Alain Johannes

Alain Johannes Mociulski (born May 2, 1962) is a Chilean-American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, whose primary instruments are guitar and bass. He is a founding member of several bands, including the alternative rock group Eleven, and has been involved with acts such as Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, PJ Harvey, Chris Cornell, Arctic Monkeys, Mark Lanegan and The Desert Sessions, both as a musician and as a producer.

Alain Johannes is a nephew of Chilean musician Peter Rock. He was born in Santiago. He was married to Natasha Shneider from 1987 until her death in 2008.

Career In his teen years, Johannes formed the band Chain Reaction (later Anthym) with Hillel Slovak, Todd Strassman, and Jack Irons. This band was later renamed What Is This. Todd Strassman was replaced by Flea, who was replaced, upon leaving the band, by Chris Hutchinson.

In 1987, Johannes and Natasha Shneider formed the band Walk the Moon, which released one self-titled album on MCA Records. Reportedly, Chris Hutchinson and Jack Irons played on some of its tracks.

Eleven was formed in 1990 and released their debut album Awake in a Dream in 1991, which included the pop based singles "Rainbows End" and "All Together". They followed this with regular releases Eleven in 1993, Thunk! in 1995, Avantgardedog in 2000, and Howling Book in 2003.

Johannes was the only other contributor on the 1996 debut album by Jason Falkner, Jason Falkner Presents Author Unknown. He was also a significant contributor to Chris Cornell's 1999 solo album, Euphoria Morning as a guitarist, writer and producer. He also toured as part of Chris Cornell's band in support of this album alongside Natasha Shneider, Greg Upchurch and Rick Markmann, who also comprised Eleven's line-up at the time. He mixed and played on Jack Irons' first solo record, Attention Dimension, released in 2004, and he co-wrote on Danish stoner rock outfit The Royal Highness.

In 2005, he joined Queens of the Stone Age to play guitar as well as bass on Lullabies to Paralyze. He had previously guested on Lullabies''' predecessor, Songs for the Deaf, having also co-written the track "Hanging Tree" during one of The Desert Sessions. He would participate in the tour for the album and appears on the live DVD, Over the Years and Through the Woods in the main concert. Johannes once again contributed a main role to Lullabies' follow up, Era Vulgaris, but he opted to concentrate on Eleven with Natasha Shneider, and the pair bowed out of touring before the album's promotion started.

In 2007, Johannes became a part of Brody Dalle's post-Distillers effort, Spinnerette.

In August 2009, he joined Them Crooked Vultures, with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and former Led Zeppelin bass player John Paul Jones. Johannes contributed guitar, bass, keyboards, and backing vocals on their 2009–2010 tour, often playing his own solo guitar section during the set.

In late 2008, a song he co-wrote with Shneider, "Time for Miracles", was recorded by Adam Lambert and used in the movie 2012.

On October 5, 2010, he released his solo debut album Spark, a tribute to the late Natasha Shneider.

On September 5, 2012, Jimmy Eat World announced that he would be a producer/engineer on their 8th studio album.

In 2013, he became a player in Dave Grohl's Sound City Players project, writing and recording a song for the album, and playing a major role in the live performances.

On November 11, 2014, he released his second solo album, Fragments and Wholes Vol. 1, drawing inspiration from the death of his parents as well as that of Natasha Shneider.

Johannes began working with PJ Harvey in 2014. From 2016 to 2017, Johannes was a part of PJ Harvey's touring ensemble for her world tour in support of her album The Hope Six Demolition Project. He also played on the album itself.

In 2015, he was the producer of K's Choice album The Phantom Cowboy, and Edith Crash's Partir.

In 2016, he composed and performed the soundtrack for the Ubisoft game, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands.

In 2020, his third solo record Hum was released on Ipecac Records to favorable critical reviews

On September 3, 2022, Them Crooked Vultures reunited for a performance at Wembley Stadium in honour of Foo Fighters' late drummer Taylor Hawkins and again on September 27, 2022 at the Kia Forum for the second tribute show.

In May 2024, Alain was playing with Masters of Reality. He was also their support act, solo on stage with his cigar box guitar. Johannes also toured across Europe with a selected band from countries he played in forming his backing band, allowing him to play Eleven and Desert Sessions songs in his sets. In the UK leg for example, Alain's backing band were Earl of Hell, who also opened for him on the tour. Along with past collaborator Chris Goss, Alain contributed the Jethro Tull song "Aqualung" from the 1971 album Aqualung to the tribute album Aqualung (Redux)'' released through Magnetic Eye Records in December 2024. The song followed the original arrangement but was done in the a cappella format using voices performing the instrumentation along with various electronic percussion noises. It was favorably reviewed as being like a "nightmare" scored with surrealist music.

Selected discography Throughout his career Johannes has worked with a wide range of artists and bands in various genres as a musician, record engineer and producer. Band or artist Album Year Credits Addie Brik Wattsland (EP) 1984 Vocals, guitar, production What Is This? Squeezed (EP) Vocals, guitar What Is This? What Is This? 1985 Vocals, guitar What Is This? 3 Out of 5 Live (EP) Thelonious Monster Baby, You're Bummin' My Life Out in a Supreme Fashion 1986 Flute, saxophone Walk the Moon Walk the Moon 1987 Vocals, guitar, saxophone, programming, percussion, e-bow Eleven Awake In A Dream 1991 Guitar Sun 60 Only 1993 Melissa Ferrick Massive Blur Eleven Eleven Guitar, vocals Eleven Thunk 1995 Guitar, percussion, horn, sitar Jason Falkner Presents Author Unknown 1996 Guitar Gouds Thumb Gouds Thumb Dalbello Whore Chris Cornell Euphoria Morning 1999 Guitar, bass, backing vocals, theremin, mandolin, clarinet, tabla, production, mixing Queens of the Stone Age Rated R 2000 Mixing Eleven Avantgardedog Guitar, vocals, producer, engineer No Doubt Return of Saturn Recording The Desert Sessions Volume 7 & 8 2001 Guitar, fiddle, harmonium, saxophone, vocals, clavinet, udu, mixing Live V Sitar, production No Doubt Rock Steady 2002 Additional engineer Queens of the Stone Age Songs for the Deaf Organ, piano, guitar, theremin, lap steel guitar UNKLE Never, Never, Land 2003 Remixing Matt Costa Matt Costa (EP) Mastering The Desert Sessions Volume 9 & 10 Guitar, bass, flute, vocals, mandolin, e-bow, keyboard Mondo Generator A Drug Problem That Never Existed Engineer, mixing, mastering Eleven Howling Book Guitar, vocals Mark Lanegan Band Bubblegum 2004 Guitar, bass, drums, organ, keyboards, vocals, mixing, production Sugarcult Palm Trees and Power Lines Additional guitar Jack Irons Attention Dimension Banjo, flute, guitar, saxophone, vocals, sarod, engineer, mixing, marxophone, santoor Janubia Mother Tongue Mixing, mastering, additional instrumentation Masters of Reality Give Us Barabbas Editing Eagles of Death Metal Peace Love Death Metal Piano, vocals, engineering, mastering, mixing Queens of the Stone Age Lullabies to Paralyze 2005 Bass, guitar, flute, marxophone Queens of the Stone Age Over the Years and Through the Woods Bass, guitar, backing vocals Millionaire Paradisiac Mixing, recording Eagles of Death Metal Death by Sexy 2006 Mixing Wires on Fire Wires on Fire Saxophone, mixing, mastering, engineering Queens of the Stone Age Era Vulgaris 2007 Bass, guitar, fiddle, marxophone, mixing Silverchair Young Modern Slide guitar Hilary Duff Dignity Mixing Puscifer V is for Vagina Guitar Spinnerette Ghetto Love (EP) 2008 Bass Eagles of Death Metal Heart On Horn, engineer The Gutter Twins Saturnalia Recording Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted 2009 Guitar Nosfell Nosfell Producing, mixing, guitar, marxophone, bass, cigfiddle Spinnerette Spinnerette Production, mixing, engineer, bass, guitar, cigfiddle Arctic Monkeys Humbug Engineering Them Crooked Vultures Them Crooked Vultures Recording, backing vocals Alain Johannes Spark 2010 Recording, producing, mixing, guitars, vocals, bass Manna Shackles 2011 Producer Mark Lanegan Blues Funeral 2012 Producing, engineering, mixing, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals Sound City Reel to Real (soundtrack) 2013 Bass, vocals on "Your Wife is Calling"; guitar on "Centipede"; vocals, guitars on "A Trick With No Sleeve" Loading Data Double Disco Animal Style Producer, backing vocals, drums, keyboards, bass, guitars Jimmy Eat World Damage Producer Brody Dalle Diploid Love 2014 Co-producer, guitars, bass, piano, trumpet, mellotron, slide guitars Alain Johannes Fragments & Wholes, Vol. 1 Recording, producing, mixing, guitars, vocals, bassK's ChoiceThe Phantom Cowboy 2015ProducerKazuya Yoshii"Chōzetsu Dynamic!" GuitarEdith CrashPartir ProducerKensicoWhite Sage 2015 Guitars, e-bow, cigar box, percussions, recordingPJ HarveyThe Hope Six Demolition Project 2016Guitar, handclapping, keyboards, percussion, saxophone, vocals (background)Alain JohannesGhost Recon Wildlands OSTitaru Mark Lanegan Band Gargoyle 2017 Producer, co-writer, keyboards, guitar, bass, mellotron, synthesizer, percussion, e-bow, vocals (background) Garry Pitcairn The Gospel 2019 Mixing, mastering Aurelia Sharp Words 2019 Producer, mixer, guitar, bass, cigar box guitar, keyboards, percussion, e-bow Big Scenic Nowhere Vision Beyond Horizon 2020 Co-writer, guitar, vocals Patrón Patrón 2020 Producer, engineer, mixer, keyboards, guitar, bass, vocals (background)Alain Johannes Hum 2020 Composer, engineer, mixing, primary artist.Des Rocs Dream Machine 2023 ProducerTarah Who? The Last Chase 2024 Producer, engineer, mixer, guitar, backing vocalsEarl of HellEarl of Hell 2025 Producer, mixing, masteringSick Joy More Forever 2026 Producer, engineer, guitar, backing vocalsOkay You WinEnd of Days 2026 Mastering