''Engines of Creation'' is the eighth studio album by guitarist

Joe Satriani Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956)Prato, Greg"Joe Satriani – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". '' AllMusic''. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2014. is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and guitar teacher. Early in his ...

, released on March 14, 2000 through Epic Records."Engines of Creation"
satriani.com. Retrieved 2014-03-18. The album reached No. 90 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200"Engines of Creation - Joe Satriani , Awards"
''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

''. All Media Network. Retrieved 2014-03-18. and remained on that chart for three weeks, "Joe Satriani - Chart History" '' Billboard''. Retrieved 2014-03-18. as well as reaching the top 100 in three other countries."Joe Satriani - Engines Of Creation (album)"
''finnishcharts.com''. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-02-18. " Until We Say Goodbye" was released as a single and received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the

2001 Grammy Awards The 43rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 21, 2001, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Several artists earned three awards on the night. Steely Dan's haul included Album of the Year for '' Two Against Nature''. U2 took ...

,"43rd Grammy Awards - 2001"
Rock On The Net. Retrieved 2014-03-18. Satriani's tenth such nomination.

Release and tour

Mixing for ''Engines of Creation'' took place in June–July 1999 Satriani, Joe (1999-06-24)
"News"
satriani.com. Retrieved 2014-03-22. and the title was revealed on December 13. Satriani, Joe (1999-12-13)
"News"
satriani.com. Retrieved 2014-03-22. A limited edition EP, '' Additional Creations'', was released free of charge alongside the album in some stores. Worldwide touring began in the U.S in April–May 2000, followed by Europe in June–July, Central and South America in August, and concluding in the U.S. in December."engines of creation 2000"
satriani.com. Retrieved 2014-03-24.

Style and composition

In a unique and notable departure from Satriani's usual style, ''Engines of Creation'' mainly features experimentation with

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

and

techno Techno is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally music production, produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central Drum beat, rhythm is typ ...

music rather than the straightforward

instrumental rock Instrumental rock is rock music that emphasizes musical instruments and features very little or no singing. Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style. Instr ...

heard on his previous albums; Satriani has described the album as "completely techno."AskMen Editors (2002)
"Interview: Joe Satriani"
.

AskMen AskMen is a free online men's web portal, with international versions in Australia, Canada, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is owned by Ziff Davis and operates through the IGN Entertainment unit. History AskMen was ...

. Retrieved 2014-03-18. With the exception of "Until We Say Goodbye", all tracks were made using guitars recorded and mixed non-traditionally on computer platforms, as well as being digitally manipulated using synthesizers and computer software.

Critical reception

Steve Huey at

gave ''Engines of Creation'' three stars out of five, calling it "the biggest stylistic shift atriani hasmade yet" and "a brave and sporadically successful experiment". He suggested that longtime fans of Satriani's regular material may be disappointed, as well as those who dislike electronic sounds in guitar-based music, but praised Satriani for challenging himself to "find ways of coaxing totally new sounds from his guitar", and that "his melodies and main themes have rarely been this angular and off-kilter, meaning that exploring this music has indeed helped Satriani refresh and re-imagine his signature sound."

Track listing

Personnel

–

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

, programming, arrangement,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

Eric Caudieux Eric Caudieux is a French sound engineer and producer. An accomplished player of the keyboards and rhythm guitar, he is best known for his work with Joe Satriani, appearing on many of his albums and as a member of his backing group when he is on to ...

– keyboard, programming, bass, arrangement,

editing Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, o ...

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

, mixing, production * Anton Fig – drums *

Pat Thrall Patrick Thrall is an American rock guitarist. Thrall began his recording career in 1972. He played guitar, vocals, and percussion with the group Cookin' Mama, which had his brother, Preston Thrall, on percussion. They released the album ''New Day ...

– bass *Enrique Gonzalez – engineering assistance *Mike Pilar – engineering assistance * Mike Fraser – mixing *

Howie Weinberg Howie Weinberg is an American audio mastering engineer with over 2,257 mastering credits, three TEC Awards, 21 Grammy Awards, two Juno Awards, and one Mercury Prize. Career Weinberg mastered Herbie Hancock's 1983 album '' Future Shock''. Other ...

– mastering *

Kevin Shirley Kevin Shirley (born 29 June 1960), also known as The Caveman, is a South African music producer, engineer and mixer for many artists,Spencer et al, (2007Shirley, Kevinentry. Retrieved 4 February 2010. such as the bands Journey, Iron Maiden, ...

– production

Chart performance

Certifications

Awards

References

External links

In Review: Joe Satriani "Engines Of Creation"
at Guitar Nine Records {{Authority control Joe Satriani albums 2000 albums Epic Records albums Albums produced by Kevin Shirley Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance