Welcome to our latest artist spotlight! I haven’t done these kinds of interviews for sometime now but was so inspired to explore this format again after finding out about this artist’s latest release.
Today, we sit down with guitarist and composer LK Wong to discuss his latest instrumental single, “Transcend”. Combining his 70s rock roots with elements of math rock, synthwave, and progressive rock, “Transcend” takes listeners on a sonic journey reflecting the stages of a person’s life.
In this interview, LK Wong shares the creative spark behind the track, the gear that shaped its distinct tone, the challenges of mastering legato lines, and how his bandmates in the LK Wong Trio collaborated remotely to bring this ambitious project to life after six years in the making. He also offers invaluable advice for younger musicians struggling with procrastination. Read on for the full conversation!
1. What was the initial seed or concept for Transcend, and how did the track evolve from that first melody or motif into the final composition?
The initial seed was actually me trying to attempt to write a tune that combined the Djent and Synthwave genres together. However, I was not well versed in the Djent genre and I came up with the intro 2 chords that I thought sounded Djent-y at that time. It’s probably closer to Math Rock sounds though. The 2 chords are the basis of 3/4 of the song.
As for the melody / motif, I have a very specific way I write them. Typically I’d play the chords and try to hum a simple melody over them. A hook has got to be simple enough that you can remember and hum it (like the Paddle Pop theme). That’s really important for instrumentals I feel. That’s why guys like Joe Satriani, Kenny G and Richard Clayderman are kings in their field!
2. From a guitar setup and production perspective, what gear – guitars, amps, or signal chains – helped shape the sound on this release?
I used a Parker Fly Deluxe for all the rhythm guitar parts. The main intro chords were the Parker through a BOSS GT-1000Core. The lead guitars were tracked using a Gibson Les Paul Standard through a Line 6 HX Stomp. It was quite a challenge getting the right guitar sound for the leads. I ended up using the Les Paul as it gave me that fat, thick tone to the single line melodies. Everything was recorded direct using amp modelers. I didn’t have the luxury of miking up the amps at home this time.
My typical signal chain on the modeler (HX Stomp) is fairly simple. I just choose an amp model (Marshall JTM45 style) I like and turn the gain to the point where it is suitable. After the amp block I’ll just add a delay and a short ambient reverb just to replicate the “amp in a room” sound. Since it is recorded direct, the reverb helps give a bit of depth and it has to be in stereo!
As for the main melody I added a stereo delay to work as a doubler. It simulates double tracking where I pan the guitars to the left and right just to make it pop out more from the rest of the leads. It’s a bit like layering vocals on a chorus section of a pop song where it goes wider in the stereo field!
3. With instrumental music, storytelling relies entirely on tone, dynamics, and phrasing. What were you aiming to express throughout this piece?
I was trying to give the listener a short journey through sounds. The song is divided into several parts with different dynamics. In my mind it was loosely based on a person’s life span. From birth, to a child, to adulthood to the passing and then the afterlife. Hence, the song title “Transcend” which is to go beyond the limits or the end. But I’d like the listener to really have their own take on it with their imagination. That’s the beauty of instrumentals. You don’t have to have a narration to tell a story. Everyone can have their own story. It’s much more interactive that way where the listeners take part in the music as well.
4. You mentioned that you had to really practice and improve your guitar skills to get this track done, could you talk more about that?
I had this idea of a long legato line very much in the vein of Allan Holdsworth for the main guitar solo during the “Middle Eastern” bit of the song. However, I wasn’t able to pull it off the moment I had that idea. I just didn’t have the ability at that point. I tried different styles but it still led me back to that legato idea I had.
So, I set out to try work on it, initially by watching a few legato tutorials on YouTube. Eventually I had to devise my own way of doing it. I just practiced the left hand technique every time I sat down with the guitar. Hammer ons and pull-offs were very important for this. My left hand felt weak but it did strengthen after a month maybe. Prior to this I was only able to do short legato bursts like what Satriani or Eddie Van Halen do.
Maybe after 6 months, one day I decided to attempt the song and I realised that I was able to do the long legato run! So that was like a level up for me 🙂 Also, fortunately it doesn’t sound anything like Holdsworth, but myself! I’ve noticed in recent years, if I wanted to get a certain technique under my sleeve, I got much better results when I just focused on that one thing for some time. I think that’s much more efficient than trying to master bits of everything at one go.
5. Could you tell me more about your band and how is your process working with them on new songs, recording and all that?
I’m ever thankful to be joined by my band mates that make up the LK Wong Trio (or sometimes called Wong’s Trio) for recording and the occasional music workshops we have conducted over the years. Zedes (bassist) is very much into music production work and leading his own group, “Mangekyo Band”. He did the mastering for Transcend by the way. We played quite extensively together over the years when we were part of the rock outfit, Cats in Love.
Our drummer, Wan Ciu Ciu on the other hand is currently on tour with Malaysian Chinese artist, Dior Lying and actively performs at live houses and corporate functions. On top of that being a social media influencer. So yeah, they’re extremely busy people. Unfortunately we don’t really have the time to get together and jam or write together (hopefully someday we will!). So, we typically work remotely with the help of technology. Like for Transcend, I laid down the basic tracks on Logic and sent them the tracks to play along to.
Zedes and Ciu Ciu then recorded their parts at home and they just sent me the files on Google Drive and I assembled it all on my DAW. They contributed a lot to their individual parts arrangements. Ciu Ciu suggested the half time section towards the end of the song. That got me coming up with a totally different direction there but still maintaining a bit of the main melody / motif but in a completely different vibe. And of course, Zedes and his melodic bass lines held the song down whilst keeping things interesting. Something beyond my capabilities bass-wise.
6. Were there any specific technical or musical challenges you faced while recording this single, and did any moments end up taking an unexpected direction while making it?
Transcend has been the most challenging song that I’ve ever recorded so far. The difficult part was mostly down to recording my guitar performance. It’s the tiny details that were hard to get right. For instance when I’m trying to double track my guitar lines, I had to redo it many times because I couldn’t get them to be tight.
The problem was I wasn’t really thinking if I were to slide in to a note or out when playing. So when you’re trying to double that part, you tend to miss those nuances and play differently. It became a mess. I never thought about that when I was just jamming through the song. So, I had to really simplify and work out all the fine details. It was hard because I’ve never been the sort of very clean player to begin with.
In the end I had to cheat a little by using the double tracking delay trick at some parts to achieve similar results 🙂 I really salute guys like Brian May (of Queen) for doing layered lines that are so tight and beautiful!
7. How does this track fit into your broader artistic direction right now, and what can listeners expect next from you in terms of upcoming projects or releases?
The funny thing is I always read about artists having to define their genre for them to be able to market themselves clearly. I’ve always had a problem with that because I like many genres! I feel kind of bored to be stuck in a certain style. Maybe that’s why I’m into Prog Rock as you could change genres within a song itself!
I think Transcend goes back more to my 70s rock roots. Originally it was intended to try a more modern sound but it led its way back to being old school 🙂 My past singles have been more 80s and synth pop based. So, I don’t think I can really pinpoint a certain genre for my future works. Maybe broadly I’d say it will still be kind of rock based.
8. Last question, what would be a piece of advice you would give younger musicians who feel the challenge of releasing their own songs, what would you tell them now looking at what you’ve learned since this track is out after 6 years?
The biggest advice would be to stop procrastinating. There’s a million and one reasons that can detract you from putting out music as I’ve experienced over and over again. Time really waits for no one. A few days can turn into a few years without you knowing it.
My suggestion is to make short term goals to ensure you complete your project. For instance, I need to finish drums and bass recording by this week. Next week, to finish guitars etc. Or tell someone you got to complete the song by a certain date. You need to commit to something and be held accountable.
That little pressure works wonders. Yes, it did work for me after 6 years of procrastination 🙂
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A huge thank you to LK Wong for sharing insights into his musical journey and the creation of “Transcend”. You can listen and purchase “Transcend” now on Bandcamp, and be sure to follow the LK Wong Trio for their upcoming rock-based projects.
What was your favorite takeaway from LK’s advice?
Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this interview with fellow musicians!
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