Mike Milan Dedic (Canada)

Mike Milan Dedic recently contacted this zine about the video for his single “Energy.” It’s instrumental music in the style of classic guitar-based heavy rock. I figured that maybe readers would like to know more about Mike and his work.

What can you tell us about "Energy", Mike? How spontaneous was the original idea for the song? Or, was it a riff that you had in your pocket for a while?

“Energy” is a stand-alone single that was released August 12, 2021. I would definitely say it is a riff that I had hanging around for quite some time. It kind of sat there until I figured out how I wanted to approach it. As it has a sort of a 'commercial hook' as the main riff (as far as guitar instrumental songs go. lol!), I chose to dirty it up with more of an aggressive guitar solo to counterbalance that.

You have Brian Latimer on drums and Dearian Seepersad on keyboards. How do you know them?

I met both Brian & Dearian through the internet. Both are Toronto area-based musicians. I've known Brian for quite a few years now & we've worked on things together before. Dearian I met in recent times & although we've recorded together, I’ve not met with him in person. We were supposed to film the video all together, but because of the lingering pandemic issues, we decided to film our parts remotely. Brian and I have met a few times before as we did film previous releases together on stage.

You are based in Toronto, correct? Do you perform live there?

Ya, I am based in the Toronto area. In recent times I have not done any live shows, but am certainly looking to remedy that in the near future. This pandemic has certainly taught me a lot about 'being isolated' and I can certainly say with confidence that I look forward to being surrounded by other music goers and feeling the 'Energy' & vibe of a great crowd!

How has Toronto been for you as a musician?

Toronto has been a very difficult place for working musicians. As I personally have not been performing live for quite a while now, I know many colleagues who have certain-ly felt the pain of not being able to perform. Our province of Ontario, particularly had very strict covid rules that left many working musicians 'stuck in their tracks' for an extended period of time! I've certainly felt for them & am sincerely hoping that we'll all start to see that 'vibrant' Toronto music scene come back to the way it used to be!

Of course, I have to ask. Rush was based in Toronto. Did you ever see Rush live?

Being a kid who grew up in Toronto & developing a keen interest in guitar playing around the early eighties, having a hometown band like RUSH for inspiration is definitely great! I did see them once during their 'Moving Pictures' tour at the now defunct 'Maple Leaf Gardens'. They were playing there for 3 nights in a row to 'sold out' capacity crowds! To put it mildly....IT WAS FANTASTIC! 🙂

How has 2020-2022 been for you and your music? What are your plans for 2022? new music?

The last couple of years I just released two singles. It has been such a 'grey' period in the world that it was difficult to garner any motivation or ability to do anything else. I think for this year I would like to get out there and play some shows. It has been quite the 'hibernating' experience these last two years, so I think I just want to kind of get out there and play for an audience.

How old were you when you started practicing guitar? How does the older Mike now see the guitar differently from the young Mike that picked up the instrument?

I started playing the guitar when I was 12 years old. The young Mike was certainly drawn by the 'excitement' and 'coolness' factor being exhibited by so many amazing guitarists that were in their prime back then: Van Halen, Malmsteen, Uli Roth, Rhodes, Blackmore....just to name a few. It was more of an 'escape' for me playing along to their songs and learning from them with their varying styles and influences. The present Mike uses the guitar as a tool to convey feelings & creating music. I think I've certainly grown over the years and the way I approach playing portrays that.

Thanks, Mike!

Thank you for the privilege of the Q&A. I sincerely appreciate the human interaction! Cheers! Mike Milan Dedic

ENERGY - Mike Milan Dedic [NEW]

https://music.apple.com/us/album/energy-single/1580690268 https://www.amazon.com/Energy/dp/B09CCLZHPY/ref=sr_1_1?fbclid=IwAR2_PLJ_wwjC2PcRFPSnYOi7D6v8u7MtkLywBbTX5JobuBoeRXC3UzFx4I8 https://open.spotify.com/album/0QkdmwNAn59LTcGhPuj3XD https://www.deezer.com/fr/album/251263352 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005652195327