Resistance Songs: Mdou Moctar's Favourite Music | Page 2 of 14 | The Quietus

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

1. Van Halen

He was quite a recent discovery. Eddie Van Halen was someone I found out about when I went for the screening of my film in Portland, Oregon. I’ve got friends there too, and when I played they saw the vibrato I create with my fingers they loved it, and there was someone who said they wanted to introduce me to an artist they thought I would really like. So they played me Eddie Van Halen’s music from when he was younger and I found his solos really incredible, he does the tapping in his way, it was really his own invention and I could tell he’s a real pro. I loved it so I started listening to him and even trying out a few solos – it was a bit tricky for me, but I managed them in my own way.

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