The wonderful Finn Harrison in my kitchen.
Told you so.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
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)
Its gonna be a lot of fun....and with a bit of luck some of it might end up on "tape" as well...
Monday, February 24, 2014
Studio update #3
Studio update #3
Apparently the first batch of Necromonkey CDs have reached the US shores which makes me very happy. Its taking alot longer than we hoped for to get the discs over there so we appreciate your patience. If you want to order one please drop us a line at Necromonkeyness@gmail.com
Today we recorded vocals on the Akaba track Riflegun. Åsa is very convinced the title is gonna stay...Im not too sure. It really is a pleasure working on this album. We have been at it for some time but it still feels very fresh and Im also under the illusion that we know what is going on thematically.
After Åsa left I started mixing track 6 for the ...in these murky waters album today. This track is based around the Optigan disc Banjo sing a long which is a weirder one. Not so much weird but I have very little in my life that connects to finger picking banjos.
As I am working on the album I try really hard to make it as interesting as possible. Sometimes it is about breaking up the arrangement or shifting the focus. In this video Im doing a treatment on the Banjos...where Im pitching it down and puling it thru some effects. When its played at the right speed it sounds a lot more....interesting....I think.
The thing is by doing this I started getting other Ideas and added some Mellotron Timpanis and all of a sudden everything changed.
Book review : How music works - David Byrne
How Music Works - David Byrne
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I have been a fan of David Byrne for pretty much as long as I can remember. As a kid I saw Talking Heads videos on MTV and was always impressed by how creative, strong and weird I thought he was. Also I liked the fact that he was smart, arty and funny. It was always inviting.
I bought my first David Byrne book in japan. It was a book of photos from his travels. On the same trip I bought a book with Freakshow posters. And who wrote the foreword in the book? David Byrne. A couple of years later I stumbled across his book on Bicycles (It really is the future, you know).
As I have started driving to work I usually turn on a ted talk that I can listen to in the car. Its a great format and I have the illusion that some of it might stick. When I saw that David Byrne had done one I was very happy indeed. He spoke about the architecture of the rooms were music is performed and how it effects the music that is played there. Or the other way around. Operahouses, punkclubs etc etc
A couple of months later I stumbled across his new book and it wasnt a hard sell.
In this fairly lengthy book David Byrne is doing two things...From his own experiences and studies he wants to explain how Music, the Music business and how Music performance works....also he is trying to avoid an ageing rockstar biography. And he is a enthusiatic writer. He has read books and studies on the subject. He writes about music history, music architecture, resonances and acoustic phenomena (I had no idea all the planets had their own harmonic character...) and the finances of the modern recording industry.
David Byrne is a writer who feels strongly about his subject and he has a naturally inquisitive mind....but he looses me occasionally in the book. Especially the chapter about the economics of the Music Industry become lengthy and dare I say it....boring. It is very difficult to make ends meet in the modern music industry....I sort of had a clue about that. But Byrne is passionate about it. So in this case maybe it isn´t the writers fault but the readers...I cant muster up the energy to look at pie charts of record label finances. I probably should but it doesnt light my fire.
Now and then David Byrne writes from his own experiences with CBGBs, "world music", Brian Eno and the Talking Heads....and all of a sudden his language changes in the book. He is a lot more fluid and to the point. He is funny and witty and the words come easy. I love these sections and probably thats why I liked his book on bicycles too....Subjects that reside within him are simple for him to write about, stories and tales he knows and as a result...while Im reading I hear his voice in my head. In the rest of the book I sort of see him shuffling thru papers, post its and quotes from other sources.
A good read....but bring sandwiches and coffee. It might take a while.
Video of the day 24th of February - Tobias recording the Stylophone 350s
One girl playing the Stylophone 350s and three obviously deaf people looking on.
...and here is what Wikipedia thinks of the 350s.
The more versatile 350s version of the instrument was used by UK experimentalists Camberwell Now, and appeared on their album All's Well. The 350s dual-stylus version was also extensively used as a lead instrument by British band Pulp from 1992 to 1994. Its glacial tones are particularly evident on their breakthrough album His 'n' Hers (most notably the songs "Happy Endings" and "Pink Glove") whilst the 1993 album, Intro – The Gift Recordings, features a track called "Styloroc (Nites of Surburbia)" which revolves around a riff played on the first model. Pop/rocker Richard Barone features the 350s prominently on his 2010 album "Glow" (Bar/None Records), particularly on the title track, its instrumental reprise, and cover of T.Rex's "Girl," on which it is played by producer Tony Visconti.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
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.
Other people who have enjoyed the 8 voice choir include Genesis, Radiohead too mention but a few.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Video of the day 22nd of February 2014....Akaba sessions.
Tobias Ljungkvist and the Vox String Thing
A great day in the studio yesterday. We started off listening to a Akaba track called Everything Matters to sort of close the book on the track but realized very quickly that it needed....lead vocals and drums (maybe).
So we moved on to another track with the horrible working title Rifle gun. Its a weird track and were are not completely sure wether it will make it on to the album. So we started by having Tobias recording his signature instrument, the baritone guitar.
I think its very important to do stuff in productions that work as question marks. So we pulled out an old Vox String Thing and pulled it thru NecroDavids Peavey.
This pushed the track in a completely new direction so we recorded two takes with the tremelo at different settings to create a weird fluttering effect. As bass we added the Stylophone 350s. To give the choruses more high end energy and movement we recorded two takes of Mono/poly arpeggios. By doing this we had changed the whole feel of the track making it much more electronic in a slight 80s fashion. The half tempo drums I had recorded sounded utterly out of place and probably wont be used. To get the drums more harmonic we used the Vocoder plus to make the electribe follow the chords....and then we ended it all by recording a Chamberlin Piano thru a rather dull sounding Boss Leslie pedal.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Risberg & Stumm
Risberg & Stumm
Had a wonderful meeting last night with these two fine gentleman....and if it all works out like it should there should be listenables out before you know it. I might need to refreshen my gas can miking technique but apart from that its gonna be smooth sailing.
Very Exciting. Indeed.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Video of the day 20th of February 2014
When I write my blogs I realize that its very hard to keep someones attention for a very long time while so by having pictures people find it easier to keep their attention as well as initially capturing it. It is also a great way of adding a layer of info.
Video of the day is of Martin von Bahr recording Oboe on Necromonkeys track Transteens. Its from the 20th of February last year.
So I went online and searched for vintage oboe picture and this is what I found.
I think I need to have a little chat with Mr.von Bahr.
Martin has payed on a bunch of tracks for Necromonkey and is a real trooper. He also played a Oboe quartet on Vera Vinters drömde om dig.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Video of the day 19th of February 2014
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Recording murfed Omnichord for my dear friend Ketil.
A Omnichord is an electronic musical instrument, introduced in 1981 and manufactured by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation. It typically features a touch plate, and buttons for major, minor, and diminished chords. The most basic method of playing the instrument is to press the chord buttons and swipe the touch plate with a finger or guitar pick in imitation of strumming a stringed instrument.
Omnichord thru the Moogerfooger Murf
Nowadays me and Ketil have a band together called Kaukasus together with british singer and multitalent Rhys Marsh. We will be releasing a single in March and
the album will explode onto the world..in April....
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.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Video of the day February 18th 2014
Here is a bit of history...A stroll around Roth Händle before it became Roth Händle.
Roth Händle V before it became RH V
Book review : Daily Rituals - Mason Curry
This book is a collection or recollections of how different artists and writers work. Quite simply a description of their working day. When do they get up? What do they have for breakfast? For how long do they write or compose?
Every artist/writer/composer is awarded a page or two and this means that there isnt really time to get in deep but what emanates is a pattern of how similar people in general are. The wake up, have breakfast and work.
Stravinsky, Agatha Christie, Hemingway, Jackson Pollock are just a couple of the many artists featured in this fairly nerdy book. As somewhat of a fan I thought it was interesting to see how the Beatwriters werent in the book at all...perhaps because they had no rituals?
Also I find it kind of funny that when Im reading about someone I admire or I have read or listened to my attention perks up. The book has a tendency to fall into a slight rutt of men drinking coffee and eating eggs. Which obviously isnt the writers fault. Im a man and I drink coffee and I eat Eggs....so now you know my dirty secret.
Interesting bits that caught my attention.
Truman Capote couldnt begin or end anything on a Friday.
Kingsley Amis always stopped writing when he knew exactly what was to come next, just to simpilfy the next days work.
Truman Capote Writing
Throughout the book Im astonished of how drugs and alcohol see to be a vital part of most entrys daily regimen. I realize that this is part for chock effect. But I still find it very impressive that they get anything done at all. Gin, whiskey, wine, lunch martinis, amphetamines. One pattern is that appears is how the everyday life starts out fairly disciplined with a definite ratio of everything. 3 parts writing one part drinking....and then after a couple of years the scale starts tipping.
Also I realized while reading that I feel that Im envious of the lifestyle of some of the writers. Sleeping until 11 and the butler brings you coffee and the eggs. Beethoven apparently even had time to count his coffee beans everyday so its just right. I usually settle for black and as close to me as possible.
After I had read 74% of the book (I read it on my Kindle so I know exactly) I asked my wife. Isnt it weird how everyone in the book has their lunches, cocktails, breakfasts, exercises, cupboard gin down to a perfect science but noone in the book ever has sex. Not one mention of it.
Fast forward to 76%... George Simenon apparently had sex four times a day. Often with four different women. He estimated that he had had sex with 10 000 women in his life. His wife said it was an exaggeration....it probably was just 1200.
One afterthought you get from the book is that it makes you think of your own idiosyncracies. What do I need to get my creative juices flowing? For how long can I work? What do I need to wear to by at my creative peak?
Anyways...Is it a good read? I would say so. Its interesting and fun but Its not the kind of book you should read in one sitting but hit a favorite artist now and then.
Ill easily give it two of my halfassed pages in longhand and a lunch martini.
Now Playing (As I wrote this):
Sufjan Stevens: No mans land
Eels - Railroad man
Pajama Club - From a friend to a friend
Reminder - So Gently (Not my choice....Spotify on Random)
Bowerbirds - La denegracion
PJ Harvey - The last living rose
Richard Moult - The five daughters I
Monday, February 17, 2014
Video of the day 17th of february 2014
A great day in the studio today even though slept. Was plagued by nightmares. I shot one person and stabbed another. The guy I shot was a politician and the other one was a painter that I stabbed due to poor quality of his art. I woke up in a really bad mood.
Todays video of the day is a fairly boring one...But it was recorded exactly 5 years ago. So there is some history going on here...sort of. This was recorded at Roth Händle III in Sundbyberg. Really cosy studio but it fell apart at the end.
And as usual I will end by presenting some other users of this fine piece of equipment include...Fatboy Slim, John Frusciante and The Crystal Method.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Video of the day 16th of February 2014
Glockenspiels for Änglagård
I have always loved glockenspiels, bells and celestes. To me they symbolize stars, snow, cold and glistening. I also love how they frame a production. If the Tauruspedals are the bottom of the picture, the ground, the earth. The bells are the skies.
I know how stupid this sounds....but guess what? Im fine with it.
Im very sorry that I came up with the title Buried Alive for the bands live album. My suggestion for the third album was Struthus Camelus as I felt the band had their heads in the sand not hearing the outside world. You might imagine the shock I felt when noone else in the band liked the suggestion. I must admit that I also felt a perverse joy knowing that they all went out on google to see what it meant...and a picture of an ostrich shows up on there screens.
The Ostrich or Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus) is either one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member(s) of the genus Struthio, which is in the ratite family. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species separate from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a subspecies.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Video of the day 15th of February 2014
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Video of the day is from yesterday.
Mellotron Bees. Mellotron Bees. Mellotron Bees.
Its very short and slightly manic because my phone is in such terrible shape so it dies on me constantly. I think it has something to do with the deep crack on the backside.
This means that I try to film as fast as possible.
I hope you like it. And yes.
The whole running out of gas thing was true. Good day!
Gig Reflection Part 2 Mother at Fylkingen Staer (Nor) 13th of February 2014
After a beer or two its time for the main event, the Noiserock trio Staer from Norway.
The band has positioned themselves on the floor. Im not sure but Ive always felt a bit annoyed when people set up flat on the floor but with Staer its a blessing. It feels like a privilege to be close to see what is going on. The trio is placed with drummer Thore Warland firmly placed in the centre.
As some of you might know Im originally a percussionist. Thats were I started and I always look for new and interesting drummers or percussionists. I like everyone from Ringo to Aphex Twin to Tom Waits and Harry Partch and back again.
So when we were about to start up my old band Änglagård again I started to look around to see what was going on on the drumming scene. I wanted to do my homework, find out what was going on...and I must say I wasnt really too impressed.
This is sort of what I found or things quite like it.
And to me it sort of actually feels like this.
There are amazing drummers out there but when I listen to them all I hear are chops, math and endless hours of practising but sadly enough....almost no Ideas or visions. No personality. To me Bill Bruford, Stewart Copeland and Jaki Liebzeit are still people I admire and look up to as their feel is so personal and strong. The superdrummers nowadays that are perceived as being great are of course very impressive. But their drumming never moves me, it leaves me cold.
Staers drummer is very much the opposite. He has chops but his ideas and approach are filled with personality and a very unique dialect. His way of moving around a kit is inspiring and his body language speaks volumes.
The bands guitarist and bassplayer build a massive stompboxlaced wall of dark noise. I have to come clear though on one point...when you have two musicians with a whammy pedal each and multiple Moogerfoogers you know that clean harmonies and sing-a-long choruses arent on the menu. They sound more like two tuned tanks trying to pocketpark in downtown Dhaka.
Its a rivetting display of sounds and layers but not exactly hummable.
But to my immense joy even though bass and drums lock occasionally the playing field is pretty much open for this truly remarkable drummer.
His style is very loopy which I love. His drumming is based around a open doublestroke moved freely around the kit. I have never heard a drummer play in this manner before. The actual drumming technique is definitely not new, he uses a very simple basic foundaton of drumming but utilizes it in a refreshing and exciting way. As a bonus I can also tell you that it is very uncomfortable playing like this for extended time. Well atleast for me.
He also used a very cool sonic technique. Contact miking his cymbals and then pulling them out thru a mixer and into an amp. In my experience cymbals generally dont need too much miking
but this added another dimension to the sound.
From the first note to the last I stood there with a big stupid grin on my face.
I have played the clips to my wife and some of my friends and they all look at me with a slightly confused look on their faces. A mix between Why? What? and a splash of Whatever....
But I was there and I saw the light.
And it came in the shape of an exceptionally talented Norwegian Drummer.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Video of the day 14th of February 2014
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Walrus is a a Kraut rockband that I have together with
Leo Svensson, Kristian Holmgren, Henrik Olsson and Matti Bye.
I started the band by getting a gig first.
We were in Tromsö playing to Silent movies and I felt we needed something to blow off steam..
So far we have recorded one album.
Gig Reflection Part 1 Mother at Fylkingen Horatio Pollard (UK/Arg) 13th of February 2014
A rainy thursday night in Stockholm and I go to two gigs by myself. The promoter is Gavin Maycroft. A wonderful positive force in the Stockholm underground. Gavin is always amplifying the odd, illuminating the noiserdden dark and poking old farts like me in the chest saying the way I view music is stale, dead and with very little hope of surviving this spring. We all need that from time to time.
So to the first gig of the night....
A wonderfully abrasive loopyness emanates from the table packed with cables and stompboxes. Detuning sirens and freeform ambulances slither over stitched together rhythms. And it sounds amazing. Collagey but with a strong force forward. The music is rhythmic but often collapses over deconstructed barlines. People in the audience bobbing their heads as if the was the grooviest funkmachine exploding and in a weird way it is. The audience consists mostly of younger men but there are a handful women as well.
Due to the rhythms it has some weird leanings towards messy deranged Hip Hop. But as a recipient I realize my limitations...without the intelligent drums and rhythms I would find this almost unlistenable but with rhythms now it becomes quite attractive, multilayered with a dynamic sense of tempo and texture.
Horatio Pollard looks like a mix between a member of Steve Zissous crew and a hungover Icelandic fisherman. Which oddly enough is exactly how his vocals sounds. Slightly mumbly and with loads of echo the lyrics seems to consist of mainly two words. Erm and Aom.
But dont get me wrong...both erm and aom are sung with confidence and gusto into buckets of dubby delays. Im just worried that if god by chance decided to talk thru Horatio Pollard on this rainy February night I might have missed the message. Come again? Come again?
The films shown behind him are collagey. Stockfootage of german pensioneers and paratroopers practising. B-movie aliens and model trains. Pollards music both amplifies and detracts. I find films during gigs difficult. Wether you like it or not its hard to not watch. Is it random or super thought out? Is it supposed to sync? Are the old people in the movie a symbol of decay in our moral values and the fact that I need to pick up orange juice on my way home? Sometimes its hard to tell.
As usual at gigs in 2014 its hard to tell how much was prerecorded. Ive never been a fan of the whole two monkeys and a apple scenario so I took the chance and asked Horatio about his setup. I was happy that I did.
There are no apples involved at all. Hooray! The heart of his setup is Korg DDD-1 drummachine and it triggers samples and all the weirdness. There are several outputs running thru delays and stompboxes. The small cut up horn samples are played from the DDD-1. Knowing this changed my whole impression of the gig to the better. All of a sudden it felt like a organic performance instead of someone pressing spacebar 19.45 to start the music and then one more time 20.15 to turn it off.
Now playing: Tom Petty - You dont know how it feels
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Video of the day 13th of February 2014
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One of the worst things about the internet is that everything is logged and followed and measured.
You can get statistics and charts of everything. Who looked at what when. And there is a hunt for more views and likes and approval. Its hard not to want that, right?
And now and then you just see how the statistics go bananas.
A while back one of my videos started to get a lot of views.
A lot more than usual. I have no idea why.
A while back one of my videos started to get a lot of views.
A lot more than usual. I have no idea why.
There was a bit of an increase.
25 550 % increase since last month.
The viewers are men from America. They apparently like this sort of thing.
The viewers are men from America. They apparently like this sort of thing.
Everybody watches this....apparently.
Do you get it? If you do...please let me know what is going on...
Do you get it? If you do...please let me know what is going on...
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Video of the day 12th of February 2014
Stephen Hawking in zero gravity. Look at that smile!
So smart and still no gravity. Makes you think.
Yesterday I posted a video from the Carl Hasselrot sessions recording the wonderful Juno 106. This is a synth that I havent used too much but Im using it more and more.
This little film is from the latest Akaba sessions. Roth Händle veteran Tobias Ljungkvist doing his thing and trying to sneak in a pitchbend. A messy one too.
Today Ill be mixing another track for the all Optigan/Mellotron/Chamberlin/Orchestron album.
Its a really fun track with a slight Tim Burton edge to it.
I Think.
That sounds a lot more interesting than the truth right?
A bit too violent but still pretty happening.
Now...thats just sad, isnt it?
Book review : Genesis the Gabriel era by Bob Carruthers
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As a young teenager me and a bunch of friends wandered album by album into one of worlds most despised and ridiculed genres of music, progressive rock. Just saying the word conjures up images of capes, endless noodling, keyboard stacking and pointless music extravaganza.
But we took it step by step. A bit of Marillion, some Pink Floyd but when we found Genesis we were hooked pretty much straight away. Timewise this was somewhere in the neighbourhood of Peter Gabriels So but before Another day in paradise so there was no music even remotely similar going on.
Around that time it was hard to get a hold of any footage or written stuff about the band or the genre in general...it all felt every secretive and strange.
So we devoured every documentary or encyclopedia entry with feverish interest.
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The lamb lies down on broadway...so good Id bring it to a desert island with me.
So somewhat 20 years later as a Genesis fan I stumbled across this book on my Kindle
and thought...why not? I love Gabriel era Genesis!
When you are reading you are immediately struck by the notion
that this must be the work of a fan.
Someone who wants to write a sort of guide to the band that he loves so much.
The problem is that the amount of material in terms of interviews seem to have been somewhat limited as the same wording and phrases are repeated 3-4 times in the book...which is great if you are studying for Genesis 101 test but if you knew anything about Genesis before reading the book it just becomes annoying. It might just be poor editing but it becomes a nuisance after a while.
Bob Carruthers will walk you thru the bands career in sort of half assembled Ikea manner. He breaks down every album song by song which is wonderful as an idea but if you havent heard the song in question it becomes fairly useless.
These days when I read books I like to go to youtube and check out interviews with the artist or author to hear their voices and vocal patterns so I can hear them better in my head. The problem was that the interviews online were so much better than the stuff in the book so it felt kind of flat going back to reading the book. All the interviews in the book are from the era which obviously gives more of a historic feel but you have to realize that the interviews are always tools of promotion. The problem is that you sometimes get the feeling that 1970s Genesis werent really aware of that. Its not too sexy when you badmouth your own band in an interview now is it, Phil? Also pretty much all of the reprinted articles are positive.
Not a single bad word....seems like smooth sailing. This cant have been the case now, can it?
Well...for one thing there were loads of troubles haunting the live shows of the Lamb lies down on broadway. Peter Gabriels costume changes were less than smooth and the 3000 slides that were projected behind the band seldom came in the exact right order at the right time. This is general Genesis knowledge but this is something Carruthers neglects to emphasize. The fact that the official last show with Peter Gabriel was cancelled due to poor ticket sales so that the second to last became the last in a anticlimactic way is also not mentioned.
If you know anything about the band these little mistakes taints the whole book. I love Genesis too but if I were to write a book about them I would try to be as factual as possible and maybe even try to interview a member or two from the band specifically for the book. Then the reader can make up their own minds.
Also the book ends on a bitter sour note with two interviews with Steve Hackett,
the last interview from when he had left the band to pursue a solocareer
and wasnt too positive about his former bandmates.
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So who should read this book? Well noone should in my crass opinion. If you are curious about Gabriel era Genesis maybe should start off with listening to the albums and you will get a pretty good idea of the band. They put out a whole bunch of remarkable albums in the early 70s that are perceived as cornerstones of progressive rock and for good reasons too. They are quirky, pastoral, mellotrondrenched, dark, exciting and even funny. Peter Gabriel is a unique frontman and Phil Collins one of the best drummers in the world. Genesis were truly a great combination of musicians and ideas. You cant really go wrong. If you are still curious to find out more....go on Youtube and check out the excellent interviews that are available there. Great stuff.
So whats my rating for the book?
Ill give it one moth eaten Batwing at Hard Rock Café in Sölvesborg.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Video of the day 11th of february 2014
The song got its title from a local Chinese restaurant. Its not called Hing Long but Kinky Panda due to their logo. We actually ate there today. The food is pretty good but the woman who works there is terribly rude and unpleasant.
I get the feeling she hates my guts.
As the new Necromonkey album is just out I thought I could treat you all to
a sneak listen to track 2 of the next one.
This is one of those in session videos.
The light was horrible so I did the best I could with the available light....
The amazing Nicklas Barker (Anekdoten, My brother the wind) recording some electric guitar.
We came from the ocean
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The echo chamber at Abbey Road.
Yesterday was a good day. I did a mix on the second track "we came from the ocean" on Friday and felt very pleased with it. Than I came home and listened and realized it needed a lot of work. It wasnt a problem with the track itself but I listened to the first track I had mixed and when I listened to "we came from the ocean" I realized I needed to push everything a bit further.
I really like working that way. Trying to build every song differently so that when you hear the album its entirety it wont become boring or flat. Its very easy to resort to standard solutions...Doubletracked Mellotron 3 violins with the Chamberlin Cello playing bass sounds amazing. Its a sure thing. But if you do it on every track...it will become flat very quickly.
So on this new track I wanted to create different atmosphere in the choruses and used the Mk 1 mandolins as the driving chords with doubletracked Orchestron Celloes as the bass. To get a stronger percussive element I added M400 Timpani hits. The choruses fell into place verk quickly. A lot of atmosphere but the problem obviously meant that the verses needed some attention.
As all of the instruments are either Mellotron, chamberlin, optigan or Orchestron I feel a lot of affection for them. I have issues with messing with them too much which is a bit weird. I destroy drums on a daily basis but Mellotron....? Never!
One big thing that is great with these instruments is that they command attention. They move tempo and pitch wise. Your ear cant really trust them.
Its about creating a world where you as the listener is lured into the idea that everything is ok.
One way of creating such a world is by using reverbs to tie everything together. My main reverb is a big Akg spring reverb that has easily paid for it self. It is lush and silky. By using the same reverb on everything you create an artificial room where the sounds blend. On this album I will be experimenting with several reverb units to create specific rooms for all of the tracks.
My favorite reverb was at my old studio in Sundbyberg. Next to my studio there was an empty garage...and I got to use it as a echo chamber. A echo chamber is quite simply an empty room whe you place a speaker and a microphone and you record the echo. It was really amazing. If you are curious to hear it check out the tarantula waltz album.
Well anyway I have listened to the mix at home and it sounds....good which means that tomorrow Ill be starting the next mix. It actually feels great.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Video of the day 10th of february 2014
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Video of the day is another one from the Carl Hasselrot sessions.
The wonderful Roland Juno 106 going thru a swamp of Moogerfoogers.
Apparently all of these people like the Juno-106 too!!!
William Ørbit, Überzone, Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), Autechre, BT, Vince Clarke, Moby, 808 State, Underworld, Leftfield, Fluke, Josh Wink, Todd Terry, Depeche Mode, Eat Static, Biosphere, The Prodigy, The Shamen, Bushflange, Cirrus, Astral Projection, Apollo 440, Faithless, Union Jack, Computer Controlled, Pet Shop Boys, Sneaker Pimps, Erasure, Freddy Fresh, Rabbit in the Moon, Kevin Saunderson, Jimmy Edgar,
Laurent Garnier, Vangelis, Sigur Ros,
and the Chemical Brothers.
I think we are in good company.
Necromonkey - A glimpse of possible endings
Necromonkey - A glimpse of possible endings
It is finally here.
Our second album. We are very happy with it. David and I discussed what track we should post as a teaser and we realized that all of the tracks represent the album and none of them do.
The tracklisting is as follows...
1. There seems to be knife stains in your blood
2. The sheltering waters
3. The counterfeit pedestrian
4. Glimpse
5. The worst is behind us
The album was recorded at Roth Händle V.
Track 2 was mixed by Kristian Holmgren.
Mastered by Christopher Cline.
Cover by Henning Lindahl.
As a sort of teaser we posted the second track, the sheltering waters on soundcloud.
The sheltering waters (6:30)
Electric Guitars, Baritone Guitar, Maas-Rowe Vibra Chime, Vibraphones,
Glockenspiels, Mini Moog, Hammond and Crumar Organs, Teaspoon,
Yamaha DX-100, Yamaha SY-1, Drummachines, Drums and Percussion, Persephone.
Rob Martino: Chapman Stick
This song is very odd for us....see if you can spot why.
Here are a couple of videos from the sessions for the sheltering waters.
Here are a couple of videos from the sessions for the sheltering waters.
A very early session idea from the sheltering waters
David recording the Piano Part
A chamberlin solo female voice part that didnt make it
We have already started sending out the disc to the people who have preordered but also to magazines and reviewers. If you would want a copy of the album you are very welcome to do so by emailing us at Necromonkeyness@gmail.com
We have another 3 or 4 albums coming up that are pretty much finished.
Our ambition is to release atleast one album per year.
Now playing:
Fake plastic trees - Radiohead
The street - Harry Partch
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Video of the day 9th of February 2014
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This video is from the February 9th 2010.
Staphan O Bell recording the Vako Orchestron Vocal Choir Disc.
The Vako Orchestron is like the optical weird cousin of the Mellotron.
It wasnt a big hit amongst musicians and only about 50 were built.
Instead of having the sounds on tape the sounds are stored on optical discs.
Some of the artists that have used the Orchestron are Kraftwerk, Rainbow, Yes and Jethro Tull.
Staphan O Bell is just about to release his debut album.
The Vako Orchestron is like the optical weird cousin of the Mellotron.
It wasnt a big hit amongst musicians and only about 50 were built.
Instead of having the sounds on tape the sounds are stored on optical discs.
Some of the artists that have used the Orchestron are Kraftwerk, Rainbow, Yes and Jethro Tull.
Staphan O Bell is just about to release his debut album.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Video of the day 8th of February 2014
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An easy way to encourage and develop randomness is to be lazy. In this little video Im using the same effects on several different overdubs. It wasnt what I was planning to do but it turned out to be really interesting in the end.
So the lesson is simple....leave everything plugged in and you will be fine.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Going to the graveyard of potential percussion
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Studio update
Im in the middle of mixing an album at the studio. Its a duo project. I have written the songs and a wonderful singer has written lyrics and sings on top. I have finished mixing one track and Im moving on to track number two tomorrow. Im hoping that the album will be finished in February and will be released on Roth Händle recordings this spring. We havent really discussed "the plan" just yet so Im waiting a bit before going public.
When Im mixing I am the worst version of myself. I mumble, scream and pace around the studio. I forget to drink coffee and eat. Imagine yourself constantly listening for errors and faults. And when you correct them you start listening to something else that is wrong. Things that work and sound good arent the focus. Mixing is also very much like spinning plates or a house of cards. Everything is very fragile and interdependant. I am always stressed out when Im mixing...like Im on the verge of losing something. The magic was there and I lost it. If you get the vocals up you might loose some oomph in the rhythm. If they are too low you find yourself struggling to hear what she is singing...but maybe thats mysterious and sexy....? Reverbs, distortion, eqs all struggle to have their say. Its all a mess.
So when I mix I try to take breaks and go for walks or go swimming so that when I get back I have fresh ears and can actualy "hear" the music. Today I went to a car salvage yard to look for percussion instruments. I walked around banging on things with a wrench. Al the cars were pretty beat up with parking tickets on the window, scratched CDs in the backseat. If there had been a single drum stick rolling around it could have been my car. But before I knew it I started noticing that all of the cars had blown out airbags and police stickers. Apparently most of the cars were from accidents or were "found" and all of a sudden my "fun" excursion wasnt so "fun" anymore. It just became very eerie. It felt like I was walking around in a very weird graveyard with the death causes in plain sight. Very depressing.
So I went back and finished the mix instead. Now on to the next one...!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Video of the day 6th of February 2014
Sometimes video of the day....is from the actual day.
Other times it is from the same date but a couple of years back. This is to give things "perspective" (as I write that Im smiling on the inside).
Sometimes it is a fairly fresh video that hasnt been "published" yet.
That is the case with the video of today. Its from the Carl Hasselrot sessions.
I am playing a pair of Sabian Minihats.
I like them and I use them a fair deal to bridge between electronic drums and acoustics...
They are great to add a bit of movement.
I hope you like it.
Also I thought I could throw in a little bonus...On february the 6th 2012 the first episode of the Änglagård documentary was published. Wonderfully documented by Martin Gustafsson.
I really like how naked and raw a lot of this footage is.
There has been a lot of editing of course but you cant deny how honest it is...apart from the looking straight into the camera stuff. I also like how positive it all starts.
Familar storyline?
Gig reflection RITUALIA live at Glenn miller Café 4th of February 2014
Its been a long while since I went to a gig at Glenn Miller Café.
If you havent been it is definitely worth a visit.
Always great music, great food and a wonderful atmosphere. One of the cool and fairly unique things about Glenn Miller Café is the mix of people.
There are the young Jazz dudes, 50- 65 year olds, couples....you name it. Very impressive. The atmosphere becomes so much better when there is a mixed audience.
The reason why we ended up at this gig is very simple. Leo Svensson who I know from the silent movie stuff was the cello player in the ensemble and as Leo is great most people he plays with are great....but there is an added bonus as well as the composer Mattias Risberg came by the studio a couple of years back to check out the Mellotron. Leo is an amazing musician and friend that always has a very generous and brave approach to his Musicianship.
He is also 50% of the Tiny who I think are easily one of the top three bands in Sweden if not the best. Check them out if you havent heard them.
The music of the night was really interesting and diverse spanning a lot of musical styles. Going from super arranged to very loose and improvised. I get the feeling that this is a fairly big projct for composer and pianist Mattias Risberg.
One of the bands definite strongpoints was the diversity in the instrumentation. The wind players switched constantly between saxophones, bassclarinet, clarinet and flute.
Violin and Cello, Acoustic piano and drums/percussion.
A lot of possibilities...
The interplay between Cello and Violin was truly spellbinding thruout the show...especially one improvised intro which was a slow dissonant glissando fest.
Not for the faint hearted or for autotune fans.
Really really cool.
As usual I have to talk about the drummer, Jon Fält. In Stockholm there seems to be a trend now to put small gongs and cymbals on the drumheads. Its really interesting and gives the drummer a much wider palette of sounds but I can see how the drummers some times spend more time chasing a cymbal that is about to slip off the drum head than hitting it. Its really impressive for those who have mastered the art but I would feel so uncomfortable doing it. Jon Fälts playing was dynamic, humorous and envigorating. As usual the drummer seemed to be the band member who was having the most fun during the show.
One minor criticism was the sound that was less than stellar. Not the "sound" sound but the balance....I would have loved to have had more Cello in the mix to give it all a more balanced structure. A audible bass so that it all can build more frequency wise. Now the bassiest thing on stage was the petite 18" bass drum which wasnt the Mamooth of bass I so covet and lust for.
I enjoyed the gig and the ensemble point of view but I couldnt help feeling that it could have been either louder or quieter in parts. It would be terribly interesting to hear a Fender Rhodes instead of the acoustic piano. I realize that this falls within the wide frames of Jazz but I could also see how interesting this ensemble would be with electronic elements.
Drummachines or maybe even someone playing turntables.
Dont get me wrong....it was really great but when there are so many cool musical ideas flying around its hard not to let your imagination run...
Also I might be getting old but I find fast soloing fairly tiresome in the long run. They are great players and all but I just dont get excited by it. The arranged parts that were more chordal and constructed were often far more interesting than the free form stuff. I can easily understand how the hardcore Jazz fans would feel the exact opposite.
The transitions were also very impressive.
Going from bananas to discipline is tricky but they really nailed it.
As usual all the photos were snapped by the generous Fredrik Eckardt as my phone is a piece of shit and some other piece of shit stole my camera.
Thanks for reading...!
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