Mattias Eklundh
| Mattias IA Eklundh | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | IA |
| Born | 6 October 1969 |
| Genres | Progressive metal, experimental, heavy metal, speed metal, power metal, hard rock |
| Occupation(s) | musician, songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, zither, banjo, mandolin, Kelstone |
| Years active | Since 1989 |
| Labels | Favored Nations, TSP |
| Associated acts | Freak Kitchen, Freak Guitar, Jonas Hellborg |
Mattias IA Eklundh (born 1969 in Gothenburg, Sweden) is a guitarist and vocalist, known for his work with Freak Kitchen, Jonas Hellborg Trio and Art Metal; he has also produced several noted solo Freak Guitar albums released by Steve Vai and Favored Nations and holds his annual Freak Guitar Camp in the woods of Sweden every summer for dedicated guitar players from all over the world. He was also prominently featured playing his trademark-style solos on the first 4 Soilwork albums.
Mattias began drumming at the age of six; when he was thirteen, he began playing guitar. He has named Frank Zappa and Ace Frehley of Kiss as his two major musical influences, but his record collection also included gypsy jazz, Miles Davis, and Slayer among many others.
In the mid-80's, Mattias joined the band Frozen Eyes, a few years later he quit because their manager was holding their money, and they never had a good share of it, until Mattias did the math. Frozen Eyes split up soon after their self-titled album was released in 1988 and Mattias subsequently joined Danish metal band Fate as lead guitarist. Mattias appears on their 1990 album Scratch 'n Sniff. He later returned to Sweden, forming his own band Freak Kitchen in 1992 with former Frozen Eyes drummer Joakim Sjöberg and bassplayer Christian Grönlund. The band played together for 8 years, until Sjöberg and Grönlund left in 2000, only to be replaced by Christer Örtefors and Björn Fryklund. Outside of Freak Kitchen, Eklundh has recorded several solo albums, and made appearances as a guest musician for Swedish heavy metal bands like Evergrey and Soilwork. His two Freak Guitar solo albums are released on Steve Vai's Favored Nations label, and include drawings and other artwork by friend Anders Nyberg. In 2005, he grouped with Swedish bass guitarist and composer Jonas Hellborg in the Jonas Hellborg Trio along with drummer Niclas Campagnol and played their first gig in Mumbai, India and followed with a tour of India. His album "Freak Guitar – The Road Less Traveled" features a rock/metal-like remix of not title theme, but the background theme from the 1985 film Fletch.
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