Steve Vai sang praises of fellow guitar champion and Generation Axe colleague Tosin Abasi, telling Amit Sharma:
“When I think of guys that are creating things of great value right now, I think of Tosin Abasi from Animals As Leaders. He was also part of the Generation Axe tour.
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“He’s one of few players I’ve heard that combine various elements of music that I really like.
“There’s this underground movement of guitarists that are still very interested in shredding their ass off at levels beyond my comprehension.
“When I hear it, I find it fascinating, but it’s not as musical as I’d like to hear.
“I like unpredictable things, which is what Tosin is great for – inventing grooves that make you feel different from anything in the past, as well as effortless chops and beautiful big chords you don’t normally hear.
“And he’s doing these chords on an 8-string, which makes them even more unconventional. The music has melodies within the chords; they’re really quite exquisite.
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“His rhythmic sensibilities are unique – it’s not based off your normal 4/4 or odd-time signature – there are polymetric systems moving inside of each other. They are hard to figure out, but they create this feeling that’s incredibly unique.
“He’s a rare bird – and his chops are off the hook!”