For Sam Uctas, the guitar has been a lifelong companion. From picking up a classical guitar at seven to electrifying the strings at thirteen, Uctas’s journey has been marked by an obsession with sound, culminating in their latest album, Redacted Lines. A fusion of traditional songwriting and experimental soundscapes, the record is an audacious exploration of music, recorded with vintage analog equipment for a rich, organic listening experience.
Growing up immersed in the music of Jimi Hendrix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Parliament/Funkadelic, and Frank Zappa, Uctas honed their craft through relentless practice. “I was obsessed with the electric guitar,” they share. “I practiced up to six hours a day, learning everything I could from my heroes.” This passion continues to shape their creative process. “All of my songs start with the guitar. Lyrics come later, often adapted from poems I’ve already written.”
In an age of pristine digital production, Redacted Lines, stands apart. Recorded on vintage tape machines—the 1985 TASCAM 34b and 1982 TASCAM 244—the album embraces the imperfections of analog sound. “Digital can feel lifeless, while tape brings warmth and texture,” Uctas explains. Preferring hands-on methods over endless digital options, Uctas uses outboard compressors and equalizers to sculpt each track.
Redacted Lines, balances traditional song structures with avant-garde compositions. The titular track, “Redacted Lines,” delivers a post-punk vibe with bass, drums, guitars, and vocals. Inspired by the works of Christopher Hitchens and Gore Vidal, the lyrics critique societal misinformation.
Other songs like “In Your Eyes” delve into personal grief, drawing inspiration from Lou Reed and John Frusciante, while “Convulsions” captures the obsessive intensity of love with Velvet Underground-inspired distortion. Experimental tracks such as “Everyday is an Eternity”—a spoken-word poem written after ice baths—add an abstract dimension.
“Everything is Becoming,” a standout on the album, combines paranoiac guitar riffs, 909 drum beats, and a MOOG bass line with 90s electronic influences. “Of all the songs on the album, this one represents me the most,” Uctas reveals.
The album’s lyrics, influenced by Beat Generation writers like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs, blend storytelling with poetic craftsmanship. Uctas ensures their words can stand alone as poetry, adding layers of meaning to each track.
“Song lyrics should be able to read as poetry,” they say, drawing parallels between music and literary performance. The track “VRBA,” for example, pays tribute to Rudolf Vrba, while “Death of Kerim” builds a narrative around Edvard Munch’s painting The Death of Marat.
With, Redacted Lines, Sam Uctas delivers a deeply personal and boundary-defying body of work. The album is not just a collection of songs but an experience—a canvas of time and sound, shaped by decades of dedication to the guitar and a fearless embrace of experimentation.
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