truth for themselves.  

 

TRA: How long have you been playing?  

 

KE: I have been playing for 34 years now.  My  main instrument is guitar, however I

learned how to play bass as well.  My brother plays bass so I learned a lot from him.

 When we were first getting into music we were all about the bands Rush and Iron

 Maiden.  We spent a lot of out time learning their songs.

 

TRA: What do you think is best about playing the bass considering you

play many instruments give me your take on the bass?

 

KE: My approach to bass is very different from most people.  At least the way I HEAR 

the bass.  You see, my biggest musical influences are actually classical composers

 J.S Bach and Vivaldi.  I listen to more Baroque Classical than anything else, which 

is very polyphonic and contrapunctal.  Multiple melodies that are complimentary 

to each other, supporting one another, entwining together, where all instruments are 

important and add to the whole of the song.  It gives it a third dimension.  So I hear

 the bass guitar as providing not only the root movement, but a rhythm quality to it

 as well.  Because its frequencies are in the lower range, they can carry a certain sonic

 pulse, as well as provide root motion.  Many bass players approach to playing in

 a band is to accompany the guitar and drums imitating the rhythm of what they

 are doing.  I hear it differently.  The bass can ad so much more sonically and fill 

things out by NOT playing what the guitar is doing.  The bass can add a counter 

rhythm and melody that accents or accentuates what the guitar is doing.  Working 

together with the drummer to fill in the middle.  I usually have the drums playing 

both a matched rhythm that meets the guitar and bass.  Both guitar and bass will 

be playing separate parts, but the drums rhythm is a perfect marriage bringing 

everything together. Almost three dimensionally to add ad a third dimension to 

the depth of the music.

 

TRA:  You also write all your own music what gives you that inspiration?

 

KE: A magazine once interviewed me and said that Pyramids on Mars jumps

 from genre to genre but all comes together as one entity.  I was never really

 conscious of it.  I think that comes from being influenced by so many bands.  

We all are.  But because this is my solo project I have 100% creative control. 

 So I will write a metal song, industrial song, djent, ballad, dance/trance, classic

 rock.  I am not limited to what I will dig into.  I will take my influences and gleam 

in their light.  I mean, it’s all me at the end of the day.  What you will get is going to

 be powerful, soulful, gut wrenching music.  I can be influenced by a certain song,

 or band.  I take it as a catalyst and approach the song how that band would. 

 

TRA: Who are your influences? 

 

KE: I play all the instruments on my albums.  I have many bass and drum influences. 

 My favorite bass players (and who I would say inspire me to play more like them)

 would be Roger Waters (Pink Floyd), and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin).  Geddy

 Lee (Rush) is a big influence, but I can’t play anything like him!!  

For drummers, I would say John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Virgil Donati, and Thomas

 Haake (Meshuggah). 

 

TRA: When was your first show and how did it go?

 

KE: Our first show as Pyramids on Mars was at Lee’s Palace in Toronto.  We played

amazingly well.  It was very exciting to take Pyramids on Mars from the studio

 onto the stage, and it sounds great.  A lot of heads were turned that night.  Playing

 the clubs of Toronto, you don’t see a lot of bands doing virtuosic music.  So we kind

 of stand out from the crowd.    

 

TRA: What is your style of playing and how would you describe it?

 

KE: On the bass, I lay it down very thick.  I don’t play a lot of notes or flashy fills. 

 I listen for root motion and how it supports the guitar and drums.  I will try to play

 something complimentary to the guitar, but purposely steer away from playing 

the same rhythm as the guitar. 

 

TRA: When you’re not working on music how do you spend your time?

Hobbies etc...

 

KE: I love to play online games on my X-Box late at night when everyone else is 

asleep.  I am a huge fan of Gears of War series, Call of Duty, and Assassins’ Creed. 

 I am also an amateur winemaker.  I have been making wine for over 15 years.  I 

almost went pro at one point.  One of the benefits of living in Hamilton, Ontario is

 this is wine country.  Just a 20 minute drive to Niagara wine country.  I buy  

my grapes from the growers down there who supply the local winemakers.  And when

 not doing that, I like to research UFOs and Aliens. My fascination with UFOs and 

Aliens was only solidified even more, when I had my own UFO sighting in my very 

own backyard in August of 2014.  From my backyard deck, I saw a glowing orange/red

 disc moving across the sky late at night.  It must have been 40-50 ft in diameter.  

Orange/red coloured plasma was radiating all around it and streamed off its tail.  

The other strange thing about the object was it was 2 dimensional, like looking at a

 solar eclipse.  I have never seen anything like that in real life or in the movies.  

I am convinced it was not from our planet....

 

TRA: What are you listening to?

 

KE: My newest CD ‘Echo Cosmic” actually!!  I just finished the final mastering and

 listen to it a lot.  It is being released summer of 2015.  It is AMAZING.  It is high 

energy; turn up the car stereo, pedal to the metal album.  It is definitely a 

game-changer for instrumental rock.  From the feedback I have already gotten from 

those I have let hear it, it could do for this decade what Satriani’s Surfing with the 

Alien did for the ‘80’s.    Look out Satriani and Vai!!  

 

TRA: If you could have a dream band I mean besides your 

own, who you would put in it and what kind of 

music would you play?

 

KE: I really miss my old band Shatter Instinct.  We were a 4 piece band with a singer.

  We were compared to Tool and Mudvayne.  We had a great sound.  I really miss 

that band.  

 

TRA: What was your first concert?

 

KE: Rush, Hold Your Fire tour 1988.  Amazing.  What can I say?  My brother and

 I have been fortunate to go to as many live shows as we can possibly see.  Really 

memorable shows for me are Ozzy, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Meshuggah, Ministry,

 Type O Negative, Planet X, Rush, Satriani, Vai, Pink Floyd

 

TRA: what are your plans for the future?

 

KE: I am working with a music publicist who is doing promotional campaigns 

leading up the new CD release.  We have markets in Canada, US and Europe with 

prog rock magazines and radio stations that will be getting first exposure to the

 new CD.  There will also be play-through videos released of me playing along with 

many songs from the new CD and my debut CD from 2013.

In the meantime, I continue to do radio shows and magazine reviews in Canada, US, UK,

Netherlands, and Germany.  

 

 

THanks Kevin so much for sharing your world with us. Very interesting read. If you

would like to know more about Pyramids on Mars or kevin check out the links below

 

http://www.pyramidsonmars.com/

 

https://twitter.com/PyramidsOnMars_