Live on stage with Dino Soldo

Dino Soldo has an outstanding musical background. He's performed with some of the worlds greatest musicians including Lionel Richie, Elton John and Beyonce and he is currently touring with Leonard Cohen. We caught up with him in Lille France and talked about using the Eigenharp live on stage.

A solo and touring artist, this multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter is currently in excellent company.

“We're in Lille France. On the road with Leonard Cohen. It's an amazing tour, we've been out for about two and a half years and we're still in arenas.”

Primarily a Woodwind and chromatic Harmonica player, Dino first came across the Eigenharp when his road manager told him about it.

“He said “you need to check this out before we go on tour.” So I checked it out … it was amazing! I just had to have one.”

Dino is influenced by a number of musicians, with firm roots in jazz and blues. One of his more unexpected influences comes from Buster Keaton.

“Buster Keaton was great with timing, making something that is nearly impossible seem effortless. I like to translate this into a musical sense... What I like to try and do is see where the boundaries are. I like to bring some old world sensibility, some sort of entertainment that's been lost to modern music... which is why I really love the Eigenharp.”

Touring, songwriting and enjoying music has become integrated nowadays more than ever before. With the Eigenharp, Dino sees hope in his aspirations for a less cluttered performance space.

“I can be onstage just with this, the computer on the side and my horns. That's my fantasy. The visual is everything... Being on stage is a fantasy and this contributes to that fantasy. I wanna get rid of my keyboards. I wanna have a whole side of my stage disappear. Make the stage a little cleaner.”

The Eigenharp is a great way of streamlining on-stage set ups. Its limitless sounds and accessible physical controls give performers a lot of creative freedom.

“There's enough buttons for me to get everything I wanna have happen, happen. Really all you have to do is get your brain situated around the Eigenharp, then the Eigenharp is ready to go... The possibilities are truly endless. It really allows me to do things that I wouldn't normally do with a solo instrument.”

“I asked Bob Moog, what's the future of synthesis? He said “you know, there's not going to be synthesis. The future is through controllers.” Everybody has a different personality, so everybody has a way of touching the world, whether it be knobs, things that you bang on. Controllers really are the way of the future.”

“I wanna see a lot of children picking up the Pico. I wanna see what they're gonna do. It's such an affordable entry into this technology. They're probably gonna do things the Eigen dudes haven't even come up with yet.”

So as a regularly performing musician, with a solid songwriting background, how does the Eigenharp satisfy Dino's needs?

“The Instrument is open enough for you to place your needs on it and to fulfil those needs. With the Eigenharp, anything's possible.”

Dino's latest album “Notes from the Ground” is available online.