Cthulu Cream

So apparently its 2017 which is great as everybody seems to have become a bit fed up with 2016. For me 2016 was pretty ok with a lot of travelling and touring and then an incredibly productive fall.

Some of the highlights were without doubt the Necromonkey tour in October, Recording with Fredrik Klingwall, The Pixie Ninja album, The Gösta Berlings saga sessions, the Akaba tour in February, playing with Il Tempio delle Clessidre in Genoa just to mention some of the adventures. The Necromonkey tour stands out as it was a kind of weird struggle. Within 24 hours after leaving Stockholm everything sort of fell apart. Losing our luggage at JFK, our Fender Rhodes contact in Brooklyn being a no-show, trying to use a so called repaired set of Taurus pedals that turned out to be glitchier than ever and than slowly piecing our backline back together and finishing on a remarkable high note in Chicago with a guest appearance by our friend Mike Keneally.

Both me and David are fairly resourceful people but these issues and just the sheer amount of them were impossible to solve by ourselves. The tour would had been a very stationary quiet event
if it wasnt for Jim Robinson, Ray Loboda, Jon Yager, Cat Roache and Tom Doncourt. We cant thank you enough. We were also very lucky to get to open for Rikard Sjöbloms band. Great guys and a complete pleasure to tour with.

Jon, Jim, Tony and David in Chicago

Touring is a long series of problem solving, gaffa taping and spotify cruising and than the occasional music playing. Ive been doing it my entire life on different levels and I still enjoy it immensely. When you have a well oiled machinery on the road there is simply nothing better.

Thomas from Änglagård was asked in a interview why he wasnt touring with the band and he said "I try to make my life as simple as possible, touring (with Änglagård) is the exact opposite of that".

Someone asked me why Thomas wasnt touring with the band and I always replied "He is the smart one"

After I came back home a feverish flood of recording started. I try to do as much as possible without questioning or taking things apart. I just record them and wait. I might go back and add stuff but its also very possible Ill just throw them on the heap of 700+ songs I have written and just see how it survives. Picasso is apparently the most producrive Artist of all time and did 144000 pieces...They cant all be Guernica, right? Some of them must be small, simple and spontaneous.

Cthulu Cream is one song that is exactly that. Its simple, naive, clumsy and short. But it is something. And if you hate the song the title is still pretty great.

https://soundcloud.com/rothhandlestudios/cthulu-cream

Headlines

Yesterday I continued working on Ketils album adding more percussion and colours. I also edited in Roland TR-707 Handclaps on all of my Snaredrum hits for the first section. Why? Because Ketil is worth it. Today Ill be finishing the end Orchestral section multidubbing snaredrums, Becken etc. Hopefully Ill have time to add some Celestes and Glockenspiels as well.

Tonight Akaba will be in the studio taking pictures with Kjahart for her debut solo album. The cover is the first thing you see when you pick up an album. Tomorrow she will be mastering two tracks for radio release.

I heard the mastered version of the Anima Morte album and it is nothing less than stellar. The band has really evolved and outdone themselves this time. Really stoked about this release. Loads of great songs and sounds.

The secret pan-european project Ive been working with is slowly moving into place. I get mixes sent to me from a undisclosed location. Its also slightly terrifying. This morning I listened to a mix and I didnt recognize my drumming.....at all. So I went and checked the original files and it was all me.

Very exciting stuff indeed.

Now Playing: American Music Club

Studio Update #4

Me and Fredrik from the last session (Photo by Martin Gustafsson)

Today the sessions for the Anima Morte album will be continue. With a bit of luck there will be a fair amount of Mellotronrecording and weirdness. Last session we recorded the Roth Händle pipe Organ, Loads of Mellotron (Eight voice choir, String section, Black sabbath choirs, Pipe Organ, Tubular Bells and Timpani) 

More eight voice with Anima Morte

Its gonna be a lot of fun....and with a bit of luck some of it might end up on "tape" as well...

Video of the day 23rd of February - Fredrik from Anima Morte recording Mellotron 8 voice choir

Todays video is from last weeks Anima Morte sessions.

The Mellotron he is playing on is the first Mellotron I got I bought it from the bassplayer of Änglagård. Its been toured a fair amount and is in good working shape...I use it pretty much every day. On top of the Mellotron you can see Markus Reschs new creation. The digital Mellotron, the M4000D.

Fredrik at Mellotron #1517

Other people who have enjoyed the 8 voice choir include Genesis, Radiohead too mention but a few. 

Studio Update #2

Studio update

Yesterday I did the final mx of the fourth track on the Optigan album. Its called November and its a really weird track with a blend of oddness. Really pleased with the outro which consists of Chamberlin piano thru a leslie and the Orchestron Piano.

I started working on the cover yesterday. I think Ill be listing he instruments used...my problem is that I cant remember whats used...Its also quite difficult to decipher.

You might wonder why I have a picture of a crime scene at the top...Well its fairly obvious when you think about it. Today Im recording with Anima Morte for their upcoming album. Im guessing there will be a fair amount of Mellotroning and synthing. Videos and pictures will follow..probably. Returning to the crime scene.

....and then tonight Ill be going to the Swedish grammy awards.

Video of the day January 30th 2014

The guitarplayer in Pineforest Crunchs (Olle Söderström) father used to go back and forth to to New York a lot. On one of the flights he got placed next to a short english gentleman. He was terribly nice and they started talking. Olles father told the man about his kids and said that his son played guitar in a fairly popular Swedish popband. The man said that he dabbled with music so Olles father asked of course it was something that one might have heard off...and the man replied...Yes I used to play drums in a little band called Genesis.

So when Olles father came home he naturally asked Olle if he knew of a band called Genesis

....and their drummer. 

Why am I telling you this story....easy. Because it is Phil Collins birthday today.

Video of the day is of one of my closest friends Fredrik Klingwall bashing around and making all sorts of horror noises for the Anima Morte album. If you are into italian horrormusic...you should check them out. They are currently working on a new album that will probably 

(as far as I have heard) be amazing... 

Fredrik Klingwall playing an open Pianoframe