“I know myself better musically thanks to this album”: Steve Vai features on the new Matteo Mancuso album – and he had one piece of advice for the young virtuoso

Matteo Mancuso will release his second studio album in 2026, and not only does it feature Steve Vai, but the LP will also be emboldened by the advice that Vai gave the young virtuoso during its recording.

Route 96 will continue where the Tosin Abasi and Al Di Meola-approved guitarist left off with his 2023 debut LP, The Journey, which cemented his reputation as one of the hottest young talents around.

That was succeeded by the single Paul Position, a baritone guitar romp inspired by Paul Gilbert. This time, Vai has gone one better than just honoring one of his heroes: he’s enlisted one.

Vai features on the track Solar Wind, joining forces with a player he once called “the evolution of the guitar,” while also offering him some crucial recording advice. Unlike his debut, Mancuso's Route 96 – named after his birth year – was recorded at a 96kHz audio sample rate, thanks to Steve Vai’s intervention.

There are plenty of technicalities behind why this sample rate can be beneficial, but the long and short of it is that it can reduce digital artifacts and improve the overall sound quality of recorded material.

“I know myself better musically thanks to this album,” Mancuso believes. “I went through a process of eliminating things, and through that I realised more about the things I liked best about the music I compose and hear.

“The first album was made when I was studying a lot of things. Now I study less but listen more to just the music that attracts me. Route 96 is a more honest-sounding record, I would say.”

It’s not the first time that Vai has offered tutelage to the young star. He’s previously spoken to him about being himself as a guitarist and how no player can truly copy another. It sounds like that’s led him on a journey of self-discovery, where his voice leads the way.

We’ll have to wait a while longer to hear Solar Wind, but the record’s first single, Isla Feliz, has dropped, and it features the gypsy jazz talents of Antoine Boyer. The track sees Mancuso wielding, as he usually does, his Yamaha Revstar, and is seen as a love letter to his Latin influences for classical guitar, despite boasting some electric guitar distortion for good measure.

Matteo Mancuso - Isla Feliz (feat. Antoine Boyer) (Official Music Video) - YouTube

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“This album has come at the right time,” Mancuso feels. “I want to have a busy 2026 in terms of tours, [and] I wanted something newer and fresher to play. These ideas are more original and melodically stronger. There are more explorations, harmonically speaking. I think it shows who I am musically a lot better.”

In related news, Al Di Meola has offered his take on Mancuso's rapid rise, while Mancuso himself recently discussed why he prefers baritone guitars to seven-strings for when he wants more low-end.