Dick Lövgren
Encyclopedia
Dick Lövgren is the bassist for the Swedish
experimental metal band Meshuggah
. He joined the band in 2004 as Meshuggah's third bass player.
. He said that Burton "was probably the main reason why I became a bassist". Lövgren is a schooled jazz musician, influenced by Dave Holland
, John Scofield
, Medeski Martin & Wood
, Miles Davis
and Brad Mehldau
. He always preferred playing with fingers, however, in his main band, Meshuggah
, he plays with pick exclusively, stating that the exact sound from the pick and distortion is strictly what Meshuggah wants to extract from the bass. Before joining Meshuggah, Dick performed with a vast array of bands in his native Sweden. First with the neo-classical metal/melodic power metal band Time Requiem, then the melodic/progressive metal band Last Tribe
, the death metal band Cromlech
and the power metal band Armageddon
(alongside Arch Enemy guitarist Christopher Amott). In the late ‘90’s Lövgren held the enviable assignment of touring bassist for both Arch Enemy and In Flames
.
Dick joined Meshuggah in 2004 after the band's departure with their bassist Gustaf Hielm in 2001. In the same year, they released their one-track EP titled I, that contains a track of the same name, that lasts twenty-one minutes. However, Dick didn't play bass in Meshuggah's recording sessions until their 2008's highly successful album, obZen
. The reason for this while recording Catch Thirtythree
was the album finish deadline, so the drum and bass tracks were recorded digitally. He also released a highly acclaimed fusion-jazz album with the Swedish Nica Group ensemble titled Lounge. All tracks were composed by Lövgren, and the release showcases his creativity as well as jazz-styled playing skills.
In September 2010, Lövgren was accepted into the Gothenburg Music University to study improvisation and composition with Anders Jormin, the Swedish jazz double bass player, arranger and bandleader who has worked with numerous jazz artists, such as Bobo Stenson
, Charles Lloyd
, Tomasz Stańko
, Don Cherry
, Elvin Jones
, Gilberto Gil
, Lee Konitz
, Joe Henderson
, Kenny Wheeler
and Jon Balke
. He stated that it is a huge honor and a great opportunity, emphasizing that it will not jeopardize anything with Meshuggah. “I will be able to do the tours and come back to classes. But this does mean that I will be playing and writing a lot of jazz in the next few years between Meshuggah tours".
basses, which he has played since his teenage years. He owns a number of fretted and fretless Warwick
models. He relies heavily on bass distortion in his main band, Meshuggah.
basses. His fretless and 6-string fretted basses were used while recording his fusion-jazz album, Lounge. He uses DR bass strings.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
experimental metal band Meshuggah
Meshuggah
Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...
. He joined the band in 2004 as Meshuggah's third bass player.
Biography
In his early days, Lövgren was particularly impressed with Metallica bassist Cliff BurtonCliff Burton
Clifford Lee "Cliff" Burton was an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American heavy metal band Metallica....
. He said that Burton "was probably the main reason why I became a bassist". Lövgren is a schooled jazz musician, influenced by Dave Holland
Dave Holland
Dave Holland is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for 40 years....
, John Scofield
John Scofield
John Scofield , often referred to as "Sco," is an American jazz guitarist and composer, who has played and collaborated with Miles Davis, Dave Liebman, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Joey Defrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Pat Martino, Mavis Staples, Phil Lesh, Billy Cobham,...
, Medeski Martin & Wood
Medeski Martin & Wood
Medeski Martin & Wood is an American jazz trio formed in 1991, consisting of John Medeski on keyboards and piano, Billy Martin on drums and percussion, and Chris Wood on double bass and bass guitar....
, Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
and Brad Mehldau
Brad Mehldau
Brad Mehldau is an American jazz pianist. Besides leading his own group, the Brad Mehldau Trio, he has performed with many renowned artists, including Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Larry Grenadier, Peter Bernstein, Jeff Ballard, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Kurt...
. He always preferred playing with fingers, however, in his main band, Meshuggah
Meshuggah
Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...
, he plays with pick exclusively, stating that the exact sound from the pick and distortion is strictly what Meshuggah wants to extract from the bass. Before joining Meshuggah, Dick performed with a vast array of bands in his native Sweden. First with the neo-classical metal/melodic power metal band Time Requiem, then the melodic/progressive metal band Last Tribe
Last Tribe
Last Tribe may refer to:*Last Tribe *Last Tribe...
, the death metal band Cromlech
Cromlech
Cromlech is a Brythonic word used to describe prehistoric megalithic structures, where crom means "bent" and llech means "flagstone". The term is now virtually obsolete in archaeology, but remains in use as a colloquial term for two different types of megalithic monument.In English it usually...
and the power metal band Armageddon
Armageddon
Armageddon is, according to the Bible, the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location...
(alongside Arch Enemy guitarist Christopher Amott). In the late ‘90’s Lövgren held the enviable assignment of touring bassist for both Arch Enemy and In Flames
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
.
Dick joined Meshuggah in 2004 after the band's departure with their bassist Gustaf Hielm in 2001. In the same year, they released their one-track EP titled I, that contains a track of the same name, that lasts twenty-one minutes. However, Dick didn't play bass in Meshuggah's recording sessions until their 2008's highly successful album, obZen
ObZen
obZen is the sixth full-length studio album by Swedish band Meshuggah. It was released in Europe on March 7, 2008, and in the U.S. on March 11, 2008. It contains nine tracks, and a total length of 52 minutes and 25 seconds...
. The reason for this while recording Catch Thirtythree
Catch Thirtythree
-Meshuggah:* Jens Kidman – vocals, guitar, bass, drum programming, mixing* Fredrik Thordendal – guitar, bass, drum programming, mixing* Mårten Hagström – guitar, bass, drum programming, mixing...
was the album finish deadline, so the drum and bass tracks were recorded digitally. He also released a highly acclaimed fusion-jazz album with the Swedish Nica Group ensemble titled Lounge. All tracks were composed by Lövgren, and the release showcases his creativity as well as jazz-styled playing skills.
In September 2010, Lövgren was accepted into the Gothenburg Music University to study improvisation and composition with Anders Jormin, the Swedish jazz double bass player, arranger and bandleader who has worked with numerous jazz artists, such as Bobo Stenson
Bobo Stenson
Bo Gustav Stenson is a Swedish jazz pianist. Stenson was noted as early as 1963, when he stepped up from the local scene in Västerås to start playing frequently in Stockholm, where he accompanied a long line of visiting American players including Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Gary Burton...
, Charles Lloyd
Charles Lloyd
Charles Lloyd is an American jazz musician. Though he primarily plays tenor saxophone and flute, he has also occasionally recorded on alto saxophone and more exotic reed instruments which include the Hungarian tárogató. Lloyd's saxophone playing is often characterized as an individualized,...
, Tomasz Stańko
Tomasz Stanko
Tomasz Stańko is a Polish trumpeter, composer and improviser. Often recording for ECM, Stańko is strongly associated with free jazz and the avant-garde....
, Don Cherry
Don Cherry
Don Cherry may refer to:* Don Cherry hockey player, coach, and commentator* Don Cherry , trumpeter* Don Cherry...
, Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
, Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira , better known as Gilberto Gil or , is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter, known for both his musical innovation and political commitment...
, Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
, Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than forty years Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent labels, including Blue Note.-Early life:From a very large family with five sisters and nine...
, Kenny Wheeler
Kenny Wheeler
Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC is a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. since the 1950s....
and Jon Balke
Jon Balke
Jon Balke is a Norwegian jazz pianist and composer currently known for his Magnetic North Orchestra.He began with classical piano, but switched to blues at 12, though today he performs within several genres. At the age of 18 he joined Arild Andersen's quartet. By the mid-1980s he worked on his own...
. He stated that it is a huge honor and a great opportunity, emphasizing that it will not jeopardize anything with Meshuggah. “I will be able to do the tours and come back to classes. But this does mean that I will be playing and writing a lot of jazz in the next few years between Meshuggah tours".
Equipment
Lövgren is endorsed by WarwickWarwick (bass guitar)
-Overview:Warwick basses were originally a premium brand offering a small range of models built from high quality and exotic tonewoods with 'Neck-through' design...
basses, which he has played since his teenage years. He owns a number of fretted and fretless Warwick
Warwick (bass guitar)
-Overview:Warwick basses were originally a premium brand offering a small range of models built from high quality and exotic tonewoods with 'Neck-through' design...
models. He relies heavily on bass distortion in his main band, Meshuggah.
Basses
His main bass for recording and live shows are the 5 string Dolphin SNWarwick Dolphin
Dolphin is a bass guitar manufactured by the Warwick company from Markneukirchen, Germany. The "D-bass" earned its fame for its somewhat eccentric design.-Dolphin Pro:...
basses. His fretless and 6-string fretted basses were used while recording his fusion-jazz album, Lounge. He uses DR bass strings.
- 4x Dolphin SN 5-stringers
- 1x Dolphin Pro I (5-string)
- 1x Infinity (5-string)
- 1x Corvette (5-string)
- 1x fretless Infinity (5-string)
- 1x fretless Thumb (6-string)
- 2x Streamer LX 6-stringers
Amplifiers & effects
- Warwick Hellborg PR 40 Amplifier
- Warwick Hellborg MP 25 Amplifier
- Warwick WCA Hellborg CC 115 Cabinet
- EBS Fafner Head
- EBS ProLine Cabinet
- EBS MetalDistortion pedal
- EBS DynaVerb pedal
- EBS OctaBass pedal
- EBS UniChorus pedal
- EBS WahOne pedal
External links
- Meshuggah official website
- Meshuggah at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Meshuggah at Nuclear BlastNuclear BlastNuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
Europe - Meshuggah at Nuclear BlastNuclear BlastNuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
USA - Warwick Endorsers Page- Dick Lövgren
- Warwick Monthly Review-Dick Lövgren(Meshuggah)