Hi Michael,
I know you played with Paul Hinklin, and I was wondering if you might be able to get me into his head a bit. I have found SadHappy to be mind-bogglingly inspirational, especially their first tape, Spin Cycle.

Paul's playing is so different than other performers, but SadHappy is not the kind of band that gets interviews in Bass Player, etc.

What does he play? How does he approach the instrument? What's his angle?

Since I live in Budapest, I have not been able to see them live, and I am hoping you can help me understand Paul's playing and give me that personal viewpoint on him.

Thanks for making yourself available on TalkBass.com!
- Christian

Christian,
I'm glad you're interested in Paul! He's one of my favorite bass players, but as you mentioned, he seldom gets the press he deserves. He is a very emotional, visceral musician but at the same time a strikingly intelligent and thoughtful person. Although he has a pretty serious musical education and definitely can hold his own blowing through bebop heads, he's a rocker at heart and the power and energy of punk is what really motivates him. He usually plays a P-bass through a solid state SVT into two Eden 4x10 cabs, but recently he's been goofing around with a few other basses including a Rickenbacker and a 5-string Jazz. What most appeals to me about his playing is that he has such a strong personal voice on the bass. There are bassists who are cleaner, flashier and groovier, but when Paul plays, I really get the feeling he has something to say.

Thanks for writing,
Michael