Of Castles & Chords – Interview with Stephen C. Spiteri
- Keith Muscat
- Jun 2
- 12 min read
Many associate Dr. Stephen C. Spiteri with fortresses and military history, and rightly so because he is the mind behind tons of research and a multitude of publications, apart from having lectured on the subject for many years at the University of Malta. Others also know him for his pen drawings featured in exhibitions and, more frequently, on his Facebook page. But behind the academic and artist, there is also an unknown musician who loves to explore and tinker with synthesizers and electric guitars to create his own music. The Sound of Tinkering is his latest endeavor. This solo project is, as he describes it “a journey of exploration and discovery made possible only with modern technology and the magic of Digital Audio Workstations (DAW).” Let us dig a bit deeper into the mind behind The Sound of Tinkering.
What is your first recollection of music? What type of music were you exposed to when you were still very young?
My introduction to music came with my father, who loved classical music and opera, and played them at home all the time on his cabinet record player. But the real hold over my imagination came from my uncle, Norbert, my mother’s younger brother, who opened up a world of contemporary groups and singers whenever, on weekends or during the long summer holidays, I spent time at my grandmother’s house in Ħamrun. Norbert also gave me my first record player as a teenager.
How did your musical tastes change as you grew up?
I have always been drawn to rock music and this taste has not changed much as I grew older, although, nowadays, I appreciate and seek out most forms of music. The first LP record I ever bought with my own pocket money, much to chagrin of my opera-loving father, was 24 Carat Purple by Deep Purple, which I could only play when he was not at home. Eventually, I found my way to the Canadian group RUSH and this trio has remained my most favorite band ever since. Along the way I discovered many other bands such as Queen, U2, Simple Minds, Marillion, Flock of Seagulls, Dream Theatre, Nightwish, Amaranthe, Tazenda, etc., and recently, Damaged & Co.
Which groups influenced you to pick up an instrument and which was the instrument of your choice?
The band which most heavily influenced my notion of song writing and musical creation has been, undoubtedly, RUSH. Their blend of guitar and synthesizer sound, coupled with deep meaningful lyrics – a unique combination of rock music and intellect – has never lost its hold over me.
Perhaps, it was for this reason that I was drawn early in my adolescence to the fascinating creative sounds and boundless potential of synthesizers and electric guitars, as well as the bass, and these remained the main instruments in my quest to create my own compositions.
My first instrument was an acoustic twelve-string guitar, and this was followed by an electric guitar which I bought with the money earned from a summer job at a bottling factory. It was a black Hohner HG-427TB, a telecaster copy, solid body electric guitar with two humbucker pickups, which sadly I no longer have. This was followed by my first synthesizer, a Korg X-911 monophonic guitar synth which allowed me, amongst other things, to play my guitar as a bass. I eventually also bought an unwieldy second-hand Jen keyboard / synthesizer which introduced me to sequencers. Rock, however, requires drums, and it was only after I discovered drum machines and later, midi-programming, that I was able to truly formulate complete tracks of my own.
In 2003, together with Pierre Galea (lead / rhythm guitars), Andre’ Magri (lead / rhythm guitars and John Spiteri Gingell (vocals / lyrics), you formed the recording group My Aku Aku. How did this come about?
I don’t recall the exact moment when this actually came about, but by that time I had tried to join a garage band or two, none of which lasted very long, largely because I was more interested in recording than in playing live. I think the breakthrough moment came when I got to know Pierre Galea, an excellent guitarist, with whom I got along very well and formed a lasting friendship. We had first met, I believe, via the band ‘The Unexplained’, headed by the late Pawlu Borg, when they used to rehearse in one of the changing rooms at the Infetti football ground in Mrieħel, which was situated just a stone’s throw away from my parent’s house. I also roped in my younger brother John as singer and as lyricist – ever since our youth (prior to the age of computer games and smart phones) we used to entertain ourselves at home by creating songs and recording them on a Philips double tape recorder, which allowed us to primitively overlay tracks and create the semblance of songs. Around 2004, John introduced me to Andre’ Magri, another excellent guitarist and IT specialist, who in turn introduced me to midi programming and also contributed his own original compositions which were included in the last two albums. This was basically the line-up of My Aku Aku. Above all, however, it was my discovery of the magic of digital audio workstations (DAW) which truly opened up the world of recording to me. The ability to record at home, and at one’s leisure, with precision and clarity, made all the difference, as did the access to countless virtual instruments and other recording and editing software.
What is the meaning behind the name of the group – My Aku Aku?
The name My Aku Aku is taken from Thor Heyerdahls’ book Aku Aku, The Secret of Easter Island (London, 1960). Thor Heyerdahl was the famous archaeologist and explorer who sailed across the pacific on board a replica of an ancient balsa raft, the Kontiki, to test his hypothesis of a seaward migration towards the isolated Easter Island with its monumental statues. At the time when we were forming the group, I was very much into this type of literature. The Aku Aku is a sort of spirit, the inner soul of the ancient Easter Island people. The name had a particular significance to us as it resonated with our musical attempt to give form to our inner voices, the spirit, so to speak, that captured the ineffable and inexpressible nature of our humanity. The words of Thor Heyerdahl himself best explain this: ‘My thoughts were my aku aku … conscience, intuition, all that could be put together to convey the idea of an invisible spirit’.
My Aku Aku released three albums, Ozymandias (2003), Spiral Vortex (2004) and Stories for Boys (2006). Tells us something about these three albums and how the sound of the band evolved through the years.
The albums developed mainly as concept albums, and all revolved around broad themes. Ozymandias revolved around the mysterious and impermanent nature of our existence; Spiral Vortex, formed around the theme of the geometric patterns that permeate the universe – the spiral being the metaphorical symbol of the cycle of life, the essence that connects all things;
Stories for Boys, on the other hand, was more loosely bound, but dealt with an emerging youth, with tales of mystery and adventure, and the coming of age. This last album was, in my opinion, the best of the three efforts, both technically and recording-wise.
My Aku Aku was more of a recording project than a live band. Was this a conscious decision?
Yes, indeed. My interest has always been primarily in the creative process of music-making, the studio work, rather than the performative aspect. It still is to this day. I consider it as an extension of my drawing or painting, where the musical instruments become my pens and brushes; their sounds, my colours; and the digital audio workstation, the paper on which I bring everything together. The combinations are infinite and exciting, and discovering these is what truly drives me along. Although recording requires concentration and can be tiring and taxing on your nerves, especially when you must repeat takes until you finally get it spot on, it can also be cathartic in its own way.
After My Aku Aku disbanded did you pack up your instruments and call it a day or did your continue tinkering as a solo artist?
I think, looking back, we never consciously disbanded; it was just that life came our way, as we each had to face our own separate work and family commitments. There also was little effort exerted on our part to disseminate our music apart from the handing out of a few complimentary CDs. There were a couple of favourable reviews in the local papers, mind you, and a website was set up by John to promote the music, but in effect these didn’t attract many listeners. At the time none of us had Facebook. So, it simply died a natural death. But deep down there was always the desire to create something together again at some later stage. For a while, I experimented alone with midi, creating a handful of new instrumental tracks which I have now remastered and reused. But for most of the intervening years I had little time and energy to think about it, caught up as I was in my studies and other obligations. It did not help, either, that computers and hard drives kept dying on me with the loss of most of the original music files (especially those linked to VST settings). It was a good thing that I had converted many of the tracks to audio format since this eventually allowed me to recuperate and remaster the material, though not without difficulty.
In 2020 you made a comeback with The Sound of Tinkering project, which is basically your solo and independent recording project. What rekindled the flame for composing and recording new tracks?
I believe two things served to rekindle the desire to start tinkering again with music; the first was the Covid lockdown, which found me with more time on my hands and the need to do something creative in order to retain my sanity; secondly, and perhaps more importantly, was that I got to know Keith Muscat. After I returned from my studies at University in February 2019, I was posted in the same office as Keith, and we quickly developed a friendship, as we found we both had a deep mutual fascination with history and music. Keith, as the keyboardist and lyricist of a leading metal band named Damaged and Co., allowed me the unique privilege of listening to their tracks as these were being composed and developed, and this inevitably reawakened my dormant (hibernating) enthusiasm for music making. Still, it was not a straightforward task, as I had to slowly relearn the process and tricks of digital recording, and grow acquainted with the latest DAW software since these had changed from the simpler versions, I used to work with 15 years earlier. Moreover, the decision to restart where I left off, also meant that I had to invest in new equipment to allow me to create the basics of a recording studio environment – nothing fancy, but the tools necessary to get the job done.
How did the name of your project come along?
Good question. Partly by accident. For a long while, I had been casting around for a suitable name, original but unpretentious - one that would capture or reflect my music and recording process, but I failed to come up with an appropriate title. Then, I fortuitously came across a painting by Jean Eugene Buland, titled The Tinkerer, depicting a tinker in his workshop, and this triggered off the whole idea of The Sound of Tinkering. For, at the end of it all, my music remains little more than the sound of my own tinkering with guitars, synths and software … an ephemeral imprint signalling a “we were here” moment in the ever-shifting sands of time.
What are your current inspirations when you sit down to compose your music?
These vary. Often, a track or song starts off with a simple tune or a sequence of chords on my acoustic guitar or keyboards, or a riff on my electric guitar, and eventually I develop these into a compositional structure, adding drums, bass and keyboards as I go along. Broadly, my style falls under the category of Alternative or Progressive rock, but I try not stick to any one style and let the music take me where it goes - at times electronic, at times acoustic and at times hard rock. Not everything works out, obviously, but occasionally an idea starts to come together with the potential to develop into a song or instrumental track. Usually, the final product is unanticipated, the result of a pleasant accidental discovery and blending of the various textures, sounds and beats. Often, there also develops a theme, suggested by the nature of the melody or rhythm itself, like for example the track ‘Ebb and Flow’ which came to suggest the motion of receding and returning waves in a tide.
At the moment, and working alone as I do, the new tracks tend to be instrumental pieces, since my voice is not really suitable for singing. Still, I have composed a handful of songs, lyrics and all, which I would like to see materialize at some stage - hopefully, along the way, I will find a vocalist who is willing to collaborate with me.
Apart from new material, you have also remastered material from the three albums released by My Aku Aku. How difficult was it to rework tracks that were recorded by technology that today is considered as nearly obsolete?
Yes, apart from creating new material, I took it upon myself to remaster many of the old tracks, some 29 in all, from the previous three My Aku Aku albums. I also heavily re-engineered many of these and converted them from songs into instrumental tracks, especially those from the first two albums. In many instances, the re-engineered tracks are now virtually new compositions, and I renamed them accordingly. This proved easier said than done, however, since having unfortunately lost many of the original files, I had to acquire and learn to use dedicated software that allowed me to dissect the old audio tracks and separate them into their various component layers. Where it was not possible, I had no option but to re-record the various elements again. This was very time-consuming and not always successful. So I reused what I could, but I am very glad I invested the effort, tedious as it was, as they now sound much richer and complete.
Where can people find your music to listen to?
The Sound of Tinkering, 39 tracks in all, can be found both on Youtube, in a playlist in my channel under my name (Stephen Spiteri), as well as on SoundCloud, under the Sound of Tinkering, as per the links below:
Apart from the online releases, recently you faced the mammoth task of gathering all your work in a three-cd collection entitled The Sound of Tinkering – The Collection. Apart from being responsible for all the music, you took care also of the artwork. How did this project come about?
The new CD ‘The Sound of Tinkering – The Collection’ was not really planned at all, to tell you the truth. Thus far, I had been happy simply uploading the tracks to my Youtube channel and on SoundCloud as stand alones. However, during an interview on the radio programme ROCKNA earlier this year, Michael Bugeja, the host, suggested that I should consider bringing all the material together in the form of a CD or a collection of CDs. The idea soon grew on me, and I have been working to this end during the last few months. I considered various options for the title and cover design. Initially, I sought to adapt Jean Eugene Buland’s painting but the whole graphic concept did not really convey the nature of the project. I eventually adapted an earlier artwork of mine which I had created as a cover for the track ‘Inbuilt Obsolescence’ and this proved to be more successful – thankfully, it seems to have resonated well with many of my Facebook audience. It was a process of trial and error, but eventually one gets there after bouncing ideas off friends. Here, my training and former work in graphics and book design came in handy as I could produce the necessary artwork for the CD sleeve jacket covers and labels, and internal foldout, on my own and in the way I wanted them.
Unfortunately, as you stated in an online post, this collection will not be for sale. Do you consider making it available if there is enough interest?
Yes, it’s a limited edition that will be available mostly for promotional purposes and as a few complimentary copies, for the time being. If, however, there proves to be a demand, I will try and find a sponsorship to a have more produced. In this way they can also be handed out free of charge, as my sole interest, at this stage in my life, is simply sharing my music. I have nothing to prove here, just a desire to share. It gives me great satisfaction when listeners from across the world listen to and resonate with my music and let me know that they enjoy it. Hopefully, the CD collection will serve as a calling card as I send it out to radio stations.
All tracks on the CD’s are available on SoundCloud and one can watch music videos through YouTube channel. Are you planning any new tracks for future release?
Yes, hopefully, whenever inspiration strikes. I am trying to create some Ambiental and Atmospheric tracks revolving around the notion of abandoned wrecks and buildings. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion I love to interact with. I would also like to collaborate with other musicians, likewise inclined to the creative recording aspect, if the opportunity arises.
Apart from enhancing our soundscape with your music, you are also an accomplished artist. Word has it that there is a new exhibition in the pipeline. Can you tell us more about it?
God willing, there is an exhibition planned for early next year. If all goes as planned, it will contain around 50 of my pen drawings of various sizes, under the title of ‘Arti – My Land, My drawings’. At the moment, I’m working out the logistics … which drawings to choose, framing, exhibition catalogue, etc. Fingers crossed.
You’ll be amongst the first to know when everything is finalized.
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