Cheersquad Records & Tapes are excited to release ‘The Telecaster Diaries’, the new instrumental solo album by Melbourne guitarist and singer-songwriter Marcel Borrack (Minibikes).

The album is available on limited edition dappled blue 12″ vinyl (only 50 available), black 12″ vinyl and digital download.

Marcel Borrack has had a diverse career in music. Fascinated and inspired by broad influences, he has always challenged himself to keep developing new skills in technology and production, as well as writing and performing in different contexts. He’s previously released 2 solo albums as a singer-songwriter and two albums with his indie pop band Minibikes.

As a songwriter his songs have been recorded by Mick Thomas – Mick released Marcel’s first two solo albums and a collaboration between Marcel, Sarah Carroll and Dan Warner on his Croxton Records label in the 00s – and as a studio and live guitarist he’s played with performers such as Missy Higgins, Ella Hooper, Don Walker and Tina Arena.

As a producer and engineer he’s worked on albums by Ella Hooper, Ruby Gill, Gena Rose Bruce, Jade Imagine, Sarah Carroll and Dan Warner. Marcel has also composed for film and television and worked in many different audio production roles. The forthcoming album ‘Telecaster Diaries’ was written and recorded during the 2020 lockdown.

Marcel explains, “With a few recording projects unable to proceed, I started to work on my own ideas for an instrumental album. The name ‘Telecaster Diaries’ came from the concept of writing a musical idea every day, an actual musical diary. I would focus on a thought from the day and try to express it in a musical form. I limited myself to creating these ideas with ‘Pendlebury’ which is the name of my telecaster guitar. I would just sit and play and when I was happy with where it was heading I would immediately start recording, adding bass, organ and percussion to flesh it out. This process was pretty spontaneous, and I was usually able to get it all done over the course of an evening. At that point I was super lucky to have my great friend and collaborator Tim Harvey (Lisa Mitchell, Aldous Harding, Sally Seltmann) and his partner, drummer Maria Moles (The Australian Art Orchestra, Jess Ribeiro) on standby to record the drum parts at their home studio in Collingwood. Every time I finished an idea I would send it off to them and a day or so later it would come back with the most incredible drum performances. Maria and Tim knew exactly what to do, and they made the whole thing magic. Fast-forward to now, and I’ve formed a band to play the songs live. The ‘TD’ band is Andy Pap on bass (Ron Peno & The Superstitions), Al Barden on drums (Frente, Kylie Auldist) and Peter (Sweet) Carolane on the organ and percussion. ”

“I was inspired by many different musical cultures when I made the album,” continues Marcel. “And I tried to let them wash over me and filter in to the writing and playing. The album has elements of Funk, Groove, Soul, Ethiopian, Bossa Nova and Easy listening etc. It is instrumental with some minor textural backing vocals, and it is drenched with spring reverb and analogue delay.”