Muse has the ability to make songs so timeless for me. While other songs come and go, I've listened to this for so many years and showing no signs of stopping

Muse - Sunburn (Instrumental Cover)

This started out as a cover of Pumped Up Kicks, however after realising that my VST library was woefully under equipped to do the original any justice, I turned it into a backing track for a chilled out blues solo

Blues Solo (Pumped Up Kicks)

With my bass guitar in another county, I had to make do with a free VST bass. This is such a powerful and emotive song that has been a favourite of mine for years

Muse - Muscle Museum (Instrumental Cover)

A short guitar arrangment of Haiku by Headphone Activist. I much prefer the original timbres, but I knew as soon as I listened to it that I would have to cover it, and my VST library wouldn't do it justice!

Haiku

While I love the original solo on this track, I decided to make my own. It's a bit more trance-like because when I first heard this song that was the strongest impression I got from it.

Highly Suspect - Lydia (Instrumental Cover)

After the Lydia cover, I wanted to create something with a little more energy

Hard Rock Instrumental

Still

My arrangement of this fantastic song. I favoured strummed chords to the orginal fingerpicking to allow the melodic lead over the top.

Shawn James - Through The Valley

I tried to put a bit of feeling into this recording. As a guitarist learning the piano, it's hard to put emotion into keys that can't vibrato (no matter how hard you try to wiggle them!) I have no doubt that if I attempt this again in a few years, I'll be much happier with the emotions I can convey, which is an exciting prospect!

Bach - Prelude No.1 in C Major BWV 846

There was always something about this theme that set it apart from the other game soundtracks I've heard over the years. The simplicity of the melody coupled with the power of the instrumentation gave it an urgency and drive that I've not felt in any other work since.

Original Artists: Johan Skugge and Jukka Rintamäki

John Oakley

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