If there’s a 21st-century guitar style, Roman Bulakhov is a prime example, particularly how he fuses rock, funk, jazz, hip-hop – and everything else – into a radical stew. The music tumbles like an acrobat, with fast rhythmic and chordal changes, yet simmers with soulful grooves. With the Ukrainian war raging, Bulakhov is living in Tbilisi, Georgia, but he’s still determined to express his music on the trailblazing release, Surfing.
In “Lonely Sad Tbilisi Dog,” we can hear how your jazz-soul guitar melds with hip-hop.
I now live in Tbilisi, where there are a lot of street dogs. Looking at them, this melody came to my mind; then I made a beat and recorded a guitar melody over it. I sent a demo to my friends for their parts – fantastic musicians Elijah Fox and Silvan Strauss – and there’s no editing. It’s just a pure, raw art of playing.
Do you have a jazz background?
I took three classes of piano in music school when I was 10, but then guitar swallowed me. I started to study at a music college in my hometown of Severodonetsk, Ukraine. My first year was as a choir conductor, then second on acoustic guitar, and finally graduated from the Kharkiv Music College as a jazz guitarist. My parents are musicians as well, and inspired me at first; back then, they played in a cover band with a very talented guitarist, Roman Ptushka, who inspired me to become a musician.
Your guitar style is so unusual. How did you develop that complex way of chopping up rhythms and layering licks, like “Kyiv Time”?
I’ve always loved drummers and their rhythmic shifts have always piqued my interest. I tried to repeat some of these elements on guitar and make them into riffs or licks. This allows me to amplify the melodies with an interesting rhythm, as if adding a new angle to the sound.
Who were your guitar influences?
I love listening to the master, Pat Metheny; my favorite recordings of his are Bright Size Life from 1976 and Unity Band from 2012. Greg Howe was a big influence on me in the beginning; thanks to him, I got acquainted with the style of jazz-rock and fusion. And of course, Guthrie Govan, the guitarist who changed the game. Absolutely fantastic musician.
“Big Cool and Angry” blends heavy rock and soul attitudes. Who plays that thick fuzz-bass riff?
Yeah, that track is an absolute mess of mood changes. When I wrote it, I wanted to show all my extreme states, to make it like a tsunami of emotions. I recorded bass by myself and put a huge, fuzz, pulsing synth note to make a powerful low-end, which creates a sound explosion I love so much.
Which D’Angelico guitars do you use?
I have a lot of them, but my favorite is an Excel DC, which was the first D’Angelico I got and has the best semi-hollow tone I’ve ever heard. I did more than 200 gigs with that guitar, and will play 200 more with pleasure!
What about amps – or is everything inside your computer?
I mainly recorded the sound of Neural DSP Quad Cortex. Sometimes I used a Supro Delta King, set clean with two mics – a Shure SM57 and AKG C414. For guitar fuzz, I used a Pigtronix Star Eater.
Tell us about “Ukrainian Song.” That has expert acoustic work.
“Ukrainian Song” was a working title; the real name is “Your Day,” which in Ukrainian is “Твій день.” I decided to arrange it for acoustic guitar and string quartet, which gives the track even more sensuality and thoughtfulness, immersing the listener in the mood. It features my brother, Zhenya Milkovskyi, from our rock band, Nervy, who sings in Ukrainian, while Gigi Dedalamazishvili, from the band Mgzavrebi, sings in Georgian. It’s a two-language song and there are many meanings in the lyrics, but the main motif is “Everything I’ve lost – let someone else find it.” I’m very proud of it.
How is the war impacting your music?
The war radically changed my life, and now, life and emotions directly affect the music I’m creating. On this album, I tried to concentrate on what’s happening in my country and, even in this instrumental music, aim to touch on important topics.
Tell us about the Ukrainian players on Surfing?
I invited many Ukrainian musicians to take part; even if there are no national motives in the tracks, the progressive sound we made together is the Ukrainian sound today. For example, the band Hyphen Dash recorded their parts in Kyiv during an air raid, sometimes hiding in a bomb shelter. Ukraine is full of brave people and talents – I am sure that everyone who listens to Surfing will be convinced of it.
This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
