"Locked in a Basement" with Heernt's Mark Guiliana
Creative Drumming All the Way
by Chris DiGirolamo (Inside Connection Magazine July 2006)
Every so often a new CD comes along that can fly under the radar and not get the recognition it deserves. I recently was introduced to an independent project by a new group called Heernt. Their new CD, Locked in a Basement, is some of the most creative and well-played music I have heard in a while. Last month I was able to attend their CD release party in NYC, which was a Top 10 in the live performance department for 2006. I also was able to experience drummer Mark Guiliana, who is one of the most creative players to enter the drum community in some time. He was kind enough to tell us about his background and this new CD, which has not left my CD player.
InsideCx: Tell us about your beginning with the drums.
MG: I started playing drums in 1995 when my parents gave me a couple months worth of drum lessons with the local drum teacher as a Christmas gift. I could not have been any luckier that the local drum teacher was Joe Bergamini. Joe is the reason I am a drummer. He gave me the tools and inspiration to build a solid foundation, which to this day I bring with me to every musical situation. I quickly got involved in every possible environment " "marching band, orchestra, jazz band, pit band, etc. I just wanted to play drums as much as I could.
InsideCx: You have such a unique and solid style. Tell us about your early influences and your most recent influences that may have placed that effect on your playing.
MG: My earliest influences had a lot to do with what I was checking out before I started playing drums. I was mostly listening to bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana. It was those kinds of drummers, Chad Smith and Dave Grohl respectively, who helped shape my early ideas. Even if I couldn't play what they were doing, I still got a kick out of playing along with those records. Joe was always throwing tons of music in my face and it wasn t long before jazz caught my attention. Buddy Rich became a fixture on my stereo.
I had to figure out this whole jazz thing, so I started taking lessons with John Riley while I was still in high school. The time I spent with John was priceless. He helped me to open up conceptually and encouraged me to explore the masters: Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Tony Williams, Art Blakey, the list goes on. I'd have to say that Tony is my biggest drum hero of all timepast, present and future.
A very short list of my most recent drumming influences [includes] Dan Weiss, Chris Pennie (Dillinger Escape Plan), Jeff Ballard, Vinnie Coliauta, Jim Black, Bill Bruford and many more, and of course all the guys I already listed.
InsideCx: What do you take to the drum kit that other drummers do not?
MG: I can't claim to bring anything to the drum set that other drummers do not, but I always make sure I bring an open mind and honesty.
InsideCx: Is there something that you were taught as a young player that you feel maybe is not being taught too much today?
MG: It has to be fun! Maybe it's just me, but I think playing the drums is one of the most fun things to do in the world. It seems as though some teachers forget to use that to their advantage. Naturally, every drummer needs to dedicate himself to the instrument to obtain the tools and techniques needed to create the music they desire. But if there is no fun involved, they will not be happy. There has to be a balance. I think my most proud musical moments have been rooted in having fun.
InsideCx: Tell us about your history with the amazing bassist Avishai Cohen.
MG: I met Avishai in New York in 2000 when I was attending William Paterson University. My roommate, Brian Killeen, was taking lessons with him and we would go hear him play whenever we could find a ride. We developed a friendship that led to the creation of GADU, a rock band that included two more friends from school, singer Jeff Taylor and guitarist Dan Hindman. The band was a blast. We played a weekly gig at the C-Note, a little club on the Lower East Side, on and off for almost two years. Avishai and I were playing so much together in that period that we developed a really nice lockup and found a place for things rhythmically. After I graduated from WPU in May 2003, Avishai invited me to be in his jazz project, which is the unit we still tour with today. Since then, I have been on his last three records " "%Lyla%, %At Home% and %Continuo%and have been touring the globe extensively. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be playing with Avishai on a regular basis. It truly has made me a much better musician.
InsideCx: Your new project, Heernt, seems to have some sort of unspoken musical direction that really highlights the drum set like I have not heard since a %King Crimson Red% type of recording. Can you explain this musical direction?
MG: Heernt started very casually as an outlet for some things I was writing. Just the opportunity to perform my own music was rewarding enough in the beginning. After some gigs in New York and nights recording in my basement, I realized that we had become a band. The musical direction was not too premeditated. An early goal was to create an outlet that would represent all of my influences and allow the music to go absolutely anywhere. Our repertoire is extremely diverse and I hope to continue in that manner. Although our songs may not be considered all the same genre, I think they are all very Heernt. It is very flattering to be mentioned alongside King Crimson; I am a big fan!
InsideCx: Tell us about "Locked in a Basement." This is one of the best recordings that has gone through my hands in some time. Tell us about the band and the recording project.
MG: Locked in a Basement is a dream come true. It is a great feeling to know that we created this record from scratch, and now it is actually out in stores! We recorded all the music in my basement over the course of a couple months, rehearsing and fine-tuning the arrangements. This was a dress rehearsal for the actual record date, which was in August 2005. We tracked everything in three days at a little studio in Whippany, N.J., called the Den with an amazing engineer named Zak Rizvi. The goal for %Locked in a Basement% was to simply make the best album we could at that time. I am very proud of how we went about making the record. There was no compromise from start to finish. I can only hope that the listener hears how much fun we had making the album.