ABOUT

Tim Gardner is an experimental guitarist and Touch Guitar player from Portland, Maine.   Tim has been playing guitar and experimenting with sound for over 25 years.   He started exploring touchstyle techniques in 2001 with the NS/Stick, and a few years later, on the Warr guitar.  Since 2013, he has been playing the Touch Guitars U8 Deluxe exclusively and studying with Markus Reuter.  As a US member of the Touch Guitar Circle, Tim has participated in a number of workshops and study groups.   He has also studied (creative coaching) with Trey Gunn.

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Tim has also been exploring looping and soundscapes for over 20 years, starting with guitar/guitar synth and looper pedals (Boss RC-20, RC-50), and then various techniques for looping with DAW software.  He currently uses a multi-layered hardware looping setup that combines a number of looping-capable pedals (Microcosm, LVX, Mood/Habit/Blooper, Zoia, Volante).

 

Thirst And The Cow (TATC) was initiated in the mid 90s by Tim Gardner as a project to record 'instant music' (improv pieces created and recorded in a single session).  The name now applies to all of Tim's solo work.

 

The music of Thirst and The Cow currently includes 4 instrumental ambient albums ("Glacial Pools", "Gates", "Distances Vol 1" and "Distances Vol 2"), an EP of composed instrumental post-prog music ("Time Gardeners") and a full-length CD of composed instrumental prog/post-prog music to be released in Dec, 2023 ("The main sequence at last").  TATC music heavily features the Touch Guitars U8 on all albums.  The sounds created as part of TATC music are largely recorded with Touch Guitar and guitar using combinations of hardware effects units with some software plugins for post-processing and mixing.  

 

TATC ambient albums were all created via 'instant music' improvisational techniques  ("Glacial Pools", "Gates", "Distances Vol 1" and "Distances Vol 2").  All tracks are recorded in a single evening with only editing, mixing and mastering happening later (no additional overdubs).  Most solos are fully improvised.

 

TATC instrumental prog/post-prog music features a layered approach to composition that highlights rhythmic elements and interactions between layers, and draws from a diverse set of influences such as King Crimson, Radiohead, Aphex Twin, Tool, Trey Gunn and many more.