tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92028124484271341512024-03-13T21:27:21.200-07:00Udi KoomranMusic enthusiast audio engineer,producer from Tel Aviv Israel.Recording mixing and mastering original and challenging music is my passion.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-40858250955320957802012-01-28T07:19:00.022-08:002012-02-28T10:45:04.900-08:00Koid9 Interview<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w26Va_bJthg/TyTy__JM6wI/AAAAAAAACpk/UxQ3p3jjGwY/s1600/Picture%2B3.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 327px; height: 115px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w26Va_bJthg/TyTy__JM6wI/AAAAAAAACpk/UxQ3p3jjGwY/s400/Picture%2B3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702950209253600002" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br />Koid9 Interview by Patrick Robinet</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Unless one never pays attention to the production and mastering of an album, it is impossible not to have come across Udi Koomran if one pays any attention to the avant-garde end of progressive music.</span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:verdana;" >Many of the best albums to have emerged from that scene (most notably those by the band Present) are characterized by a sonic power that can be traced back to the same sound expert.</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">This is a particularly busy year for Udi Koomran, as it has </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">been for the Italian AltrOck label, with which he has increasingly been associated. One of the label's recent releases he has worked on is the long-awai</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">ted debut CD by the Alsace-based band Camembert.</span><br /></span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">What is exactly your professional job?</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I am a sound engineer specializing in music production studio work.This includes recording mixing ,mastering and often some sort of involvement in production. Occasionally I also do live sound for bands or artists with whom I have worked in the studio.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"><span style="font-style: italic;">What is the event that you give you the virus of sound</span> pro</span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">duction?</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">When I was 21 and just finished my military service I was planing a long trip abroad with a close friend .Then suddenly just a few weeks</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> before our planed departure he called me up saying he has a change of plans and got a job as a tape op at a local recording studio . At that moment I had any clue about sound engineering or recording studios but his cancellation made me curious what was so appealing to him that he was willing to give up our mutual plan. At that time my </span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XoUJbwReifs/T0pH3yHdguI/AAAAAAAACrI/cSPOnRzTbDw/s1600/73667_451230002678_518462678_5101035_3184485_n.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XoUJbwReifs/T0pH3yHdguI/AAAAAAAACrI/cSPOnRzTbDw/s320/73667_451230002678_518462678_5101035_3184485_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713458100944339682" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">uncle had an important position at the state TV and was able to help me make contact and receive a guided tour at one of the best studios in Tel Aviv a</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">t the time ( were Zingale and Atmosphera local progressive bands recorded ) .So i spent a full day at the studio watching a song being recorded overdubbed and mixed by a famous producer using some of the best session musicians of that time. Later That evening I met a friend and without hesitation announced "Now i know what I am going to do with my life "</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);font-family:verdana;" >What is your first work (live or studio production) for the progressive scene?</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Although its not a "proper " typical progressive music album It is probably Tractor's Revenge's Othello ( with Roger Trigaux of Present gue</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">sting on a couple of tracks) this album was inspired by some groups such as Art Zoyd, Present, God, etc. and was released in 1999 by Musea records Gazul label.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">What is your favorite work? And why?</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />mmm... maybe Present's Souls For Sale or 5UU's Abandonship or perhaps Ahvak - </span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uKbQyFLeqqY/T0oo1f9a-0I/AAAAAAAACqo/fC-vFYW3oug/s1600/Present-High_Infidelity-2001.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 299px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uKbQyFLeqqY/T0oo1f9a-0I/AAAAAAAACqo/fC-vFYW3oug/s320/Present-High_Infidelity-2001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713423976850193218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">This period was exciting and we were immersed in the music to the point the outside world seized to exist .Working With Roger Trigaux and Dave Kerman were totally extreme life changing experiences for me. I learned so mu</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">ch. For example Roger told me his ultimate method of checking if the mix is right is i</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">f its able to make the hair at the back of your arm rise ( or give you goose bumps) Dave's spontaneous creativity and ideas have inspired me since then to always try and push the music beyond what is norm and take serious chances on the way( like the time we worked for weeks on a piece that was finally rejected cause we probably went too far with it )</span> .<br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:verdana;" >Can you describe yourself your own way of working sound?</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Well its difficult to break down the modus operendi or "method</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">" but what I can say is that foe me music is a means of evoking emotions an</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">d by this hopefully providing the listener a deep experience that can even on rare occasions lead to some sort of mind alteration and catharsis Sound is the platform on which the music is presented to the listener. And my view is that in order to present the music in the best way the sound has to follow it and "serve" and enhance all the changes of timbre rhythm tempo dynamics etc. So the sound can hardly be static or average it has to move just as fast as the music does.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:verdana;" >And in comparison with other avant prog producer like Bob Drake?</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> I admire Bob and love his unique aesthetic and signature So natu</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">rally I am flattered</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8dLYj2g-snE/T0ol_NjKrAI/AAAAAAAACqc/aMMo5LdwAo8/s1600/Picture%2B1.png"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 245px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8dLYj2g-snE/T0ol_NjKrAI/AAAAAAAACqc/aMMo5LdwAo8/s320/Picture%2B1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713420845172042754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> to be mentioned along with him. We both have honed and refined our craft in different ways most probably according to a personal vision and taste..I think that In his album The Shunned Country he reached a rare balance of opposites: fidelity precision with warmth and roundness that truly remarkable .Another of Bob's works that I love and has inspired me is NORMA & Chris C</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">utler's - L'Arpa e L'Asino.<br /><br /><br /></span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:verdana;" >Apparently you work a lot with Alt Rock. Please give me a word about your relationship?</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I got to know Marcello Marinone through the Agartha prog website and we became friends later in 2007 he offered me to work with his partner Francesco Zaggo on the first Yugen album which was a very positive experience for all of us </span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zNWRJPICvk8/T0ojyba_G3I/AAAAAAAACqQ/tvw2BmGO_u8/s1600/Altrock.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 153px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zNWRJPICvk8/T0ojyba_G3I/AAAAAAAACqQ/tvw2BmGO_u8/s320/Altrock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713418426534271858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">and so naturally we continued to work on a number of projects. I have great respect and appreciation for all the hard dedicated work that these people are doing all for the love of the music. This year especially I feel AltrOck has blossomed and released some extremely fine albums. And just for the record I love all things Italian ( music. coffee. food. the most beautiful language and especially Silvio Berlusconi :- ) :-)<br /><br /><a href="http://soundcloud.com/udi-koomran/sets/alt-rock-productions-selection?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=blogger&utm_content=http://soundcloud.com/udi-koomran/sets/alt-rock-productions-selection">AltrOck Productions Selection</a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:verdana;" >Pierre of Camembert tells me that you spent a lot of time for their album. Do you spend same implication on others works?</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Well Camembert's album was a quite demanding and challenging </span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WqIA6yofavM/T0ojO5nc8eI/AAAAAAAACqE/ZUVTiN7X9mU/s1600/224.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WqIA6yofavM/T0ojO5nc8eI/AAAAAAAACqE/ZUVTiN7X9mU/s400/224.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713417816164332002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">project -A big unusual line up with loads of percussion instruments an extensive brass section and Harp ( which is first for me !) the way the album was edited and sequenced is also quite unusual ( non stop 55 min with lots of short interludes which morph or cut into the big composition.) Plus we had some technical issues we need to sort out So it was a major work .And yes I admit it I don't compromise and don;t stop till it feels "right" and so sometimes it gets a bit crazy ( ask Pierre he will tell you )</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">It all depends on what the music needs but I guess my way of work is meticulous and time consuming .</span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><a href="http://soundcloud.com/udi-koomran/sets/camembert-schn-rgl-attahk?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=blogger&utm_content=http://soundcloud.com/udi-koomran/sets/camembert-schn-rgl-attahk">Camembert - Schnörgl Attahk</a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">What are your future productions?</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Well I am now working on mixing and mastering with Panzepappa a group from Norway .Yesterday I started mastering a new project for Altrock a group from Argentine called Cucamonga very exciting stuff ! Next week I am about to start working on a new Yitzhak Yedid album ( 4th time around ) and in February I will be in Lyon to mix the show for Once Upon a Time in Belgium ( Present + Univers Zero+ Aranis ) this show will also be recorded.Also some future archive releases for Soleil Zeuhl and Cuneiform Records.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" ><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com146tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-78835069347259025832010-06-21T03:28:00.000-07:002010-06-21T04:32:02.150-07:00Ariel Pink with added Pizzazz<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nXL1xrjzwNw/TB1uk2cnmNI/AAAAAAAAIvI/nHRd9UOPPfs/s320/FinalFront.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nXL1xrjzwNw/TB1uk2cnmNI/AAAAAAAAIvI/nHRd9UOPPfs/s320/FinalFront.png" border="0" alt="" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;"></span>
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">As long time admirer of the incredible <a href="http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com">Mutant Sounds Blog </a>
<br />So naturally I was delighted when Eric Lumbleau one of the founders of Mutant Sounds and a member of the wonderful <a href="http://www.aural-innovations.com/issues/issue4/vdo01.html">Vas Deferens Organization </a>offered me to master this EP. I have always been fond of this "right" type of pop music and this was so fun !!<span style="font-weight:bold;"> </span></span>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.arielpink.com/">Ariel Pink</a>-Vocals, Casio Digital Guitar, Farfisa
<br />Jim Lehnert-Soprano, Alto and Baritone Sax, Trombone, Farfisa
<br />Dennis Gonzaléz-Trumpet
<br />Aaron Gonzaléz-Upright & Electric Bass, Bowed cymbals
<br />Stefan Gonzaléz-Drums, Vibes, Percussion
<br />Guest Musician: Tamara Cauble-Violin, Backing vocal
<br />Eric Lumbleau-Backing Vocal
<br />
<br />Production, Engineering and Sound Design By Vas Deferens Organization
<br />Recorded at Klearlight Studios, Dallas, Texas, February 2010
<br />Mastered by Udi Koomran, Tel Aviv
<br />
<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Mutant Sounds :
<br />"Featuring the first new recordings by Ariel Pink since Haunted Graffiti's Before Today sessions, this self titled five track 12" EP launches the debut of his newest unit, Ariel Pink With Added Pizzazz. Issued by Free Dope And Fucking In The Streets and with a release date of July 9th, this limited edition EP will only be available in it's current form on Haunted Graffiti's upcoming American tour.
<br />
<br />As I mentioned in my last announcement about Vas Deferens Organization's work together with Ariel, "Hot Body Rub" the VDO-produced and Added Pizzazz-enabled sleaze funk opening gambit from Before Today (available for the first time in its unedited form here) was merely a tease of things to come, and Ariel Pink With Added Pizzazz represents its lurid fruition.
<br />
<br />Recorded during February of this year at Dallas' Klearlight Studios, Ariel is accompanied on this EP by Jim Lehnert on sax and trombone, Aaron Gonzalez on electric and upright bass, Stefan Gonzalez on drums and vibes and legendary free jazzer Dennis Gonzalez on trumpet and midwifed by the production team in Vas Deferens Organization of which I'm a member and which those that have been around Mutant Sounds for a while will know about from the many VDO albums and productions that I've shared over time, including collaborations with Brad Laner and Mercury Rev members and our productions for Denton/Dallas scene legends like Ohm and J. Bone Cro."</span>
<br />
<br />Opening doors onto multiple facets of Ariel's muse you were never privy to before, the first track from the EP "In The Heat Of The Night", can be listened to <a href="http://mattcastille.com/me/music/01_IN_THE_HEAT_OF_THE_NIGHT.mp3">Here</a>
<br />and can be downloaded <a href="http://mattcastille.com/downloads/dl.php?file=7">Here</a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nXL1xrjzwNw/TB1ui1LIvaI/AAAAAAAAIvA/5VGwrq-hfik/s320/BackFinal.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nXL1xrjzwNw/TB1ui1LIvaI/AAAAAAAAIvA/5VGwrq-hfik/s320/BackFinal.png" border="0" alt="" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-76963097620875847232010-04-29T00:09:00.000-07:002016-05-16T06:40:29.997-07:00Soft Machine - NDR Jazz Workshop - 1973 CD + DVD<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/S-gFJzrVguI/AAAAAAAACNI/OLWmRSWNyQU/s1600/Rune305_306.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/S-gFJzrVguI/AAAAAAAACNI/OLWmRSWNyQU/s400/Rune305_306.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469627413490402018"></a><br />Being a huge Canterbury scene fan since a young age I never had the chance to work on anything related to that special style of progressive music -well maybe besides recording and mixing for Brainville 3 's (Daevid Allen Hugh Hopper & Chris Cutler) <span class="title">Trial By Headline cd.<br />Anyway I was more then delighted and thrilled when Steve Feigenbaum of Cuneiform Records and the legendary Wayside Music mail order asked be to take part and work on restoring and mastering Soft Machine's NDR Jazz Workshop -Hamburg, Germany 1973 cd+ dvd.<br />So this was kind of like making a full circle for me since most of my knowledge about all things Canterbury came mostly from reading those colorful Wayside Music catalogs .<br />The original audio that came with the broadcast video left a lot to be desired for(the problem was it had only a part of the audio content and the fidelity was a bit low). Knowing there was also a stereo radio broadcast of the show So Steve set out on a mission to locate these tapes and after a few weeks of searching negotiating and nail biting (audio files caught in a massive snow storm) I was delighted to finally receive the fresh transfer of the master tapes. <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/CKDuevCr90Q&rel=0&border=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/CKDuevCr90Q&rel=0&border=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />Working on the audio of this concert was a pleasure -The performance of the group is extremely good the playing was energetic and gave a strong sense of liveliness On my part:Some enhancing of the stereo image a bit of work on retaining the dynamic range of the original performance ,making sure the tonal balance is optimized and voila !<br />The last task was converting and laying the audio from the radio broadcast on the video (which looks fantastic btw) and making sure its fits the picture with 100% accuracy (utilizing the latest software programs).<br />So this is one of the projects I recently did that i enjoyed immensely - Thanks a lot to Steve Feigenbaum ,Aymeric Le Roy and Joerg Reinicke ! <br /></span><span class="title"></span><h1><span id="Anthem_ctl00_MainContentHolder_lblName__"><span id="ctl00_MainContentHolder_lblName"><br /></span></span></h1><span class="title"> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-69928688427904330622010-01-03T03:27:00.000-08:002010-01-31T11:50:07.510-08:00Etienne Conod Interview<div class="Section1" style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);font-family:Verdana;"> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">A personal introduction :</i><br /></span></p><p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">In my last year in high school when the new wave post punk storm was raging I had the nagging feeling as if I was scraping progressive music's empty barrel<img id="pz-v" style="width: 234px; height: 475px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_238dds75rwz_b" />. One day I happened to finally lay my hands on a copy of a re issue of Faust's <i>So Far </i>album (which was rare as gold dust in those times circa 1980) inside the black record sleeve I found a small yellow note titled "<span style="font-style: italic;">A Bottle In The Ocean</span>" revealing information on a record label and mail order service called <a href="http://www.rermegacorp.com/">Recommended Records</a>. This note was my little keyhole to the secret path and doorway to the logical evolution and </span><span style="font-size:100%;">next level </span><span style="font-size:100%;">of progressive music. After receiving their little catalog booklet (</span><span style="font-size:100%;">hand written by Chris Cutler himself) and ordering their <a href="http://www.rerusa.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=7609&Category_Code"><span style="font-style: italic;">Recommended Records Sampler </span></a>I was overwhelmed by the abundance of new bands and sounds coming from all over Europe. Different cultures different languages different aesthetics but all sharing the philosophy and </span><span style="font-size:100%;">determination</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> of expressing themselves freely defying the rules set by the mainstream music industry and pushing themselves to new musical frontiers.There I found about Art Zoyd, Univers Zero, Art Bears, Stormy Six, Aksak Maboul, The Black Sheep,and more and more and more...One other notable factor that these groups shared was a distinctive characterized sound.From inspecting the notes on the sampler they mostly seemed to have been recorded at the same studio: Sunrise by engineer Etienne Conod mmm...</span><span style="font-size:100%;">As time passes I got more and more immersed in the music and intrigued by the sounds on </span><span style="font-size:100%;">these albums.In hindsight these sounds seemed to beckon and point me to the path I have been walking in for over 25 years. In later years I had the chance of meeting some of the artists </span><span style="font-size:100%;">who worked at Sunrise</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> like Roger Trigaux and Chris Cutler & Maggie Tomas Cedric Vuille. They shared some first hand experiences and stories about working with Etienne Conod. As much as I have wanted to get in touch with </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.squidco.com/rer/Images/ReR.Sickle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 253px; height: 250px;" src="http://www.squidco.com/rer/Images/ReR.Sickle.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">him there was no available contact. Rumors had it he was in Australia or New Zeeland making a career in agriculture or something...</span></p><p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Fast forward to 2008 </span>I was approached by <a href="http://www.jourparjour.net/radio/VNR_Home.htm">Radio Village Nomade</a> to take a part in an Sound Art project,with contributors like Fred Fith (who actually made the connection) and while casually browsing through the different works I bumped into one by yes you guessed it <b>Etienne Conod</b> -so...he was back ! and active. I immediately wrote to Mr. Conod a hello and thank you note for all the pleasure inspiration his works gave us. This interview is to shed some light and knowledge of the life and times of Sunrise Studios and the man behind it Not enough artists and music fans know how much recognition he rightfully deserves but I guess the fact he is such a truly humble man( "<i>I was just the person who put mikes and tried to reduce hiss</i>") has a lot to do with this.<br /></p><p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <i><b><span style="font-size:100%;">How did you fall in love with music ?</span></b></i> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);font-size:100%;" ><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>:</b></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> </span><img id="i7oj" style="width: 640px; height: 426px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(204, 204, 204);" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_239d843hkdr_b" />When I was a teenager and my parents were away abroad, I injured both my<span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"> knees in a </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">skiing </span><span style="font-size:100%;">accident and was thus unable to walk for a few days. Confined to the living room I got terribly bored. (We did not have a radio and those were the days before TV). We did have a record player though but the only records we had were either classical or hymns. Ugh! Out of sheer desperation I put on a classical record. It was Beethoven's 5th piano concerto played by Clifford Curzon. At first I got drowsy, but somehow, what I heard was much different and smarter than expected and when I got to side two where there is this very romantic cadenza,</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);font-family:verdana;" > </span>I suddenly felt a strong tingle up my spine (a bit akin to the sensations of my first orgasm I came to enjoy a few years later). When the record had finished playing, I put it right on again and again and started to feel light and strangely happy. I also had a deep sense of gratitude for this so far unknown pleasure. It was then that I first came to experience the 'magic' of music. I'm still hooked.</span><br /></span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">What was in your background and upbringing that lead you to chose the path of taking part in making this peculiar type of music ?</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>:</b></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Being born into a very Christian-religious family my first exposure to music was Christian hymns, sung at home and in regular gospel meetings. The hymns usually come in a four-part form and I quickly learned to read music and sing 'my voice'. At six I was sent to take piano lessons. My teacher was an aged woman and I found what she thought very uninspiring and soon developed a desire for improvisation. But it had to be in the classical meter! A 2-4 swing was not permitted in our family (my grandparents lived in the flat under ours and my grandfather was a church minister with very strange views on life, stating for instance, that jazz aroused dark, sinful desires in man). I therefore began to improvise on classical themes in a way that my mother, who was usually nearby, or my grandparents, who took a keen interest in my musical studies, would not notice.One day a friend played a Jelly Roll Morton record to me and I was off. I knew this was it. Whenever no one was nearby I tried to emulate the chords and rhythm of these early jazz pianists like Fats Waller and Lil Hardin and of course Jelly Roll Morton. The problem was that I was not allowed to play this sound at home. So, when I was fourteen, I joined a band 'Les Copains'. We practiced in the heating cellar of a pub and whenever the turbine would start, we smoked a cigarette. My instrument was the pub-piano which we carried down the stairs for rehearsals and up again when finished. We played in dance halls, at parties and the like. The first tune I learned was "Hello Dolly". Later they got me an organ: A Farfisa Compact. Later still a Vox Continental. When I was eighteen I had my first Hammond L100.</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">Were you interested in experimental music and did this lead you to be involved in it or did it happen by chance?</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span>I have been involved with traditional jazz and later with pop music and have had a rather conservative taste for harmony.Through meeting musicians at Sunrise, who defined the term "music" in a broader sense, I came to respect a variety of musical stiles and the years spent engineering have opened my perspective on the field of melody, sound and time a great deal.</p><p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b>Are you self-taught or did you acquire any training in audio engineering?</b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span>I am self-taught. Early on I had a desire to record music. Mainly my own songs. I did my first recordings on a Sony TC630 in 1970 with sound-on-sound. Today I am a bit ashamed that I did not even read up on recording at the time. I just worked my way around the gear. Fortunately I had a friend, Otto Wymann, (Otto died of leukemia long ago) who had a job at the Swiss Radio, who explained the importance of phase relationships to me. But the ultimate judge has always been my ears. At that time the aim was to get still more tracks and better gear. As a studio owner I tried to get the best possible results at a most reasonable price. My first mike stands were green bakelite pots made to hold Xmas trees in which I rammed two-by-fours with a 5/8" thread at the end.</p><p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">What led you to decide to start your own recording studio?</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <img id="x3.b" style="width: 399px; height: 306px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_241xkd24cc2_b" /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span>Initially I had the chance to buy the house which became Sunrise in 1975, when I worked with a band called 'Sunrise'. We all lived there and dreamed of going on tour with our music. 'Sunrise' was Tony Partch on Hammond organ and synthesizer, me on Hammond and Clavinet, Kurt Guggisberg on drums and Marc Pierroz on guitar. Tony and I both had Hammond M-3's and we had much fun creating a thick analog sound in stereo. Unfortunately we did not succeed as a band and after a while the members of the band and their mates went back to Zurich. I was left with a big house and a strong will to make it in Kirchberg somehow. I would not go back to the city, my mind was with music and with what the rural setting had to offer: gentle green hills, quiet and no hassles. For a living I went off to nearby town of Wil and found employment as a taxi driver. I had written a couple of songs and thought I might be able to record them. Eventually I took mortgages on the house and invested in a Sennheiser dummy head microphone cum Revox tape machine. Later I bought the Ampex 16 track from the Studer company, which they had taken in exchange for their brand from the band Queen, when those got their studio going in Montreux with the best gear money could buy (Studer A-80).Word got around and soon I was busy recording other people's music, not mine. I found that at the end of recording sessions I didn't have the energy needed to do my own stuff. I had become a musical taxi driver and still getting farther away from being a musician.</p><p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">Can you give us a brief description of Sunrise Studios (the location,rooms,gear,etc.)</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span>Sunrise used to be a small textile factory, in the first half of the twentieth century very common for that region. The design allowed the owner and another household to live and work in the same building. In the basement was the factory room of 100 square meters. I was told that three huge looms once were operational there. Above the factory, on the first floor, was a 3 room flat and on the floor above, the same again.For a recording studio this was an almost ideal setup. The factory became the recording part, the residing musicians could stay above and my pal and me lived under the roof.<br />There were three consecutive phases in the actual studio space design. Initially I recorded music in one large room with no separation. Then I built one simple wall across with a small window. Eventually, the space got divided into three rooms. One, across the layout, was the control room. Next to it we built a live room, with marble floor and tiled walls. The main studio had an acoustic property that could be varied by means of elements, that could be lowered from the ceiling if needed.The gear was the 16 track Ampex MM1100, at first a Soundcraft console and later one by D+R. Mastering was done on an Ampex ATR 100. We used no noise reduction but had noise gates when needed. Mikes were U87 U47 KM184 421 441 Re20 SM57 SM58. Limiters by UREI, reverb was first homemade, then Masterroom and finally Lexicon, flanging and delay by Revox-on-Revox.</p><p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">What were your goals when you set up Sunrise Studios ? </span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span>As mentioned, I felt I could make a living from recording. Then I wanted to get on with my own recordings und last but not least I wanted to make a statement against the commercial music industry, where I felt that musicians were cheated of their creativity and freedom. The situation for an artist at that time was that, in order to put his music on a medium -vinyl - he needed to spend a certain amount of time in an expensive studio environment. For this, he made a deal with a label who put up the money and recouped it later through sales. The musician was at the mercy of the record company and I had heard many sad tales of rip-offs. So I came up with the idea to offer the bands themselves adequate, affordable means of production to make it unnecessary for them to have to sell out to the industry. For a few customers I was also able to offer my pressing and printing know-how. Thus someone was able to record an album and have it manufactured to his ideas for little money whilst keeping total control over the process and the revenues.<br /></p><div> Soon we were known and busy.<span style="font-size:100%;">.<img id="bg-2" style="width: 399px; height: 230px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_242fw4nv4f3_b" /><br /></span></div> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">Tell us how you met and started working with Henry Cow were you familiar with their music before meeting them?</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span>In 1977 Dieter Meier (Yello) had been working at Sunrise. He encouraged and commissioned a musician from England for a mutual project: Anthony Moore. Anthony knew some members of Henry Cow and so they booked the studio for a session for what would become the Western Culture album. I wasn't familiar with their music and enjoyed the high quality of their work and standards. We enjoyed one another and in later times we worked on several albums together with Fred Frith Chris Cutler and many other fine artists from Rock in Opposition.<span style="font-size:100%;">.</span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">What was the common factor that attracted groups from different countries cultures languages to travel to Sunrise and record there?</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span>I don't know, really. Apart from what I mentioned with regards to the studio setup and my philosophy, the musicians from the various locations mostly knew each others work and often shared some principles in the field of politics, aesthetics and lifestyle. Fortunately, besides German, I spoke English, French and Italian and was thus able to roughly understand what the customers needed.</p><p style="margin: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b><span style="font-size:100%;">Did working with artists who were writing music that was defying conventional structures rhythm harmonies and balancing different aesthetics like rock,21th century contemporary music,folk music etc. etc. force you to come up with a new modus operandi? Did you have to adapt new techniques or ways of thinking to be able to address the different challenges this music was proposing?</span></b></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span>We didn't have any <i>Modus Operandi</i>. Every time a band came to Kirchberg, we started from scratch. We held that every band is unique and deserves a unique approach. Of course I was a bit dazzled when I was first faced with a bassoon. But usually the musicians were very kind and patient and encouraging. They knew where to put the mikes to get the best sound. As a matter of fact, the role of engineer is to be a partner who can understand what it's all about. With giants like Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, Marc Hollander or Gérard Hourbette you can learn a lot.They point the direction and you do your best to get us there. Sometimes they would say: "Can you come up with something?" Then I would show off my toys (odd compression/expansion gadgets, metal steel plates, loops, varispeeds, vintage microphones etc.) and they would do some great music with it. Or we had a breakdown and sought how we might use it to achieve a new sound. This happened on the album Hopes an Fears in The Dividing Line, when the capstan on the Ampex developed a freak failure. We recorded an organ with it wobbling, and got a cute sound file.<img id="az0w" style="width: 399px; height: 345px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_246gj7wk9f8_b" /> </p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">And in the same line of thinking a lot of these bands like Art Zoyd, Univers Zero,Henry Cow,were using a rock type of instrumentation with with instruments like bassoon,cello,oboe,harmonium,hurdu gurdy etc. etc. Can you tell us if mixing these different require different techniques and approaches then other genres of music you were used to record.</span></span></b></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span>I found mixing to always be a new challenge. Because you want to give each musician maximum attention but you can't really because the song requires a certain sound and most of all, there is not an unlimited space for frequency and volume available. Actually I would try to allocate to each instrument a certain space in the frequency spectrum and try to avoid having two overlapping. Democracy vs dictatorship often was the issue. The former resulting in weak mixes and the latter (if the dictator(s), had a clear vision) often in strong ones. There is also always the age-old question: "Do the EQ now or in the mix?" If you don't know where you are going you record with to lot (?????). But each later modification results in alteration of the material. To get the best result, you want a musician who knows the studio and its capacity. Also he is experienced in production and will already record as close to the final requirements of the mix as possible.<br /></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size:100%;">What happened to all the multitrack and master tapes recorded in Sunrise were they all retrieved by the bands ? Did you keep any of those tapes or archive them?</span></b></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span>At the end of a project, we offered to all artists to take their 16-track tapes along. Some people did not bother and just paid a rental fee for the tapes. When I handed over Sunrise to Rob Vogel there were numerous tapes in the archives but I have no idea where they might be at present.</p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b><span style="font-size:100%;">I'd like to focus on some of my favorite sounding Sunrise recordings</span></b></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></b><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><i><b><span style="font-size:100%;">Art Bears - The World As It Is Today</span></b></i></p> <p style="margin: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;">Maybe my favorite album recorded at Sunrise. Always sounded to me like musical presentation of an intense suffocating apocalyptic vision <img id="ruez" style="width: 320px; height: 321.608px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_255gb6wtvdj_b" />of life. The sound enhances and projects these emotions and atmospheres in a unique way.<b> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Can you tell us about the drums on Democracy (drum sound from hell )how did you achieve this? </span></b></span><b><span style="font-size:100%;"> Anything you can tells us on recording the end Freedom? There is a chilling dialog between the incredible vocals and the guitar were they recorded simultaneously or overdubbed separately?</span></b></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></b></p> <p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(51, 255, 255);">EC</span>: </b></span>I think that Dagmar did her thing as a solo and Fred added the guitar later. (But to be on the safe side you should ask Fred). The drums are played with enormous vigor and timing. With Art Bears we often overdubbed the drums. We had sessions where Chris and I would invent, alone, until the wee hours. I can not precisely point out how we did the drums in Democracy. Most probably I used distortion with sharp expansion and compression. Maybe I had the reverb distorting and then gated.</p> <p> <i>"...</i><i>The second rule was to get the sound first and then play to tape instead of leaving (as had become usual by then) the detail of the sound to post-production mixing.By designing the sound first, the parts played would grow with and be inseparable from it. This method depended upon the skill and imagination of studio boss and engineer Etienne Conod in this regard an indispensable member of the group.</i> <a style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);" href="http://www.ccutler.com/ccutler/"><b><i>Chris Cutler -Henry Cow,Art Bears</i></b></a> </p> <div class="pagination"> </div> <p style="margin: 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></b></p><p style="margin: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><b><span style="font-size:100%;"><i>Universe Zero -</i> </span><i>Hérésie</i></b></p><p style="margin: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">La Faulx <span style="font-size:100%;"><b>-</b>As I understood from Roger Trigaux this piece was entirely overdubbed. Parts of it sounding very tightly structured while others<img id="cvc1" style="width: 300px; height: 300px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_254gkxc6fgq_b" /> especially the introduction sounds very atmospheric and open. <b>Was this recorded in sections and then later separately mixed and edited or was the entire piece recorded on one time-line. No doubt a piece of this nature with such huge dynamics was extremely challenging to record on analog tape how were you able to plan the mix's dynamic range so the intro would not drown close to the noise floor and still have enough headroom for the more dynamic full range parts of the piece.</b> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span>I don't think that we recorded the whole song in one go. It was recorded in sections and spliced together. But the musicians were very competent in planning the album. They masterminded the whole production. It was recorded in 1979 and to me now sounds quite different than Phase IV. Rather dark and dry. But it seems to match the overall message of the record</p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <div style="font-family:Verdana;"><i>It was Chris Cutler who advised us to get in touch with Etienne. Sunrise was an excellent reference considering the number of great musicians who recorded there. It wasn't easy in those days to find a studio with the adequate skills to work with groups playing such unusual music. </i><i>I remember Etienne as someone who was very efficient as a sound engineer, with great all-round musical sense.I also remember his varied skills, among which his unique ability to pull off particularly difficult "drop-ins", to the tenth of a second -very impressive.For UZ it was the first time, with the recording of "Hérésie", that we'd worked in a proper studio. We knew what we wanted, but were still lacking in experience. It was very prolific and novel for us to leave our "everyday life" and find ourselves in Kirchberg to work together and concentrate exclusively on the recording sessions. In spite of our lack of experience at that point, I realise that we were very demanding, because music was too, and at certain times the atmosphere got a little tense between Etienne and us. He was always very patient, and very dedicated to achieving what we had in mind. This being said, Eric Faes, the sound engineer we usually worked with at the time, especially live, served as a kind of "technical middleman" between us and Etienne.Shortly before going to Sunrise, we had started recording "La Faulx" in the studio of a guy we knew in Belgium, but we weren't satisfied with the results. After we completed "Hérésie", there was no hesitation in deciding to work with him again in June 1980 to record four pieces from "Ceux du Dehors".Our friends of Art Zoyd, impressed with Etienne's work, also decided to record twice at his studio before they built their own </i><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);"><a href="http://www.univers-zero.com/news.htm">Daniel Denis Univers Zero</a> </span>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">This was my first recording in a real studio, knowing this would be the very first record I appear. We didn’t have any experience of this environment, but we were lucky to have done it with Etienne Conod who had some incredible patience and psychology. We were for sure not conventional, and now, years later with the experience of many studios and engineers, I can appreciate the open mind session Etienne offered us. He found the way to have us as one brain when we had to mix all together with lots of hands on the desk, or to keep things cool when we had to play the first part of “La Faulx”, each of us separated in different rooms of the house (bathroom included). I sometimes think about it, knowing we had to be extra synchro without seeing each other and no automation to correct....... There was no minute out of the music, we had a relay of musicians to be with Etienne, but he had no relay for himself, long hours...The last recording (Ceux Du Dehors), we finished in the morning when already Fred Frith, Chris Cutler were ready to start their session !!! <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);"><a href="http://www.myspace.com/guysegers">Guy Segers</a> -Univers Zero</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span><br /></div><p style="margin: 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size:100%;"><i>Art Zoyd -Phase IV </i><br /></span></b></p><p style="margin: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;">For me This is might the best sounding album to be recorded in Sunrise. This album has an extremely wide three dimensional stereo image mix,great dynamic range,plenty of attention to timbre and small details. A deep physical sounding bass sound you can resin on the violin and cello bows, the trumpets are sharp and distinct the pianos open and wide. There is a unique mix of dissonance angular energetic parts with more warm mellow lyrical passages.Truly an inspiring sounding piece of music</span><b><span style="font-size:100%;">.<span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Can you shed some light on what made this album sound the way it does.</span></span></b></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>:</b> </span>Listening back to the album I think: The guys knew exactly what they wanted and were arduous, keen, almost obsessed with it all.Dynamics! We worked very hard to make use of all the headroom possible. Trying to make something objectively quiet sound loud. Thus when it finally became loud it sounded LOUD. Try to get as much impact with the least volume! Volume is a precious thing and you want to use it sparingly.Pick up the sound as close to the origin and mix it to later representations. For instance, use a Barcus Berry, and a mike, and another mike still farther away from the source. Make sure the phase correlation is correct. Than add room in the mix by doing the same method. Add a bit of time to the signal, and a bit more, and finally reverb. Thus you may theoretically come up with a serpent with 6 sections: The head is <img id="opse" style="width: 320px; height: 303.2px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_261cksbwthh_b" />the event and the tail is the soundbit farthest back. You carefully trim the lot and you come up with a nice sound.Recording with maximum edge! The sounds that went to tape were already shaped with the mix in mind. Gerard insisted on an extremely crisp violin sound. Thierry used an octave divider to get extreme punch in the bottom end. On their own the sounds would sound crass but if you have vision of the picture you want to paint you had the courage to work accordingly.Creativity! To achieve a desired effect one has to resort to sometimes unusual methods. A grand piano is also a drum or a reverb chamber or a heap of steel.Mix extremes! Because severely chiselled elements were combined, depth was the result.Imagine space! We tried to allocate to each event a place in the frequency and in the timeline of the actual sound. Simply speaking, "dry" means close, "wet" means distant. "Bright" is up, "dark" is down.Perform the unusual with conviction! The actual performance of the musicians is full of guts and raw sensuality. There is not a shadow of a doubt perceivable in their performance.The writing is sublime. The authors knew how to use musical intervals and harmonies to produce certain effects und used their knowledge to the max.Gerard<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">"We worked in Kirchberg 3 albums with Etienne Conod between 1980 and 1982. It remains for me a memory rooted in the best moments of Art Zoyd, even after almost 30 years! I loved Kirchberg, this isolated village and the great house of Etienne, in the center of other houses, as ready and open to all.I loved his way of working, meticulous, organized, attentive.He knew what we wanted, he listened (patiently), he left us at the mixer, then when we were up everywhere, a little "stuck", he threw a little amused smile, then he proposed. Sometimes, often, he was as excited as us.It worked - slowly and surely-on every detail. At one time, he interrupted the work. We all met in a kitchen at one of the floors, sometimes with Etienne. It was far from towns and noise. Morning and night we heard the bells of the village.There was a small cafe on top of a hill. We loved being there.We would reinvent the world and dreaming of new musical spaces." <a style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);" href="http://www.artzoyd.com/site2005-gb/home.html"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Gerard Hourbette - Art Zoyd</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the sonic brutality we were developing at the time with Art Zoyd both in our concerts and studio recordings - it was a major discovery for me when I first encountered Etienne Conod (Sunrise Studio - Kirchberg CH) and his unique way of recording and layering sounds, our sounds, which were then becoming electric, hoarse, acoustic, clean, symphonic, exactly right for what we were pursuing as artists in those days, and the attention to detail in his work was a great influence for my future compositions and recordings. In my view, this was the best production Art Zoyd ever got.<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Thierry Zaboitzeff (ex Art Zoyd)</span><br /></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><i><b><span style="font-size:100%;">Debile Menthol - Emile Au Jadin </span></b></i></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">A new different type of sound for Sunrise.Punchy crisp almost new wave type of production. A more tight separated drum sound chopped guitars bright sounding horns etc. </span><b style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Was this style of production and sound requested by the band or did it take shape in a natural way in the recording and mixing sessions?</b><img id="kony" style="width: 280px; height: 280px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_259d5mx6bcv_b" /></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>:</b></span> This is how we probably wanted to be seen<span style="font-size:100%;"> from the perspective of pop recording at the time. Many of our not Rock-In-Opposition customers wished to sound like the bands on the radio. This record is a lucky punch because it was unusual to find musicians with such humour, imagination and craft in Switzerland.Here we adopted pop-standards to avantgarde music writing. Somehow naturally.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;font-family:Verdana;"><i>"That was our first studio experience and the Sunrise studio was great. Working with Etienne was a gift ! We were so young, hyperactive, and experienced. He was able to stay so cool with nine full testosteroned kids. And... what a producer !!! and the sound...Wow ! Hats off, Monsieur Conod !!! See you soon !!" <span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);"><a href="http://www.ensembleraye.ch/">Cédric Vuille </a>-Debile Menthol</span></i></p> <div face="Verdana"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><p style="margin: 0pt;"><i>I think The Work only recorded 2 or 3 songs at Sunrise. I do remember that it was one of the first 'serious' studios I had worked in at that time and that even before we went there I had heard a lot about the studio and Etienne. He was depicted by Chris and Tim as being an exceptional and innovative engineer and somehow quite a legendary figure.He did his job very efficiently, and the sound was great For some reason I always had trouble bringing in my guitar exactly at the right place at the beginning of a song called 'Houdini'. And, after many takes, I finally got it right - but there was some extraneous noise on the track just before the guitar came in. This noise was so close to the guitar entry that Etienne didn't want to risk dropping the track out of record at the critical moment, but he said words to the effect: 'No problem, I'll just back-wipe it'. Meaning that he turned the 2" tape over and put the track into record (adjusting the track number of course) just after the (good) guitar part started (i.e. ended, because the tape was going backwards). He had another trick for removing very short unwanted noise on specific tracks -he would use a razor blade to cut a small window out of the track in question. That impressed me.<span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 255, 255);" href="http://www.gilonis.ch/?page=about&language=en"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span style="font-size:100%;">Bill Gilonis-T he Work</span></span></a></i></p><p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">Any interesting stories anecdotes about recording sessions ,mixing etc.</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>:</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Well, the mixing process was always an adventure at the time. After analyzing and honing the material, we memorized the various changes in level, effects etc and when the final mixdown happened, a whole bunch of musicians stood around the console, each with a fader or knob between the fingers and when it was "..running!!" a feverish succession of actions took place, each participant keen not to blow it. Fortunately we soon learned the technique of splicing the tape. Thus, for<img id="r-qm" style="width: 400px; height: 278px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_250gwg4kxdh_b" /> complicated tracks, we mixed in sections and put them back together by physically cutting the tape at a certain point and glueing it back together. Mixing was then rather nerve-wrecking. Much of the work of an engineer then had to do with skill, imagination and karma.</span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><br /><b style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Which albums</b><b style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> would you single out as the most rewarding or best sounding to your ears?</b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>:</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> The album I had most fun participating in was 'Gravity' with Fred Frith. Concerning sound design, the Art Bears records were probably amongst the more sophisticated ones.</span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">Do you ever re listen to the works you have done at Sunrise?</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>:</b></span>Hampi Schlumpf, a friend and music enthusiast from St. Gallen, who is familiar with much of the Sunrise recordings, invited me to a public performance at the Soundstube Restaurant Splügeneck on Feb. 13th 2008 where we played Sunrise music all night long to an insider public. In the past I had also spent a considerable amount of time recording punk artists. There have recently been punk music revivals and gigs. I have been invited to radio broadcasts. Sorting the material made me go back in time. Some of it still sounds interesting today.<span style="font-size:100%;">.</span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">Why did you stop Sunrise ?</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span>In hindsight I probabaly suffered from a burnout towards the beginning of the eighties. I had not succeeded in spreading the workload evenly and the long hours behind the console - along with a somewhat unhealthy lifestyle - took their toll. I had the feeling that if I continued indefinitely I would get seriously ill. A longing for a healthy lifestyle arose, whereby I could dig my hands in the dirt. First I went to look in Northern California but felt that I could not become American and went to Australia, where I found a wonderful, small farm in Goongerah, Victoria, near Orbost, and lovely neighbors. I had hoped that Rob Vogel, who was my successor at Sunrise, could continue the work.<span style="font-size:100%;"> <img id="r0ts" style="width: 400px; height: 276px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_247gwcn5vhc_b" /><br /></span></p><p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">Are you aware that music sound and aesthetic you helped to create has over the decades inspired and served as legacy to artists from around the globe up until this day?</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span><span style="font-size:100%;">No. My feeling has always been, that an engineer is a facilitator for an artist and his needs. Performance, sound, time and interaction need to be in harmony for a good recording. I am flattered by your suggestion.</span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">These days do you listen to music for your pleasure ?</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>:</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Yes, since I have taken up playing the Hammond organ again I like to listen to jazz music. I mostly enjoy fine recordings that were made in the fifties and sixties.I am not a specialist in any field. Up to now I chose to turn towards whatever has attracted my interest. Today I work part timein a charitable trust with particular focus on drugs and poverty. (For many years I had used drugs myself but these days I try to remain aware of what is real).</span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">I know you did some recordings for The Radio Village Nomad Project, was this a one off thing ?</span><img id="k6j2" style="width: 338px; height: 237px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_260g26gwvhf_b" /></span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>:</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Fred Frith told me about this project and I got curious. When I had an idea, I made a contribution.If they get off again I may give it another try.</span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">Do you record your own music these days?</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>: </b></span><span style="font-size:100%;">I have been writing music for some projects in past years but have always found it very hard, to play and record at the same time.I prefer live performance.</span> <span style="font-size:100%;">Active and passive.</span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">What do you think of the sound made with current technology ? </span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>:</b></span> Modern technology is great in that it has enabled everyone to record their own stuff. In this respect it has brought about what we intended at Sunrise: Empower people and allow artists to be self-sufficient. </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;">Sound? We do not know how sound really sounds. Our nervous system picks up </span>vibrations<span style="font-size:100%;"> and creates the illusion of hearing sound. Furthermore sound is perceived by each individual according to his/her biology, history and provenience. And our values by which we appraise what our sensory receptors feed <img id="fj00" style="width: 215px; height: 200px; float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" src="http://docs.google.com/File?id=dc6w6gxf_248hnst9q83_b" />us with are dependent on our cultural context and on the momentary location in the trajectory of our individual biography.</span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> <b><i><span style="font-size:100%;">Any other views thoughts you wish to share regarding culture, arts music, technology,etc. would be most welcome.</span></i></b> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>:</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Maybe... people who were lucky to acquire a deep sense of self assurance will be able to explore new realms in music or in culture in general. On the other hand, where awareness, grounding, self- identity etc is lacking, people will resort to known elements and redundancy. This could apply to individuals and societies as well.</span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> </p><div><p style="margin: 0pt;"><b><span style="font-size:100%;">General comments.</span></b></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 255, 153);">EC</span>:</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> We, as engineers, working as we did, were strongly involved in the sound being produced. I mean on the the level as a person being exposed to unusual concepts, in depth. This could at times be rather severe if you think of the hours we were exposed to the sounds. Particularly if dark, disturbing messages were crafted. After some periods of heavy work -and we worked long hours! -I sometimes came to the brink of exhaustion. You are vulnerable if you are sensitive and imaginative and devoted.</span></p><p style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p></div> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;">Thank you for asking me these questions. They have produced a few thoughts and reflections for me. </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </p> <p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:100%;">Etienne</span></p><p style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt;"><br />Some favorite Sunrise albums :<br /></p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Art Bears - </span>Hopes and Fears 1979<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Art Bears - </span><span>Winter Songs 1979</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Art Bears - </span>The World As It Is Today 1980<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Aksak Maboul - </span>Un peu De L'ame Des Bandits 1980<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Art Zoyd - </span>Phase IV 1982<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Art Zoyd - </span>Generation Sans Futur 1980<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Art Zoyd - </span>Les Espaces Inquiets 1981<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Cassiber - </span>Man or Monkey 1982<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Debile Menthol - </span>Emile Au Jardin 1981<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Fred Frith - </span>Gravity 1980<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Fred Frith - </span>Speechless 1981<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Geoff Leigh - </span>The Chemical Bank 1979<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Heiner Goebbels & Alfred Harth - </span>Indianer Für Morgen 1981<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Henry Cow - </span>Western Culture 1978<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Stormy Six - </span>Macchina Maccheronica 1980<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Univers Zero - </span>Heresie 1979<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Univers Zero - </span>Ceux Du Dehors 1981<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Red Balune - </span>Maximum Penalty 1979<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />The Work - </span> Slow Crimes 1982<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span>Etienne Conod's web site: </span><a href="http://www.conod.com/conodmusik.html"><span>here</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><span>Many thanks for all the good people who helped making this interview <a href="http://calyx.perso.neuf.fr/">Aymeric Leroy</a> ,<a href="http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/ahvak.html">Yehuda Kotton</a> ,and all the artist who took part</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /></span> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-75616178789813829242009-08-16T08:02:00.000-07:002009-08-17T01:30:53.428-07:00Washington City Paper Interview<span style="font-weight: bold;">Q & A : Udi Koomran,Audio Engineer For Shub Niggurath </span><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SokVKR7th6I/AAAAAAAAB3Y/X62Ky3sRuoM/s1600-h/mixing+is+hard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SokVKR7th6I/AAAAAAAAB3Y/X62Ky3sRuoM/s400/mixing+is+hard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370847296972752802" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.myspace.com/udikoomran">Udi Koomran</a> is an audio engineer based in Tel Aviv, Israel, who has made quite a name for himself in the world of avant-garde progressive rock. Most recently, he remastered the 1985 debut cassette tape by French band <b>Shub Niggurath</b>. Released as <i>Introduction</i> by France’s Soleil Zeuhl records, this album is <a href="http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=37595">reviewed in this week’s <i>City Paper</i></a>.</p> <p>Koomran has worked with musicians from all over the world, including as a live soundman with Belgian “chamber-rock” group <b>Present</b>, on an international tour that hit the United States in 2005. He’s worked on recordings by <b>5uu’s</b> and <b>Ahvak</b>, and in fact is credited as a full member of those bands on their recent releases. Additionally, Koomran has recorded works by experimental jazz musicians like Russian pianist <b>Slava Ganelin</b> and unclassifiable contemporary musicians like Israeli composer <b>Yitzhak Yedid</b>.</p> <p>I conducted an e-mail Q&A with Koomran to find out a bit more about his experience working with this long-lost album. Read the full Q&A after the jump, and scroll down all the way to the end for some samples from <i>Introduction</i>. (As an imported obscurity, <i>Introduction</i> can be tough to find -try <a href="http://www.waysidemusic.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=SOLEIL%20ZEUHL%2022">Wayside Music</a><a href="http://www.waysidemusic.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=SOLEIL%20ZEUHL%2022"> </a>for a CD or <a href="http://anthologyrecordings.com/release.asp?album=ngpYCwJKeft">Anthology Recordings</a> for a download.)</p> <p><span id="more-8676"></span></p> <p><b><i>Washington City Paper:</i> How did you first come across Shub Niggurath?</b></p> <p><i>Udi Koomran</i>: Hmmm… <i>If</i> memory serves right, it was through the <a href="http://www.rermegacorp.com/">Recommended Records</a> mail order catalog some time in the late 80s. This was a time that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeuhl">Zeuhl</a> scene seemed to be dwindling down a bit (<b>Offering</b> [Christian Vander's post-<b>Magma</b> group] wasn’t my cup of tea then) and then suddenly being exposed to music with so much emotion, power and beauty was like a breath of fresh air. The whole feel of the music appealed to me in every aspect. The instrumentation, the playing, the arrangements: they were all captivating, and more than anything it was the physical element of the music that moved me.</p> <p><b>You had two versions of the <i>Introduction</i> recordings to work with. What were the sources of these two transfers, and how did they differ? What was the reasoning behind which one was ultimately chosen?</b></p> <p>Around 1998, I found out that <a href="http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=sn-lmvv"><i>Les Mort Vont Vite</i></a> was actually not Shub Niggurath’s first release. So after some lengthy searches, I acquired a tape from a local collector friend. I transferred this tape and mastered it casually and intuitively; it sounded like it was a bit harsh on the higher mid range and too light in the bass department, so some quite aggressive tonal balancing, a tad of noise reduction and voila!</p> <p>Years later, when Frank Fromy [Shub Niggurath's guitarist] got to eventually hear this version, he was quite pleased and wanted us to use it as is. But when I sat down and tried to prepare this version as a definitive master, I started having doubts about whether the transfer I made was good enough. I had an uneasy feeling that I did the initial mastering with a heavy hand and not enough respect to the original sound, but wasn’t sure because of the time that had passed (almost 8 years). So despite Frank being happy with what we had, I was determined to <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/Soj25Nnv5aI/AAAAAAAAB3I/YmREKRjkOyY/s1600-h/Shub-Niggurath-paris-1986.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 257px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/Soj25Nnv5aI/AAAAAAAAB3I/YmREKRjkOyY/s400/Shub-Niggurath-paris-1986.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370814018408670626" border="0" /></a>investigate this further and actually try and trace another tape and try an additional alternative version.</p> <p>After some searching, I got some help from my friend Eric Lambleau, who gracefully transferred and provided us with his tape. The new version I made from this was actually harder on the edges and lighter with less bass enhancement. So it was now Frank’s task to choose the version he thought served the music’s vision and vibe the best. To my surprise, he opted for the original version mainly because of the character of the bass. I must admit I was a bit disappointed at first, because I thought the later version was more true to the initial recording – but as time goes by, I realize that Frank made the right choice as I overlooked the limitations of the initial format (ie the tape used was not able to carry through the full frequency spectrum and my initial mastering actually compensated for these limitations).</p> <p><b>Tell us about the work you had to do to clean up these recordings.</b></p> <p>Regardless of what job I am doing – whether it’s recording, mixing, mastering, or live sound – I always work intuitively and my main goal is achieve a result that will move the listener emotionally (as I learned from working with Roger Trigaux [guitarist of <b>Present</b>], the test is if the music is able to raise the hairs on the back of your arm). And it’s the same with audio restoration: the main priority is to come up with a result that will evoke emotions and touch the listener. For example, on a project I did for <a href="http://www.adhocrecords.com/">Ad Hoc Records</a> (<b>The Work</b> – <i>Live In Japan</i>), the focus was to be able to enhance the punch and raw energy these guys were generating that day on stage in Osaka. For Shub Niggurath, my goal was to retain the unique balance of between the heavy, distorted, blistering passages (like Frank’s scorching solo on “Barback”) and the beautiful ethereal landscapes on others (like the trombone and vocals on “In Memoriam”). This fine balance is the essence of Shub Niggurath’s magic, and I wanted the beauty of this music to be able to shine through (yes, I’m aware that some people who have heard this music might raise an eyebrow at that, but I find this music to be extremely beautiful).</p> <p>So I am not necessarily too orthodox about the result needing to stay 100% faithful to the original mix. I mean, I do respect the artist’s initial vision, and I take great care to discuss this with them and find out their thoughts and feelings and what they expect from the mastering. But when it comes to “cleaning up,” I try my best to work as hard as I can, regardless how painstaking the process might be, to do this without resorting to programs that automatically remove pops, clicks, static, noise, drop-outs, etc. I go to great lengths to remove these artifacts by homing in on them and manually removing them by micro-editing or waveform redrawing. As for this recording, as I already said, the keys were making sure the bass has enough mass and muscle, making the trombone and vocals heard warm and clear, leaving enough space for the keyboards, retaining the attack and transients of the drums, and making sure the whole spectrum of Frank’s guitars come through.</p> <p><img src="http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/blackplasticbag/files/2009/07/sn-band.gif" /></p> <p><b>Why did it take so long for this album to be properly reissued on CD? Why didn’t [French label] Musea pick it up after releasing <i>Les Morts Vont Vite</i>?</b></p> <p>I never was able to understand this. When I was with Present at <a href="http://www.nearfest.com/">NEARfest</a> 2005, I did ask Bernard Gueffier, Musea’s boss, about this, and only got a vague answer. But the interesting thing is that it was the recent reprint of <i>Les Morts Vont Vite</i> on Musea earlier in 2008, and reading the many positive responses it got, that made get up and do something about it. I mean, this music is amazing, so why should I be the only one to get to hear it properly, right?</p> <p><b>You introduced Alain Lebon at Soleil Zeuhl to this recording. What was his reaction to hearing this album for the first time?</b></p> <p>Alain was unaware of this album, but he has great taste and immediately wanted to release this. After some searching, he was able to trace Frank Fromy and Jean Luc Herve, and meet and play them the initial version. I find it amusing that a guy from Tel Aviv is able to introduce two Parisian musicians to a French Zeuhl expert and label owner to resurrect a half-forgotten album from long ago.</p> <p><b>How were the original band members found? What are they up to now?</b></p> <p>I think Alain just looked Frank up in the phone directory. No idea about the other former members or if they are active musically. Alain Ballaud, the bass player, died of cancer sometime in the early 90s; I recently had a conversation about him with Jamie Hugget of <b>Combat Astronomy</b> and we were both raving amd marveling on his unique playing and amazing tone. Jamie wondered if Alain’s family know what a source of inspiration Alain was to fans and musicians. But to be honest, the most rewarding and exciting aspect for me to come from this project is the fact that Frank stated this release ignited a spark for him, and he immediately started to make plans for a new band that I hope will continue in the path that he was planing Shub Niggurath to go after <i>Les Morts Vont Vite</i>. I find this extremely gratifying: Frank is such a unique and inspiring musician and guitar player, yet his recorded works sum up to just three albums. I am really looking forward to what he does next.</p> <p><b>Now that your work on this reissue is complete, what other projects do you have on your plate?</b></p> <p>Tomorrow [July 28th], I am hopefully finishing the new Present. That has taken quite a while, so I look forward to working on something new and different. I am currently test mixing for <b>Xing Sa</b>, the alter ego of French band <b>Setna</b>, whose debut album I mastered last year. There is a possibility of some audio restoration projects for <a href="http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/">Cuneiform Records</a>. And there has been talk of mixing <b>Guapo</b>’s NEARfest 2006 performance for a DVD release. I already mixed one bonus track from the <a href="http://www.rocktime.org/rio/">RIO Festival</a> performance in 2007, and that came out very well. Also, at some point Soleil Zeuhl will be rerestoring and releasing <b>Eskaton</b>’s <a href="http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=eska-4v"><i>4 Visions</i></a>. I did a test on the opening track and the band members gave the green light for this reissue. So lots of possibilities – we’ll see which of these will actually be done in the next few months.</p> <p>Also, sometime ago, I was approached by <a href="http://www.jourparjour.net/radio/VNR_Home.htm">Radio Village Nomade</a> to take a part in an soundscape project, with contributors like <b>Fred Frith</b> (who actually recommended me), the legendary engineer/producer <b>Etienne Conod</b>, and many others. The aim of the project was to cultivate works out of sounds that highlight the ever-changing moments that make up our collective realities, windows into different sound worlds, actual or constructed. So I rose to the challange and, after messing with my computer for a while, submitted one track, <a href="http://www.jourparjour.net/radio/daypieces/August/16/today.htm">“A Walk”</a> – basically <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.jourparjour.net/radio/VNR_Home.htm"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 336px;" src="http://www.jourparjour.net/radio/radiovillagenomade.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>day-to-day mundane sounds of my house such as my kitchen sink, air conditioner, my laptop fan, and a kettle overheating. These were edited, heavily processed, and shaped to simulate “A Walk” though different stages of contentious emotions I felt that day. I enjoyed it enough to start doing this in the very little spare time that I do have, and so far I’ve come up with two additional tracks. Who knows, maybe this will lead to something.</p> <p><b>If there were one project you have worked on that you wish had gotten more exposure, which one would it be?</b></p> <p>Wow, that’s a hard one, as there are quite a few of these. Let me see… that would probably go to<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.squidco.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=10547"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 283px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/Soj6V3WSDWI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/58Qa4dtzggE/s320/yosh1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370817809180921186" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://www.squidco.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=10547"><i>Live In The Head</i></a> by <b>Tatsuya Yoshida</b> (drummer/vocalist of Japanese avant-rockers <b>Ruins</b>), a live CD I recorded of Yoshida’s first visit to Tel Aviv that I was able to sucker <a href="http://www.aurismedia.com/records/">Auris Media Records</a> into releasing. It’s made up of two sets; the first is Yoshida’s solo set with him performing on drums, keyboards, sampler, guitar and vocals, mostly on the more progressive side of <b>Ruins Alone</b> plus some amazing “real time compositions,” improvisations he made. The second part is a free, spontaneous set he played with Igor Krutogolov from <b>Kruzenshtern & Parohod</b> on bass and vocals and Asif Tzahar on tenor sax. I am quite happy with the result, and with the fact that I got to mix something for Yoshida, whom I regard as one of the finest musicians walking this planet. Too bad Auris Media’s steam ran out, and as a result this recording hardly got any exposure. But maybe this can help a bit.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com71tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-28561987971923957262009-06-08T08:15:00.000-07:002009-06-09T00:09:20.155-07:00Hugh Hopper R.I.P.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/Si1Z8D6hQ5I/AAAAAAAABjs/msSbMyYi91I/s1600-h/hugh+hopper.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/Si1Z8D6hQ5I/AAAAAAAABjs/msSbMyYi91I/s400/hugh+hopper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345027221136425874" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So sad to hear the passing away of Hugh Hopper<br />Hugh became a legend as the bass player in Soft Machine with his innovative compositions and a unique signature fuzz-bass sound. making his mark on the history of progressive rock and forward-looking jazz-influenced psychedelic groups of the period and ever since.<br />I had the opportunity and privilege of meeting and working with Hugh when he played with <a href="http://udi-koomran.blogspot.com/2008/07/brainville-3.html">Brainville 3 In Tel Aviv </a>a few years ago and was struck by his down to earth and humble nature, his friendly manner and typical very English of humor.<br />Here is an improvisation Hugh played with Chris Cutler as the opening of the concert<br />This has all the magical ingredients that made Hugh such a unique bass player and improviser.<br /><br /><br /><br /><embed controls="”console”" src="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/dueta.mp3" autostart="false" loop="false" height="62" width="144"></embed><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.musicusconcentus.com/public/Hugh%20Hopper%20foto%20web.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 448px;" src="http://www.musicusconcentus.com/public/Hugh%20Hopper%20foto%20web.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Hugh had one last request which stems from his faith in Buddhism; that request is to chant "Om Mani Padme Hum" for 49 days, visualizing him in the light of a rainbow.<br />Rest In peace dear HughUnknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-51870987401207728842009-05-17T02:44:00.000-07:002009-05-21T02:49:29.474-07:00Shub Niggurath - Introduction<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/ShEhWoSm3zI/AAAAAAAABbs/ojpbfODIbpc/s1600-h/SN+100+JPEG0001.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 359px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/ShEhWoSm3zI/AAAAAAAABbs/ojpbfODIbpc/s400/SN+100+JPEG0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337083706067050290" border="0" /></a></span> <span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Its been a while...</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Just back from the post office to receive copies of one of the most interesting and emotional projects I have had the chance to take part in -The restoration and re issue of </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.kime.org.uk/PK/music/articles/sn/sn.html">Shub Niggurath</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >'s debut release.</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Shub Nigguarth was a french group active in the early 80's till the 90's (no doubt the worst time to play anything even remotely relating to Progressive music).Their album </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.waysidemusic.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=01/GAZUL%208613"><span style="font-style: italic;">Les Mort </span>Vont<span style="font-style: italic;"> Vite</span></a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > captured and fascinated me for years This album has gathered much praise and rightfully considered a classic by critics and fans of the "outer zone" of the progressive music scene.<br />As the name </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shub-Niggurath">Shub Niggurath</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > taken from H.P. Lovecraft's mythology suggests their sound evokes foreboding and sinister atmosphere. So aptly put by Wayside Music "</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" id="lblDescription" >music that reaches to the inner core of the evil void."</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > heh heh</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/ShEtjfNDH-I/AAAAAAAABb0/Lt0vdpdQGEg/s1600-h/Les+Mort+Vont+Vite.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/ShEtjfNDH-I/AAAAAAAABb0/Lt0vdpdQGEg/s320/Les+Mort+Vont+Vite.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337097121105649634" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Combining complex compositions intricate arrangements and passionate playing.the result is a fine balance of dark sometimes suffocating violent brutal massive passages with beautiful chilling melodies</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >The line up consisted of drums, keyboards(mostly organ harmonium and piano), eerie classical inspired female vocals, and the 3 elements that made them sound so unique : Trombone the special ingredient that at times could add a lyrical voice to the melodies and on other parts sound abrasive dissonant and powerful. Add to that maybe the most brutal sounding distorted bass ever recorded ,and the burning,scorching unique sounding guitar tones produced by master of sonority and timbre Frank Fromy.</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><br />Fromy left sometime after this album due to musical differences and went on to record his only solo album the haunting eerie </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Quatre Axes Mutants</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > .The group went on to record several other albums none even came close</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><br />Years later I discovered that the line up that recorded the classic </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Les Mort </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Vont</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > Vite</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > had previously also recorded a cassette only release simply named Shub Niggurath</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >After some serious searching I did find this tape (courtesy of my Friend Leor Hardy) and realized this album had all those special ingredients that made </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Les Mort </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Vont</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > Vite</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > such a great album a bit less polished a tad more brutal and raw. For my own pleasure I transferred the tape and mastered it (some tonal balancing some cleaning up and voila !).</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/ShJ48ifaPuI/AAAAAAAABb8/UzqXdjWBbis/s1600-h/sn-band.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/ShJ48ifaPuI/AAAAAAAABb8/UzqXdjWBbis/s320/sn-band.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337461489833492194" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Through the following years I tried to raise some int rest with some of the labels that I knew sent them a few copies and tried to find why this gem never got a proper re issue and the end conclusion was put well by Brandon Wu who wrote a nice review in </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=sn-sn">Ground & Sky</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > on this after I have sent him a copy :</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >"</span><span style=";font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">And so the two towering achievements by an unforgettable band are inextricably linked; it's just too bad that one of them is almost impossible to find. My guess is that it must be the mental-health lobby that's been keeping this amazing, demented album out of print.</span></span><span style=";font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:130%;" >"</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/ShJ6pqwSGYI/AAAAAAAABcM/nO4VicMVLgI/s1600-h/shub.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 142px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/ShJ6pqwSGYI/AAAAAAAABcM/nO4VicMVLgI/s400/shub.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337463364657486210" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Ah well...</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><br />Then last year Les Mort Vont Vite was re-printed and this lit the spark again and this time I guess I was more determined ....</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >What more natural was to Ask Zeuhl specialist Alain </span>Lebon<span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > head of </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.myspace.com/soleilzeuhl">Soleil Zeuhl </a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > a french label that focuses on releasing archive releases of this type of music. if there was one person that might know I thought it had to be Alain .But to my sup rise he was not aware of this album but once he heard it he was determined to put it out and give it the proper well cared release it so deserves.Finding the members of the </span><a href="http://alain.lebon4.free.fr/soleil/debut.html"><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ></span></a><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 137px;" src="http://alain.lebon4.free.fr/so/images/logo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >group did need some investigations but finally Alain was able to trace Frank Fromy and Jean Luc Herve and to their delight and surprise tell them this work has not been forgotten (Fromy told us he has not listened to this piece of music for over then 25 years yet he remembered every note every nuance and small detail).<br />Later when work started on the restoration and mastering of this album I had the chance to get to know Fromy and find out that besides being a unique and gifted guitarist and musician he turned his passion for sound design and experimenting, and started his own company </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;" >FWF Systèmes</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > that designs and builds specialist microphones for a variety of applications such as musical instrument amplifications and other unique applications (such as micing up the noisy cockpit of race cars on the famous Grand Prix) working with many known internationally famed musicians and big clients like Euro Disney </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.ina.fr/entreprise/activites/recherches-musicales/index.html">InaGrm</a></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > etc.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://gnosis2000.net/reviews/000.htm"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/ShUiEietYsI/AAAAAAAABcc/FngyFbhAhwc/s200/51qLCSgGkpL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338210394688021186" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > Its worth to mention Fromy's only musical project in the new melenium called </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crypto-Sensus-000/dp/B00005Q2E5"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005Q2E5/ref=asc_df_B00005Q2E5788474?tag=stylefeeder-20&creative=380337&creativeASIN=B00005Q2E5&linkCode=asn">000 - Crypto Sensus</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><b> </b></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > an album featuring his blistering guitar work with electronic artist Vincent Sicot-Vantalon and superb drumming by former Shub member Edward Perraud resulting with a massive overwhelming thunderous sound.</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >There are plans for a further future release of some archive material by Shub Niggurath and Fromy's previous band - hey maybe even a re issue of his only solo album Quatre Axes Mutants...</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >But the best news is that Frank has plans to go back to being musically active and form a new group.</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><br />Here are a few samples from the album</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/barback-2.mp3">Barback 1</a></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><a href="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/yog-sothoth-1.mp3">Yog Sothoth</a></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><a href="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/in.memoriam.mp3">In Memoriam</a></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><a href="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/barback-1.mp3">Barback 2</a></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><br />Many thanks to Alain </span>Lebon<span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > ,Eric Lumbleau,Leor Hardy,Phil Kime</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com68tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-34711112690489451662008-12-28T05:24:00.000-08:002008-12-28T07:25:22.857-08:00Arik Hayat RIP<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img2.tapuz.co.il/forumsApps/resize.asp?image=1_124889111.jpg&width=200"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://img2.tapuz.co.il/forumsApps/resize.asp?image=1_124889111.jpg&width=200" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This morning I received terrible news.<br />Arik Hayat committed suicide yesterday<br />Arik was a dear friend a extremely gifted musician and a humble human being.<br />Arik was the leader and one of the main composers of<a href="http://www.myspace.com/sympozion"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"> Sympozion</span></a> he played keyboards and sang the lead vocals .<br />He was just here a few days ago to finalize his new solo album which he chillingly titled "Doing Life"<br />I am still completely speechless and trembling as I write this .<br /><br />Here is the link to his album :<br /><br />http://www.archive.org/details/DoingLife_456<br /><br />And this is what he wrote<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Hi everyone</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Since this is my first post, I'll introduce myself.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">My name is Arik Hayat. I was born in Holon, Israel in 1980, and pretty much stayed there since.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">I am a musician. Music is what I do, it is what I live for and what I care most about. So just keep in mind that I'm serious. Sometimes it feels like I'm not.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Anyway, the important stuff:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">I have just released my second album, titled 'Doing Life'.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Get it here for free right now.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">It is a personal album, not an easy album in my opinion, but I believe that it is also an interesing and mature album, and maybe it will pluck a string or two in you.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">In the recent years I have come to believe that music should be free. I have warmly accepted some of the important revolutions of our time and I am glad to be able to contribute on that level as well.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">MUSIC SHOULD BE FREE.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Remember that.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Here are some good places to get lots of great free music:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">WFMU</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">http://blog.wfmu.org</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">UBUWEB</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">http://www.ubu.com</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Internet Archive</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">http://www.archive.org</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">I assume you probably know your stuff and have tons of sources that you found for excellent music. I would love to get to know them as well. I have all the time in the world for this. FEED ME!!!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Thanks for your patience,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">have a good life.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Arik<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.archive.org/download/DoingLife_456/Arik_Hayat_Doing_Life_cover1_front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 850px; height: 850px;" src="http://www.archive.org/download/DoingLife_456/Arik_Hayat_Doing_Life_cover1_front.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-86608279689354468582008-08-13T03:26:00.001-07:002008-12-09T12:45:36.666-08:00Udi Koomran Exposé Magazine Interview<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.totalzoo.com/present/img/g_fotos/g25.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.totalzoo.com/present/img/g_fotos/g25.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.expose.org/expose2.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.expose.org/expose2.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><b id="ix9j10"><span id="ix9j11" class="titulo"><br /></span></b><span id="ix9j14" class="texto"><span id="ix9j15" style="color: rgb(204, 102, 51);">Udi Koomran interview by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/expojeff">Jeff Melton</a></span></span> 2005<br /><p id="ix9j18">I<b id="ix9j19">ntroduction</b>: <i id="ix9j20">Udi Koomran may be unknown to most progressive rock fans, but he has been a mover and shaker working behind the scenes as engineer and producer with various artists including <a href="http://www.totalzoo.com/present">Present</a> (also doing live sound), <a href="http://www.davekerman.net/">5UU'</a>s, <a href="http://cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/ahvak.html">Ahvak</a> and acclaimed Israeli Klezmer act, <a href="http://www.parohod.net/">Kruzenshern & Parahod</a>. <a href="http://wwwexpose.org/">Exposé</a> is indebted to the talented engineer and sound man for sharing interview time with us while expecting his new baby.</i></p> <p id="ix9j21"><b style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);" id="ix9j22">Expose</b><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);">:</span><i id="ix9j23"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);"> </span>How did you develop an interest in music?</i><b id="ix9j24"> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span></b><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">:</span> I began listening to music very early on. One day in 1974, l heard a track on a local radio show that really fascinated me. it was <a href="http://www.planetgong.co.uk/">Gong</a>'s <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Gong/_/A+Sprinkling+of+Clouds">"A Sprinkling Of Clouds."</a> It began with those floating synthesizer textures then into the glissando guitar passage with the tabla groove. Then the bass solo appeared and then the full band built up to a climax and it finally it dissolved at the end. I had never heard anything like this before and music has never affected me in such a way since. So this radio program was the beginning of my musical education. Then l got to know Syd Barrett, Robert Wyatt, Henry Cow, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH3KtaugkLI/AAAAAAAAA8A/PeZDN0jj7fE/s1600-h/Zero+the+Hero.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH3KtaugkLI/AAAAAAAAA8A/PeZDN0jj7fE/s320/Zero+the+Hero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223554024436961458" border="0" /></a>Magma, Faust, Zappa and an endless list of other bands. I was listening to lots of styles of music from rock, psychedelic, and progressive to free jazz, ethnic world music, and 20th century classical. I didn't have a good stereo system (and I still don't). For my 13tn birthday my dad got me a pair of Koss headphones and that opened the door to a new world. l started listening to stuff like Gong's You, Pink Floyd's Ummagumma or White Noise's An Electric Storm with headphones, as a young kid, and this probably sowed the seeds.</p> <p id="ix9j27"><b style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);" id="ix9j28">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j29">Have you had any formal training or schooling to do production work? </i><b id="ix9j31"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span>:</b> No, l studied engineering in London for a year. l managed to learn a lot from musicians l worked with like <a href="http://belleli.net/">Avi Belleli</a>, Roger Trigaux and Dave Kerman.<br /></p> <p id="ix9j32"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j33">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j34">When did you decide production work was something that you wanted to do and you were good at doing it?</i> <b id="ix9j36"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span>:</b> Well l think l was interested in production from the word go but it took me quite a while to find the musicians who trust my taste and skill to produce their music. As far as being good at it l am never quite sure but the fact that people l admire want to work with me helps.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH3MwlpHjJI/AAAAAAAAA8I/PPu-ZQuy0pg/s1600-h/UDI.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH3MwlpHjJI/AAAAAAAAA8I/PPu-ZQuy0pg/s320/UDI.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223556277930003602" border="0" /></a></p> <p id="ix9j37"><b style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);" id="ix9j38">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j39">What producers do you admire and why?</i> <b id="ix9j41"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span>:</b> l like producers who develop their own language and signature (defying trends and fashions). They should be sensitive enough to know what the Project really needs and inject just the right amount of their own output into that recording. Being sensitive and flexible is crucial otherwise the resuit ends up sounding like a formula. Imagine how Captain Beefheart's <span style="font-style: italic;">Trout Mask Replica</span> would sound if Frank Zappa was not sensitive enough to fulfill Beefheart's totally unique vision. Probably my favorite producer is <a href="http://www.bdrak.com/">Bob Drake</a>. Bob is one of a kind, a true original; so much talent in one man! Bob has done dozens of great records such as The Skull Mailbox, <a href="http://www.rermegacorp.com/sounds/Norma%20-%20THE%20HARP%20AND%20THE%20DONKEY.mp3">NORMA & Chris Cutler</a> and <a href="http://www.bdrak.com/sounds/others/cri.htm">5UU's- Crisis in Clay</a>. <a href="http://www.markprindle.com/spruance-i.htm">Trey Spruance</a> is aiso an amazing musician and producer; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_%28Mr._Bungle_album%29">Mr. Bungle's California</a> is his masterpiece. His recent works with <a href="http://www.secretchiefs3.com/">Secret Chiefs 3</a> are also extraordinary. He has the ability to mix very diverse styles of music in a unique way. Also l like <a href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/navi/frame-e.htm">Lutz Glandien</a> (Domestic Stories, The 5th Elephant & Lost In Rooms), and <a href="http://www.frammis.com/">Steve Tibbetts</a> —YR, The Fall Of Us All, A Man About A Horse. And Godiey & Creme; listen to "I Pity Inanimate Objects" from Freeze Frame. This is a great example of using the studio creatively. The ultimate producer, pioneer and innovator was Frank Zappa with so many groundbreaking records. Those who think he dried up in his last years should get a copy of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_Phaze_III">"Civilization Phase III"</a> and listen carefully. Ah, to think what he would have been doing with today's technology.</p> <p id="ix9j44"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j45">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j46">You also engineer as well as produce: what kind of advantage does that give you in the studio?</i> <b id="ix9j48"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span>:</b> Well life is easier for the producer/engineer. Having the technical <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SHG6TGy36iI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/w0NRHm_xp64/s1600-h/mixing+is+hard.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SHG6TGy36iI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/w0NRHm_xp64/s200/mixing+is+hard.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220158280503388706" border="0" /></a>knowledge gives a wider scope and range of possibilities. Some producers prefer to concentrate on production and use other engineers, but for me it's easy, as engineering and production complement each other. On some of the projects I worked on (like Ahvak or 5UU's) the lines between production arrangement and engineering gets blurred. The sound arrangements and dynamics are created sometimes simultaneously. Productions like these turn the studio into a creative instrument. The traditional sound of the band is sometimes not enough so we search for new sounds and textures. This involves quite a lot of computer sound design. Software is where the innovation is happening these days (Lutz Glandien: The 5th Elephant & Secret Chiefs 3: Book Of Horizons are good examples). Producing and engineering music like this requires the sound to be dynamic. It can not stay idle; it has to flow and change with the music and serve different atmospheres and energies otherwise the result seems static and shallow.</p> <p id="ix9j50"><b style="color: rgb(51, 204, 255);" id="ix9j51">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j52">How long does it take for you to grasp what a band is looking for before you can determine what is needed to bring out that missing element? Can you provide a recent example?</i> <b id="ix9j54"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span>:</b> Well it depends on the project and the situation in which I was introduced to the band. There are some instances where I get to hear a band playing the material live and that gives me a good opportunity to get familiar with the music and find out what is needed in order to turn this into an interesting album. Sometimes I have to figure it out along the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SI1d4TbCtAI/AAAAAAAAA9g/zp1N28EytUE/s1600-h/IMG_3023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SI1d4TbCtAI/AAAAAAAAA9g/zp1N28EytUE/s400/IMG_3023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227937964314768386" border="0" /></a>recording process. For example I recently finished producing a young local progressive band called <a href="http://www.sympozion.com/">Sympozion</a>. I did not have a chance to see them play live but I came to a rehearsal and there I realized what was missing and what is needed from the production. I felt like the arrangements they did were good and their playing was great but the group sound was not there yet. They needed help with finding the right sounds that will compliment the parts they were playing to help reach a more defined sound.</p> <p id="ix9j56"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j57">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j58">Please tell us about the work you have done with <a href="http://www.davekerman.net/">Dave Kerman </a>and 5UU's.</i> <b id="ix9j60"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"> <embed controls="”console”" src="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/atila.mp3" autostart="false" loop="false" height="62" width="144"></embed> Koomran</span>:</b> The album I worked on <a href="http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/fiveuu.html">Abandonship</a> was written and composed by Dave (in Yordei Hasira, a little fiat right next to the old harbor) in about two weeks. His method of working was to make a four track demo tape and use that as a guideline for the actual<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/images/5uu-Aban.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/images/5uu-Aban.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> recording. All the melodies, structure, and tempos were already there on that tape. We would copy the metronome track from his demo into the computer and start recording the basic tracks and then add more elements to reach the feeling we were looking for. By the time we finished Abandonship, Dave realized the full potential of working in a non-linear system and the huge advantages over tape he used in the past. Tape based recording is a linear medium; you need to rewind or fast-forward a tape to hear a particular spot in a recording. To arrange or repeat material in a linear system you need to record it onto a computer hard dise. Recording then becomes a non-linear medium that has huge advantages. You can easily rearrange or repeat parts of a recording and this arrangement is non-destructive. Our next step an EP titled <a href="http://www.rerusa.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RERUSA&Category_Code=download">"Tel Aviv Constructions Events 1-3"</a> was to try and start doing things differently and use the computer to work in new ways. Creating music in this working environment enables you to change the form and structure of the music as you record. We were no longer bound to the initial "chart" or tempo, just to the basic idea and feel we were searching for. Another thing we wanted to do is to try and use other musicians output in fresh new ways. <a href="http://www.bdrak.com/">Bob Drake</a> sent us bass parts and a bunch of electrified drum tracks he recorded with <a href="http://www.ccutler.com/">Chris Cutler</a>. <a href="http://www.janetfeder.com/">Janet Feder</a> sent us some unique guitar sounds and chords, as did <a href="http://www.expose.org/brazieal.html">Scot Brazieal</a> & <a href="http://www.avibelleli.net/">Avi Belleli</a>. There was also the <a href="http://www.avantart.com/music/drore.htm">Dror Feiler</a> session with that monstrous contra bass sax that can also be heard on another live recording I did of <a href="http://www.nedrothenberg.com/">Ned Rothenberg</a> playing a Japanese flute. No instructions or any guidelines were given to the players. It was our task to take these ideas and harness them into our initial idea or basic feel of the piece. It was a very challenging task I can tell you. Some moments can be extremely satisfying like the interaction between Scot's piano and Chris's drums in "Bulldozer" or Dror's solo with Bob's bass on "Resolve." But this method of work is not easy, sometimes you go a very long way down a path you later realize it leads nowhere. I guess these are the hazards of experimenting and working with no formulas. There is the chance that something you work on eventually will end up in the bin, but I don't see this as failure at all. It is an integral part the creative process. There is a long piece (about 12:00) that we slaved over for months on end and Dave eventually decided to abandon as it wasn't coherent. Sonically it's one of the most interesting pieces of music I have worked on but l guess musically it wasn't focused enough. Oh well...</p> <p id="ix9j65"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j66">Expose</b><span style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);">:</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);"> </span><i id="ix9j67">How did you become involved in the <a href="http://mitkadem3.homestead.com/files/Reviews2/AhvakReviewEnglish.html">Ahvak</a> project?</i> <b id="ix9j69"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span>:</b> In 1998 l found a message from Yehuda Kotton in the Present guest book saying something like, "Come to Israel it's nice and sunny here!" So when Present came to work with me here l wrote him and said, </p><p id="ix9j264"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://mitkadem3.homestead.com/files/Reviews2/Ahvak300pix.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://mitkadem3.homestead.com/files/Reviews2/Ahvak300pix.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p id="ix9j65">"Hey! Guess what? They are here." Yehuda told me later that he thought it was an April Fool's Day joke. So we became friends. He introduced me to Udi Susser and Udi played me some of his early home recordings. When Dave came to stay in Israël l introduced him to Yehuda and he helped design the 5UU's website. l was invited to a rehearsal of "Verdun" and immediately l thought they needed to try a different drummer to suit the music. Sometime after that Yehuda invited Dave to join them. Then when they started planning to make a record it was natural that l would work with them.</p> <p id="ix9j72"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j73">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j74">What do you think are the outstanding tracks and why?</i> <b id="ix9j76"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span>:</b> My favorite tracks are "Vivisection" and "Ha Mefahakim." "Vivisection" is probably my favorite because it's the most original and has some sound elements from this part of the world. On "Ha Mefahakim," I really like the mélodies. The arrangement seems to have all the elements that make up the Ahvak sound. The moods are shifting from kids on a merry-go-round, moving to somber, dark passages from below.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SHHBh6v5mvI/AAAAAAAAA5o/Dok0XOYHFpE/s1600-h/07.05.05_Ahvak_Barby_TLV10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SHHBh6v5mvI/AAAAAAAAA5o/Dok0XOYHFpE/s320/07.05.05_Ahvak_Barby_TLV10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220166231549123314" border="0" /></a></p> <p id="ix9j77"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j78">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j79">You are credited with using computer on the CD: Please describe how you used your computer expertise and on what pieces.</i> <b id="ix9j81"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span>:</b> The computer work on Ahvak was different from other works I have done. I had the ability to augment the live instruments with sounds we sampled and designed. So if I felt that the guitar sounded good but still needs some extra "spice," I would use samples we made to play the guitar part in a different range or timbre. This was one useful method. Sometimes Dave would use the computer to alter the original structure of the music to achieve a better flow. This music is very strictly composed and structured. So we felt the need to add another dimension to the music that would contrast. We created a large bank of computer generated noises and sounds. Then we added these elements to destabilize things; this helped achieve a good balance of order and chaos. A lot of the signal processing on Ahvak was done with software. I am working closely with an Israeli company called <a href="http://www.waves.com/">Waves</a> and so these software plug-ins have an important role in the mixes.</p> <p id="ix9j83"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j84">Expose</b><span style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);">:</span> <i id="ix9j85">What was the most difficult track to work on in your opinion and why?</i> <b id="ix9j87"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span>:</b> "Dust"</p><embed controls="”console”" src="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/dust.mp3" autostart="false" loop="false" height="62" width="144"></embed>was a very hard piece to mix. There is something about mixing these kinds of pieces that is difficult (like mixing for Present). Obviously there is a symphonic element so we wanted it to sound a bit different. There is quite a lot of sound design involved in this piece which helped. There is one passage that lasts for maybe ten seconds (where the "drums" enter) that took us probably three days of work to solve. I am happy with the final resuit.<p></p> <p id="ix9j88"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j89">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j90">Tell us how you happened to work with <a href="http://www.parohod.net/">Kruzenshtern & Parohod</a>. How did you meet <a href="http://www.escrec.com/igorkrutogolov/">Igor Krutogolov</a> and the band?</i> <b id="ix9j92"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span>:</b> Boris Martzinovsky told me about them and gave me the first CD they made. I had a chance to see them play live at a local club and I liked them and was impressed by Igor's stage persona. They come from a hard core/punk/noise background and although they seem to appeal to people who listen to prog, they don't really listen to that<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH2O67c5tfI/AAAAAAAAA6I/RQRFYn340MI/s1600-h/kruzenshternSongs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH2O67c5tfI/AAAAAAAAA6I/RQRFYn340MI/s200/kruzenshternSongs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223488285862114802" border="0" /></a> stuff. They are an Israeli band with three members who are originally from Russia. That is normal in Israel, as we are a real melting pot of cultures and ethnic origins.</p> <p id="ix9j94"><b style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);" id="ix9j95">Expose</b>:<i id="ix9j96">How complete were their arrangements when you became involved with them? </i><b id="ix9j98"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span>:</b> The arrangements were finished before I stepped into the picture.</p> <p id="ix9j99"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j100">Expose</b><span style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);">:</span> <i id="ix9j101">How did you and Igor establish a working relationship to bring the pieces to a working format?</i> <b id="ix9j103">Koomran:</b> Well I mixed two songs and gave him a CD to listen to and see if he liked the resuit. Igor was quite surprised with the result and told me there are now nuances he hears in the mix that he almost forgot he played. So then I went along and mixed the entire album and Igor joined me just before the mastering for some few final finishing touches. It was fun to work with him. We share the same ideas.</p> <p id="ix9j105"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j106">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j107">At times the band also ventures in musical terrain similar to that of Lars Hollmer (Samla Mammas Manna). Are there any influences that come from Lars?</i> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> </span><b id="ix9j109"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> As I said these guys are not really into the avant/prog school. They love Leonid Soybelman (NeZhdali/Kletka Red) and Naked City is a favorite too.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH2P1K5-kQI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/jcMzvqxr2Lg/s1600-h/IGOR+%2B+UDI+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH2P1K5-kQI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/jcMzvqxr2Lg/s200/IGOR+%2B+UDI+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223489286443012354" border="0" /></a></p> <p id="ix9j110"><b style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);" id="ix9j111">Expose</b>:<i id="ix9j112">How did the band and you come to do the John Zorn cover song?</i> <b id="ix9j114"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> I have no idea, but as I said they like Naked City so that must have something to do with them choosing this song.</p> <p id="ix9j115"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j116">Expose</b>:<i id="ix9j117">Which pieces are you happiest with as to how they turned out in finished form and why? <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> </span></i><b id="ix9j119"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> I love "Shtetl" <embed controls="”console”" src="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/shtetl.mp3" autostart="false" loop="false" height="62" width="144"></embed> in a nutshell as it has all the elements that make the Kruzenshtern sound: energy, playfulness, humor and punch. "Colbasa" is a good one too.</p> <p id="ix9j120"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j121">Expose</b><span style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);">:</span><i id="ix9j122">Were there any abandoned pieces? If so, why?</i> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> </span><b id="ix9j124"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Yes there is one piece that did not make the final CD. It has a nice drum solo at the end but over all it wasn't strong enough.</p> <p id="ix9j125"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j126">Expose</b><span style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);">:</span><i id="ix9j127">How does the production work for this album differ from other works you've been involved with? <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> </span></i><b id="ix9j129"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Most of the stuff I produced is usually complex and highly arranged that is recorded in layers of overdubs. This music was recorded live. The line up is smaller and I had to make sure it sounds alive and bouncy. So the usual techniques of processing and sound design were not necessary.</p> <p id="ix9j130"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j131">Expose</b><span style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);">:</span><i id="ix9j132">Thee sound is very good on the disc. To what do you attribute this?</i> <b id="ix9j134"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> I think the fact that the sound is dynamic helped the result a lot. This music turns and changes quite a lot and so the sound needs to follow these changes. If you listen to a piece like "Shtetl," you can hear that the ambience of the drums changes a lot and on the clarinet changes it too. Plus the curve on the bass is never static. This complements the music a lot and makes the mix sound alive and fresh.</p> <p id="ix9j135"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j136">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j137">What kind of budget were you working with? Was this any kind of constraint on the finished project? </i><b id="ix9j139"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Well I am glad you asked that because this is something that I am not sure most people who listen to this music are aware of. These projects are done on a very small budget. On the other hand this kind of production calls for a lot of attention to détails and this usually is very time-consuming. Let's just say that in order not to compromise the resuit I often need to compromise my living standard.</p> <p id="ix9j140"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j141">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j142">Are you planning to work with the group in the future?</i> <b id="ix9j144"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> I think they plan to work with <a href="http://www.billyanderson.net/">Billy Anderson</a> (Mr. Bungle's engineer) on the next CD and that could be interesting for me too cause I'll probably come to watch and learn.</p> <p id="ix9j145"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j146">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j147">Tell us about the sessions with Roger Trigaux for <a href="http://www.totalzoo.com/present">Present</a>s High Infidelity and the </i><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH2TCw0zEII/AAAAAAAAA6w/b1BvC5m6ITg/s1600-h/present1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH2TCw0zEII/AAAAAAAAA6w/b1BvC5m6ITg/s200/present1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223492818495017090" border="0" /></a><i id="ix9j147">sessions in Israel?</i> <b id="ix9j149"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> When Roger was here for the <a href="http://www.tractor.co.il/">Tractor's Revenge</a> Othello sessions he decided to come and work in Tel Aviv with me on his next two CDs. He and his son Reginald arrived here a few days before the whole band for some pre-production work. Then we recorded most of the material for <span style="font-style: italic;">No. 6 </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">High Infidelity</span> nonstop 16 hours a day for 2 weeks at the Noise studio. Then we moved onto my place for the mix.</p> <p id="ix9j150"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j151">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j152">What was their impression of the working environment and town where they stayed?</i> <b id="ix9j154"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Well they loved Tel Aviv. When they were away from the studio they enjoyed the weather and spent most of the time at the beach and cafes getting to know thé girls. You should have seen Regi's tan; he was red as a lobster . They loved the humus and Jahnun (Yéménite food).</p> <p id="ix9j155"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j156">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j157">Tell us about working at the Noise studio: How big is it?</i> <b id="ix9j159"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Noise (now out of business) was our favorite studio. That's where Tractor's Revenge used to record. It's quite small with very modest gear but the vibe was great and Roger loved it. It was the only studio in Tel Aviv that felt like home.</p> <p id="ix9j160"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j166">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j167">What was the hardest piece to record from a purely technical point of view?</i> <b id="ix9j169"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> (Sometimes as you know some instruments don't sound right after you record them). Producing Present was a challenge. It's not easy to capture the energies and the complex nature of the arrangements with emotion. It's a hard job but the experience of working with Roger is always rewarding. Roger wanted to use an electric piano for the recordings. I coudn't get the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNYTzwxaIA8">Yamaha CP 80</a> (used on <a href="http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/present.html">Trikaidekaphobie</a> and Art Zoyd's Phase IV), but I brought another one that didn't sound right we were quite disappointed with the result. I had an idea to use Noise's old upright acoustic piano and this turned out to be quite a surprise. Usually it's very difficult to blend an acoustic piano with distorted guitars and over driven bass. With an unusual microphone technique, I was able to get a bright and present sound that made the piano cut trough the mix. Today this piano lives in my living room!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH2XHj1XPlI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/y74z8p8kPUU/s1600-h/pierre+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH2XHj1XPlI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/y74z8p8kPUU/s320/pierre+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223497298953584210" border="0" /></a></p><p id="ix9j160"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j161">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j162">Did the band ever do a full run through of the tracks before recording, or was it piecemeal one member at a time?</i> <b id="ix9j164"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Prior to coming here they did 4 weeks of rehearsals at Roger's house. Roger prefers recording one instrument at a time. That's how he always recorded his music. Even "La Faux" (on Universe Zero's Heresie) was done like this.</p> <p id="ix9j171"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j172">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j173">Are there any abandoned songs as a result of the recording sessions?</i> <b id="ix9j175"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> No, but some of Roger's vocals and Reginald's solos surfaced on Abandonship.</p> <p id="ix9j176"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j177">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j178">What was it like for you to work with Roger and comprehend what direction this disc might go?</i> <b id="ix9j180"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Right from the first session we did on <a href="http://www.progressor.net/review/tractors_revenge_1999.html">Othello</a> we both realized we <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH2RJynQ3kI/AAAAAAAAA6g/4XK3jBFH80M/s1600-h/KoomranAndTrigaux.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH2RJynQ3kI/AAAAAAAAA6g/4XK3jBFH80M/s320/KoomranAndTrigaux.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223490740210949698" border="0" /></a>understood each other well and both of us shared the same passion for this music. The direction of the project was clear from the beginning and we didn't even discuss it; we both knew how we wanted it to sound. Roger demands total commitment but has special ways to show you how much he appreciates the hard work.</p> <p id="ix9j181"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j182">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j183">What in your opinion is the best piece on the disc and why?</i> <b id="ix9j185"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> "Souls For Sale" </p><embed controls="”console”" src="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/souls1.mp3" autostart="false" loop="false" height="62" width="144"></embed><embed controls="”console”" src="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/souls2.mp3" autostart="false" loop="false" height="62" width="144"></embed>is the best as it has all the elements that characterize Present's sound. I still can't believe I was able to mix all these into the tracks (46 go with the modest computer I was using at the time).<p></p> <p id="ix9j186"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j187">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j188">What tracks gave you and the band the most problems to complete?</i> <b id="ix9j190"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Recording the solos is always a big issue. The bass solo on "Limping Little GirI" and Regi's solo on "Souls For Sale" were not easy. I remember Roger counting back from 13 in order to get Keith into the mood he was looking for.</p> <p id="ix9j191"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j192">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j193">Were there any pieces which were easier to work on?</i> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"> </span><b id="ix9j195"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Nothing is easy about Present. Dave used to joke that by the time you finish a tour or record with Present you end up looking like the prisoner bonded in chains from the Triskadekaphobie cover.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH2ULGDjnII/AAAAAAAAA64/hNcnsk_y8gs/s1600-h/Present+t-shirt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH2ULGDjnII/AAAAAAAAA64/hNcnsk_y8gs/s200/Present+t-shirt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223494061144644738" border="0" /></a></p> <p id="ix9j196"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j197">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j198">How did you arrive at the decision to include brass arrangements?</i> <b id="ix9j200"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> After No' 6 we were invited for a festival in France and they suggested the idea of expanding the line up. They were generous enough to give us a house and a great rehearsal hall with a good PA System for a week prior to the Festival. The show was a success and Roger decided to continue with this line-up.</p> <p id="ix9j202"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j203">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j204">Who wrote out the charts for the band? Were they recorded last for the album?</i> <b id="ix9j206"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Roger wrote most but Pierre Chevalier also contributed for the arrangements on a piece titled "Strychnine for Christmas". Roger always prefers to record the drums last (a habit from the UZ days).</p> <p id="ix9j207"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j208">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j209">Were there any parties or celebrations for the completion of the CD?</i> <b id="ix9j211"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Yes, we did a big Christmas gig organized by the label, Carbon 7, in Brussels. Towards thé end of Promenade au Fond d'un Canal, l was sweating over the mix and l raised my head and saw a Belgian police officer shouting at my face in French. Without hesitation, I yelled back at him in Hebrew while Guy Segers tried to calm things down. A moment later the PA's power was cut but the band continued playing regardless until the end. The stage sound was so loud they didn't even realize the PA was dead. I guess that says something about how loud Present like their monitor mix.</p> <p id="ix9j213"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j214">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j215">Tell us about some of your current endeavors: Where did you meet the members of <a href="http://www.sympozion.com/">Sympozion</a>?</i> <b id="ix9j217"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> I heard about them from Dave and Yehuda who saw them play live. Then they contacted me and wanted to know if I was interested in working with them. I think Meidad Zaharia told them to try me out.</p> <embed controls="”console”" src="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/patterns.mp3" autostart="false" loop="false" height="62" width="144"></embed><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH3JxRlSPCI/AAAAAAAAA74/zLOEVL2nSTE/s1600-h/kundabuff.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH3JxRlSPCI/AAAAAAAAA74/zLOEVL2nSTE/s200/kundabuff.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223552991190203426" border="0" /></a><p></p> <p id="ix9j218"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j219">Expose</b><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">:</span> <i id="ix9j220">How did you get set up to work with them on this recording?</i> <b id="ix9j222"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Well they recorded the drums in another studio. My idea was that if we tried to record and mix one song that had all the features of the album, we could see if we liked the result and then make up our minds if we wanted to continue. So we did that and liked the results and continued doing the entire album. All the guitars and bass tracks were overdubbed at my place. Most of the keyboard performances were done by Arik Hayat at home, and then transferred to me by e-mail. I continued working on the keyboard sounds on my own. We also did some acoustic piano tracks and I mixed most of the stuff on my own.</p> <p id="ix9j224"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j225">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j226">How were these sessions different for you than some of your others you've done?</i> <b id="ix9j228"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Sympozion is a young band with not a lot of studio experience so naturally I handled the production responsibilities, mostly on my own this time.</p> <p id="ix9j229"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j230">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j231">The arrangements are well thought out. How tough was it for you to do these recordings?</i> <b id="ix9j233"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Yes they arrange their compositions very well so I didn't need to deal too much with changing structures or working on the dynamics. The main task I had was to find the right sounds that will compliment the parts they played and create some sort of characterized group sound. I knew they needed a lighter touch and not so much studio processing like Ahvak or 5UU's, but still there were some of those techniques used for achieving color and contrast.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH3IWf9mkII/AAAAAAAAA7Y/Uhtj0z9KVsE/s1600-h/symp+live.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH3IWf9mkII/AAAAAAAAA7Y/Uhtj0z9KVsE/s200/symp+live.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223551431682199682" border="0" /></a></p> <p id="ix9j234"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j235">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j236">They are a kind of semi-classical rock group: how would you classify their work?</i> <b id="ix9j238"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Compared with other stuff I usually work on, they are more in the traditional progressive sound. I wanted to work with them because I believe they are truly searching and trying to stretch out. I am sure their future works will show more and more of this.</p> <p id="ix9j239"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j240">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j241">Can you comment on jazz and Canterbury-like influences?</i> <b id="ix9j243"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> I hear a light jazzy influence hère and there. Boris the drummer and Ori, one of the guitar players, are also playing with other jazz outfits. But Elaad and Arik (the composers) are not really into jazz. As far as I know they are more into contemporary stuff like <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH3JDckUvcI/AAAAAAAAA7o/R0_hQ94Cg60/s1600-h/sympozion_group.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SH3JDckUvcI/AAAAAAAAA7o/R0_hQ94Cg60/s200/sympozion_group.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223552203864980930" border="0" /></a>Reich, Messeian.</p> <p id="ix9j244"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j245">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j246">Who is the main writer?</i> <b id="ix9j248"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> Elaad Abraham is one of the guitar players and Arik Hayat plays the piano/keyboard/vocals.</p> <p id="ix9j249"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j250">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j251">How are the arrangements worked out?</i> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"> </span><b id="ix9j253"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Koomran</span>:</b> They rehearsed and played this material live over a year before the recording.</p> <p id="ix9j254"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j255">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j256">How prepared was the band to do recording? Had they done it before (assuming this was their first recording session)?</i> <b id="ix9j258"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> I think for most of them it was their first major production. The fact they played this live for many months helped the recording to go smoothly, and we no major problems.</p> <p id="ix9j259"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j260">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j261">Can you give an example of how many tracks for, say, "Grapefruit"?</i> <b id="ix9j263"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> We recorded the piano for that in my house and felt it needed a bigger sound so we went to the Rimon School and recorded their grand piano for this and for the last piece, "Grapefruit Variations". Arik Hayat is a very good pianist and so it went very easily in 2 or 3 takes.</p> <p id="ix9j264"><b style="color: rgb(102, 204, 204);" id="ix9j265">Expose</b>: <i id="ix9j266">When will this CD be released and on what label?</i> <b id="ix9j268"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Koomran</span>:</b> We are currently looking for a label that will help bring this music to the right audience. Any ideas?</p><p id="ix9j264"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.expose.org/expose_sml1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.expose.org/expose_sml1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-24576668080826430922008-07-20T12:31:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:45:38.101-08:00Brainville 3 - Trial By Headline cd<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SIMic2HDW6I/AAAAAAAAA8g/KKCOAh8p1W0/s1600-h/poster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SIMic2HDW6I/AAAAAAAAA8g/KKCOAh8p1W0/s400/poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225057871636683682" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Since meeting Daevid Allen in 1999 I had the wish of bringing Brainville 3 to Israel.<br />Brainville is a trio consisting of 3 legendary key figures in the music scene of the late 60's early 70's . <a href="http://www.daevidallen.net/">Daevid Allen l</a>eader and founder of Soft Machine and Gong, <a href="http://www.hugh-hopper.com/">Hugh Hopper</a>, The fuzz bass behind Soft Machine and <a href="http://www.chriscutler.com/">Chris Cutler</a> the drummer most famous for his role in Henry Cow,Art Bears and the founder of <a href="http://www.rermegacorp.com/">Recommended Records</a>.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SINUPk5oTII/AAAAAAAAA84/UwBO97t7osE/s1600-h/brainville+at+shook.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SINUPk5oTII/AAAAAAAAA84/UwBO97t7osE/s320/brainville+at+shook.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225112619260071042" border="0" /></a><br />Coming together for loose and spontaneous dialogs with old and new music. Flexing musical muscles, taking chances and enjoying themselves in the process. It took a while but with the drive, enthusiasm and energy of Victor Levin of <a href="http://www.aurismedia.com/">Auris Media</a> Brainville played their first show in the holy land in October 2006.<br />A bit of background: Daevid & Hugh met and collaborated in the early 60's Hugh played with The Daevid's first Trio in 1963 along with Robert Wyatt. They combined free-jazz and beat poetry. In 1967 Daevid formed The legendary Soft Machine which Hugh joined in 1968. Daevid's tape loop work was a major influence on Hugh's debut album 1984 .As for Chris Cutler although he was a full member of Henry Cow through the 70's he also used to fill in when Gong was missing a drummer.He also played on Daevid's solo album N'exist Pas! in 1979. Hopper & Cutler collaborated on Lindsay Cooper's Oh Moscow album.<br />The show at The Zappa Club in Tel Aviv was well received and lived up to the huge expectations Besides of having fun while doing their live sound I was also able to record the show.<br />One year later comes this live cd on Chris Cutler's Rer Records and one of the songs from the Tel Aviv performance is included .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SGITrLHgXtI/AAAAAAAAA3I/762bRDPsGRU/s1600-h/brainville3_trial.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SGITrLHgXtI/AAAAAAAAA3I/762bRDPsGRU/s400/brainville3_trial.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215752950888029906" border="0" /></a><br />So here is also the video capturing the preformance of I<span style="font-style: italic;"> Bin Stoned Before </span>the old Daevid song from the classic Gong Electrique Camambert album dedicated to the wonderful late Pip Pyle who played on the album.<br />This was shot by music enthusiast<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Kfir Ripshtos</span><br /><object height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4OyCbaafeyE"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4OyCbaafeyE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SIMhWsgj9sI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/Ll3ztnbyz24/s1600-h/poster.jpg"><br /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-39677527502930427052008-06-27T22:37:00.001-07:002008-12-09T12:45:42.084-08:00Lutz Glandien Interview by Udi Koomran<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SD6Zg8j75UI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/wK6fVqWyGls/s1600-h/DSCF1712.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SD6Zg8j75UI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/wK6fVqWyGls/s320/DSCF1712.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205767010578588994" border="0" /></a><br />It would not be a exaggeration to say we are living in a revolutionary age.<br />The huge advances in computer technology has radically changed our ways of lives .<br />Most of the music these days are made one way or another using computer technologies.<br />Yet only a few artists have fully exploited the huge potential these new tools have and used it make music that is both challenging radical and ground breaking..<br />If I was to choose one musician that has done exactly that and more it must be<span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Lutz Glandien</span></span>.<br />I have been following his on going musical journey (on ReR Records) for years .<br />His works have been a constant source of deep listening experiences and inspiration .<br />So Naturally I was thrilled when Dave Kerman suggested I would interview Lutz about his new cd "Lost In Rooms" .<br />Here are a few short audio clips from <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Lost In Rooms</span>:</span><br /><a href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/mp3/like_this.mp3">Like This</a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/disc/bilder/lost-gr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.lutzglandien.de/disc/bilder/lost-gr.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/mp3/all_the_roads.mp3">All the Roads</a><br /><a href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/mp3/sisters.mp3">2 Of My Sisters</a><br /><a href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/mp3/as_they_sunk.mp3">As They Sunk</a><br /><a href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/mp3/better_room.mp3">In A Better Room</a><br />Here are a few short audio clips from <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The 5th Elephant</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">:</span><br /></span><a href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/mp3/elephant/showtools.mp3">Show Tools</a><br /><a href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/mp3/close_song.mp3">Close Song Without Save</a><br /><a href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/mp3/elephant/punchonthefly.mp3">Punch On the Fly</a><br /><a href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/mp3/elephant/whitebackground.mp3">White Background</a><br /><a href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/mp3/elephant/nudgeeventposition.mp3">Nudge Event Position</a><br /><br />Lutz makes music that is powerful and enigmatic yet can be at the same time delicate and fragile .<br />His abilities to carefully balance these different moods feelings and atmospheres is what makes his music so appealing to me.<br />His last 2 cds -<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">The 5th Elephant</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>(2001) and the new <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Lost In Rooms</span> (2003) are prime examples on just how far computer technology can take the music if its in the hands of a master composer that can harness it to serve his muse .<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Can you give us a short biography and mention what drew you to music initially and what influenced you in the beginning of your musical journey Also tell us about your formal musical training.</span><br />I was born in a small town called Oebisfelde, in the German Democratic Republic. When I was nine years old my parents encouraged me to take piano lessons - everyone in our family played an instrument. A few years later, rock music pulled me into its orbit - which put an end to the piano lessons. Those rock bands fascinated me, especially the guitar sounds - and the songs generally, of course. Posters of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd covered the walls of my room, and this music robbed me of all sleep. From that moment, I decided to learn to play the guitar - without a teacher of course! Then I founded a band and became a rock musician myself. Playing and singing on stage and in front of an audience was exciting and wonderful. After finishing school I would have liked have studied electroacoustics, but unfortunately that didn't work out. In the meantime I studied economics in Dresden - because I desperately wanted to live there. I quickly connected to the music scene in Dresden, and eventually got a job in a music theatre group. I stopped studying economics and applied instead to the Hanns-Eisler-Music-College to study composition. After three attempts I was accepted. After five years - having passed my exams - I left the theatre group and moved to Berlin where for the next three years I studied for with Georg Katzer- in his master class for composition at the Academy of Arts. Since 1987 I've been working free-lance as a composer in various areas.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SD6YbMj75TI/AAAAAAAAA1I/HDgo8UC_Nts/s1600-h/rerlg2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SD6YbMj75TI/AAAAAAAAA1I/HDgo8UC_Nts/s200/rerlg2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205765812282713394" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Explain how a classically trained composer with an academic background like yours is collaborating with musicians coming from an avant/rock and tell us how these two so different worlds meet can they actually influence one another?</span><br />Since the mid-eighties I had been composing nothing but contemporary classical music, but after some years I lost interest in this. I was particularly annoyed by the artificial arrogance of this music scene, which had a paralysing effect on my creativity. The sound of a rock band and electronic instruments inspired me much more than a string quartet. I listened to music by<span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);"> Chris Cutler</span>, Fred Frith and Heiner Goebbels, which appealed to me a lot, though I never had any intention of composing that kind of music myself. However, this radical and provocative music had a huge influence on me. In this period I also turned towards electroacoustic music and composed several pieces for solo instruments and electroacoustic sounds. That was a kind of transitional period in which I didn't want to work without live elements. Some of those pieces can be heard on the CD "Scenes from No Marriage". Those songs were all still strongly influenced by my work on contemporary classical music. I also made various attempts to include musicians‚ improvisations into my compositions, but often I couldn't identify with the results; it didn't feel like "my work" anymore. One of the successful examples for the integration of improvisations is the CD "Domestic Stories". That's a cycle of songs based on lyrics by Chris Cutler for the singer Dagmar Krause. I composed these songs in great detail and fixed the form very precisely. Nevertheless I left a lot of space for supplementary improvisations. Chris Cutler, Fred Frith and Alfred Harth then added wonderful parts, which corresponded very well with the electroacoustic sounds I had prepared.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Your web site bio states that at one point you built musical instruments for your compositions. Can you tell us a little about that.</span><br />Actually this already started when I was playing in a rock band. I built an electric guitar - which certainly did not sound any better than the ones you can buy in a shop, and was quite difficult to play, but still, I had built it myself and no one had a similar one. Creating something unique and never heard before is still very important to me. That's also the reason why I don't often use synthesizers and sound modules. The reference on the web site is to the piece "Ruhestörung" (disturbance of the peace), about a quarrel I had with my landlord about my music - which annoyed him. For this I developed and built my own percussion instruments out of noisy household objects: tins, bottles, steel pipes, metal buckets and so on. Currently I'm still working in two areas. On the one hand I'm calculating, developing and building acoustical modules for my studio and on the other I'm engaged in sound art, developing and building sound art objects and sound installations with architect Malte Lüders. Many artistic elements are contained in one of those objects - they are at once instruments, resonating bodies and sculptures. I concern myself mainly with the musical part, while Malte takes care of the sculptural part and the design. And, once in a while, I have to build a loudspeaker, since that is a kind of obsession.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SD6Xb8j75QI/AAAAAAAAA0w/jFCKPUXN96o/s1600-h/LG+Studio.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SD6Xb8j75QI/AAAAAAAAA0w/jFCKPUXN96o/s400/LG+Studio.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205764725655987458" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Tell us little about your studio and how is it set up.</span><br />The digital heart of my studio is an Apple Computer G4 with Protools hardware, 1000 Gb<br />hard-disc capacity and various sound programs. I mix with a 24-chanel Tascam analog mixer, having the possibility to listen in stereo or 5.1, depending on what I work on. A Surround Monitor Controller allows me to configure a flexible set-up. I use an S1000 and a K2000 from time to time, as well as some analogue effect machines and filters. Oh yes, I also have a 32-Band real-time analyser next to a 21 inch screen, which serves me very well when mastering and mixing.<br />What else? Numerous frequency absorbers which create a well balanced sound and high-end studio monitors (Geithain RL902) - I've never heard any better ones.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">What is the main program/system you are working with.</span><br />I work exclusively with the TDM version of Logic Audio 6 and Prootools Mix hardware. Furthermore there are three interfaces which are routed to the analogue mixing board. When I produce a score I use the Overture program, by Opcode - which unfortunately went bankrupt. It's a shame, since this score program was really good to work with and now won't be developed further. Even the MIDI options were quite acceptable. Still, I can cope with the loss since I don't usually write scores these days.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">As a sound engineer I can state that your are very well balanced clear precise and have a very wide dynamic range. How did you achieve your engineering skills ?</span><br />I did that by trial and error. The music I make is not something I invent in order for it to be performed by someone else and later be turned into a studio mix by a sound engineer; it's already being developed at the mixing console. It's composed by listening in front of loudspeakers. So the conventionally divided processes of composing, performing and producing, or rather preserving, music are fused together. I invent the music and the sounds by generating, mixing and preserving them on a hard disc. This is a single work process, which I have learned to do over many years so as to be able to realise my ideas about music and sound. I learned to write scores in the same way. But that doesn't mean, of course, that I'd be able to produce a mix for an orchestra or a rock band. I'm not an all-round sound engineer. I gathered my engineering experience mainly by mixing my own music and realising my own sonic inventions. Furthermore, the field of electroacoustics has been a hobby of mine since childhood. Thus numerous affinities are combined. By the way, I think my music does not have a wide dynamic range because in general I don't continuously like to adjust the volume of music. I only like a wide range of dynamic when pieces are being performed in big halls. The same applies to home cinema since the dynamic range which could be reached is actually unbearable at home. That's the reason why I radically compress all my material before working with it.<br />I think it's better to compress and equalise/finalise any material/samples<br />before arranging and mixing, because the more powerful single sounds are,<br />the better the final mix will be. That's my experience at least. If you<br />listen to a final mix and discover a weak sounding sample you really have<br />no possibility to change it any more. That's why I prepare - namely<br />compress - all my audio material very thoroughly before I use it. It's<br />similar to cooking: `The better the quality of the ingredients, the better<br />the meal will taste´.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">How do you make sure the reference of your mixing room is "true" and translates well in the "real" world?</span><br />The "real" audio world is so multifarious and the situations in which music is heard so different, that I'm neither able nor willing to create a compromised mix for every hearing situation. That's simply impossible. There are many reasons. I don't believe in the ultimate test on a car radio,<br />or on Auratones and the like. Music which achieves all of its effect by melody and harmony can certainly retain all its fascination, even when played on lousy speakers. In my opinion one can enjoy the 9th by Beethoven even on a cheap kitchen radio, since it's great music. That reminds me of the times when, at the age of 14, I used to listen to the charts on a tiny, terrible sounding transistor radio. I got goose-pimples anyway. So I guess there are more important things than the choice of loudspeakers. So much for the pros; on this topic the cons, however, are rather more complicated since I exclusively produce non-live music which can only be heard through<br />speakers. So I compose for speakers. Even though they are not an instrument, they still render my music - and the better they are, the more the listener will be able to perceive, and thus feel. I produce with reference studio monitors, which sound very neutral and have a flawless phase response. I work with the entire range of audible frequencies. Hence I quite commonly use tones at around 30 Hz. Someone whose speakers can't reproduce those tones will certainly miss some parts of my music, but I hope there's still enough left for middle-quality speaker owner. I also don't believe that the quality of music exclusively depends on either the rendering quality, nor on a choice between 16 or 24 bits. The final mix should nonetheless be balanced and powerful. That's the reason I made large scale and very precise acoustic adjustments to my studio. After extensive measurements, I designed and built frequency absorbers that guarantee a well balanced frequency field. All this helps the listener get a technically first-class product. What's then done with it, how it's perceived, lies beyond my influence.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">So...you also deal with acoustic design</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">can you tell us how you achieved this knowledge and how you applied</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">this to design to your studio?</span><br />That is a long story. Gathering the knowledge for my work with acoustic design has occupied me over the last few years. I learned by doing - step by step. For many years I was unsatisfied with my studio sound, and that's why I initiated these efforts. I read several books about general studio acoustic phenomena - for instance, about the physical laws of standing waves, and discovered that my room had enormous standing waves - additions and cancellations<br />However, the next step was, to gather basic knowledge about the function of<br />different types of sound-absorbers. Then I did hundreds of measurements to<br />work out the best positions for them. Next was to design and built various<br />absorbers to deal with the critical frequency areas. After installing one,<br />I would repeat the whole procedure of measuring to find out what effect<br />that particular absorber really had. So, after 2 or 3 years of this, I have<br />altered the acoustic of the room to its current, more or less acceptable,<br />state. But it's not finished yet.<br />I didn't use any professional tools for my measurements but rather created<br />the signals I needed myself;<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Which computer program's menus did you use for the titles of The 5th Elephant.</span><br />I'm very pleased that you ask that, since you're the first to do so. I used the menus of Logic Audio. I thought, if I produce with a computer, why not refer directly to the actual composition software, especially since I find the menus of Logic very musical, not to say poetic. "Close Song without Save"- I think that's such a significant and affectionate title, or "Punch on the Fly", which somehow describes the way I work. I really think there's a strong connection between my music and the Logic menus. Maybe even a kind of affection for this particular programme, or at least an appreciation of its programmers. I guess Mr. Lengeling (the chief programmer of EMAGIC) doesn't even know that. Maybe he'd be happy about it. I've never thought of sending a CD to EMAGIC. But it's a secret reference to my favourite software.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Obviously the technological tools and techniques you worked with on Domestic Stories(1993) are very different from what was used on Lost in Rooms. Can you tell us what kind of technology were you using then and how it evolved to your current working environment?</span><br />During the process of composing "Domestic Stories". I made a complete sonic simulation, apart from Dagmar's voice and the electronic parts. Everything else was simulated using MIDI and samplers. This was recorded on an analogue 16-track Tascam. The MIDI tracks were then replaced by live musicians and the improvisations were synchronised. Sometimes I even used<br />the improvisations by themselves. It's always a problem to replace something in a demo version, because the rough mix already presents a compact idea. The guitar in track 3 for instance had the exact sound I wanted it to have even though it wasn't played live. Live instruments aren't always the better choice - it depends on what you want. And then -<br />you know how it works - we mixed and mastered.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SF43YeN7XKI/AAAAAAAAA2o/-wrvGAgBXeo/s1600-h/LutzGlandien.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SF43YeN7XKI/AAAAAAAAA2o/-wrvGAgBXeo/s200/LutzGlandien.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214666312109481122" border="0" /></a><br />Ten years lie between "Domestic Stories and "Virtualectric Stories", and a lot changed in this time. Nowadays I nearly always produce on my own. That means I do recordings, composition, mixing and mastering in my own studio. If I need material I can't generate myself, I get it from where I can find it. For "Lost in Rooms" I used sound fragments from the dancers' voices, and of their dance movements. All the other sounds are complex combinations of material I've stored in my archive over the years. Actually I don't always need new material, since I could work with the sounds I've already archived for quite a long time. It makes me nervous to have too much material. It's the same with always updating my computer with the newest software and plug-ins. There are periods when I don't go into a music store for two years. "The less material, the better" - this efficient work with material derives from my study with Georg Katzer. Give me a tape with ten minutes of any material and say: "create a piece out of that". That's the most exciting thing for me. That provides clear conditions and productive boundaries.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Can you explain how the evolvment of technology effected the creative process (ie,compostion/mixing-matching/deconstucting ect.)? Is this what you mean by the terms virtual and recycled music?</span><br />I am afraid there's no official or international meaning, or definition, for the terms virtual and recycled music. I just use these terms to paraphrase a certain musical procedure. An example of virtual music is a clarinet quartet I created from the improvisations of one clarinettist. I extracted all the sounds I found interesting out of 20 minutes of material, then composed a quartet using only this material and no electronic manipulation. This means we hear a quartet - also visually imagining one playing - but in reality it's a computer reproducing samples of one musician. I would call that a virtual or acoustical delusion. Recycled music, on the other hand, refers to recycling. In my last answer I said I like to use material from my archive, material that was quite possibly used before. I think remixes are also connected with recycling. Sometimes I listen to movies, without actually watching them, and follow only the sounds. Once in a while I extract something in order to put it into another context. I find that nowadays too much is being thrown away too often - sounds too. But I guess that's normal in times of sound inflation. It's hard for me to throw things away in general, especially sounds, because they can be used to accomplish many purposes. If, for instance, I don't want to listen to a CD anymore because it annoys me, I can just as well put it under a table leg to prevent it from wobbling.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SF42MU-9rRI/AAAAAAAAA2g/SXJFJNqr7dk/s1600-h/Michael+Vogt+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SF42MU-9rRI/AAAAAAAAA2g/SXJFJNqr7dk/s200/Michael+Vogt+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214665003960741138" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">On the 5th Elephant the method of work was by isolating a piece of sound from one context and using its rhythmic / harmonic content for inspiration on a new composition. Did Lost In Rooms need a new or different modus operandi?</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SF412J9wB_I/AAAAAAAAA2Y/rCH6ie6302s/s1600-h/Chris.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SF412J9wB_I/AAAAAAAAA2Y/rCH6ie6302s/s200/Chris.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214664623045740530" border="0" /></a><br />No. All through the last few years I've followed the same work pattern, whether for radio, film or CD production. I'm always trying to extract as much as possible from as few as possible motifs - in the classical sense. The material from "Lost in Rooms" merely had a different origin from that in "The 5th Elephant". The thing that is important to me is that the sounds be fresh. If I haven't heard them before they inspire me. That's also the reason why I don't use synthesisers: they always have the same sound characteristics, no matter which pre-set I choose. I'd even claim that a synthesiser has a basic sound, just as a drum has.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">If you need to think of a software program /or some other device that would help you do something you can not achieve with your current tools - What would it do?</span><br />Well, a dream of mine would be to have a direct interface from my brain to the computer. An interface that would make it possible to record spontaneous musical ideas or thoughts. More exactly: say I sing internally, and hear a voice, let us say a fusion of Björk and Caruso, then this voice would be recorded on the computer exactly as I imagine it; this would be the materialisation or digitalisation of musical visions. Unfortunately I will probably not experience this in my lifetime but I'm sure that this and much more will be possible one day. At least we can already dream about it.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Tell us about the field recordings that are making and how they are later used in the studio?</span><br />I seldom do field recordings. Nearly all the field recordings in "Lost in Rooms" originate in Shanghai. The Dance Company, Rubato‚ rehearsed there for a while and I asked them to bring back some field recordings for me. What I do with the things I get always depends on which project I'm working on. I can never say up front whether or not the material will inspire me.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lutzglandien.de/disc/bilder/szenes-gr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.lutzglandien.de/disc/bilder/szenes-gr.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">On the sleeve of "Scenes from No Marriage (ReR 1994) you wrote: "Often I had an idea that was really spontaneous- sometimes only a mood or feeling- but it might take days or weeks to work it through by means of a score and already all spontaneity is lost. The gap between the speed of ideas and their written embodiment has always restricted me. I wanted to escape this dilemma but didn't know how" . Today Ten Years later do you find that the huge advances in computer technology helped this or just made it even worse...?</span><br /><br />The situation has improved enormously. Ten years ago I mainly wrote scores and only got to hear them realised months, if not years, later. I always wished to be able to listen to what I write instantly. One has an internal impression of course, but it is totally different from hearing it with your ears. Nowadays it's possible to simulate a score with a sampler and have at least a sketch of the piece. This is extremely important in the process of finding compositional form, especially when working on large-scale pieces - for orchestras and so on.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">How do you balance these 2 different energies of the creative process?The spontaneous vibe and stream of inspiration and new ideas with the well controlled and meticulous and painstaking process of scrutiny and analyses and decision making?</span><br /></span>The most important thing is everyday to reassert my original idea, to remember it emotionally and rationally. Sometimes I have an idea which seems very clear, and the next day it's gone. All that's left is the feeling that it was something marvellous, that had fascinated me the day before. If I am able to keep this inspired mood, which is connected to an idea, going for a longer period, this is a good ground for the following exhausting production process.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">It seems that each of your works has an idea behind it. How do you arrive to this idea is it pre meditate or it occurs to you after you started already working?</span><br /></span>The idea comes in two parts: The first part marks the beginning of a production. The idea for "Lost in Rooms" for instance was: "I want to invent a virtual voice using voice samples from the dancers; a voice that sounds as if it is live but can't be reproduced live". The second part of the idea is the actual work. You have to come up with more ideas to fulfil the daily tasks you set yourself. I think that ideas only come through dealing intensively and painstakingly with certain material. And of course it's my aim to have someone listening to my music say :" What a great idea". If that does not happen then something went wrong. I want to say that real ideas emerge during the work process, not before. When I start a project I'm uncertain of its outcome. And of course one always learns while composing, and one changes as one grows older.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Can your music be performed live on stage in front of an audience? If so is it open to possible spontaneous improvisations can your music that is very structured and composed benefit from this free element ?</span><br />Yes, of course, you can perform anything on a stage because there's nobody saying: "You're not allowed to do that". I mean there are also music bureaucrats who give laptop concerts. Sometimes I'd like to go on stage and ask: "Can I open an account here?". Anyway, it's yes and no - one could but doesn't have to. "Lost in Rooms" is music for loudspeakers. A stage has something to do with performers, otherwise it makes no sense for me. Loudspeaker concerts fake communication but do not realize any, no matter how advanced and multi-channel the system may be. I think it is nonsense to let musicians improvise to a CD which is already a finished piece of work, just to have it performed on a stage. This kind of music lacks the possibility of interpretation unlike songs and other live melodic music. Beatles songs can be performed on a solo guitar or by an orchestra on a stage, that way it can be interpreted, but the same at doesn't work with my kind of music. It's a shame, but it doesn't work. "Domestic Stories" would have worked as a performance piece, but unfortunately there were no offers of concerts and so I wasn't able to experiment with playing my pieces live. Had there been concerts, maybe a lot of things would have gone differently.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">The well known Israeli architect Y. Fogel told me the music of The 5th Elephant evokes visions of spaces forms and physical mass can you relate to this comparison?</span><br />I'm happy when I receive concrete feedback in form of a precise association. Yes, I do believe that this music has a lot to do with space forms and physical mass. Especially in the first two titles there are distinct sound quotations which could evoke this effect. These are very dense, spatial musical structures. And the effect was even intensified by the mastering tool I used. With T-REX, I spread the stereo width in all the pieces, which created a lot of virtual spatiality. On the other hand I've been working with an architect for some years and I'm sure that this collaboration has had an influence on the sound of my music.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Does the fact you live in Berlin that is famous for its architecture have any effect on your work?</span><br />The lively atmosphere of Berlin certainly had a huge influence on my work, and I can't imagine living in another city any more. But that actually has nothing to do with the architecture but rather with Berlin being a national and cultural melting pot. I'm very close to real conflicts and I experience "today" with all its ups and downs. I can't imagine living a secluded life in the country because I need the atmosphere of a large city. I think this can be sensed, or rather, the big city is reflected, in my music, especially in my last production "Lost in Rooms".<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://gallery.photo.net/photo/6287116-lg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://gallery.photo.net/photo/6287116-lg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Tell us how you met Chris Cutler and what made you want to work with him and choose ReR as a home for your music.</span><br />This contact was mediated by Dr. Kersten Glandien who undertook in the 1980s to make Western avantgard-rock better known in East Germany. She curated the annual concert series "Music & Politics in Berlin", for instance. Chris Cutler was often a guest there, bringing various bands, or participating in discussions. At one of those events Kersten Glandien introduced us. Working together only became possible in the early 90s when the Berlin Wall came down. I had a concrete project, a piece for electronics and drums, I asked him to do it, and he agreed. I think "Strange Drums"(1991) was our first collaboration. After that we produced various other pieces together, and since Chris runs a record label (ReR) we were able directly to release them.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Are there any other artists on <a href="http://www.rermegacorp.com/">ReR </a>that you appreciate and/or would inspire you to collaborate with?</span><a style="color: rgb(255, 204, 102);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rermegacorp.com/Merchant2/graphics/ReRLogoOrange.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.rermegacorp.com/Merchant2/graphics/ReRLogoOrange.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Collaboration with other artists always depends on the project that is to be realised. Without a specific context, I'm not able to give you any particular names. But I can think of an example of one specific event. Chris Cutler was asked to give a concert at the Frankfurt Jazz Festival for which he founded a new band and called it "p53". The band members were Chris himself (electrified drums), Marie Goyette and Zygmund Krauze (pianos), <a href="http://www.japanimprov.com/yotomo/">Otomo Yoshihide </a>(guitar and turntables) and myself. Chris asked me if I'd play live electronics and samples - and because we had already worked with each other before, the communication went very well. Of course I don't exclusively have to work with artists from ReR! If there's an interesting basic idea which inspires me, I'm open to any kind of collaboration.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">What are you working on these days and do you have future projects you are dreaming of?</span><br />Right now I'm working on a piece for the Italian Air Force Brass Band, supported by two singers, four percussionists and electronic sound. The premiere is in march at the Palladium Theatre in Rome. The piece is called E_U15.x and its content deals with the European Union and the national anthems of those countries (which I quote and work on). There are several other future projects, but I don't want to talk about them until it is certain if, how and when they can be realised. Let's wait and see.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SDVQ08j75OI/AAAAAAAAA0g/ObSrBLESMLU/s1600-h/lutz.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SDVQ08j75OI/AAAAAAAAA0g/ObSrBLESMLU/s400/lutz.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203153815036749026" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-67780709539458561552008-06-22T04:36:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:45:42.238-08:00Setna - Cycle 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SF484EUsUFI/AAAAAAAAA24/IOB8lx3TJ0g/s1600-h/affiche_setna_a2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SF484EUsUFI/AAAAAAAAA24/IOB8lx3TJ0g/s320/affiche_setna_a2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214672352472485970" border="0" /></a><br />As I had written somewhere else in these pages late last year I had the pleasure of working with Setna on their debut album Cycle 1<br />Some really melodic and thoughtful compositions and arrangements and fine and restrained playing on this album<br /><br />Here is a video that demonstrates how they look and sound<br /><br /><div><object height="357" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x5kl5t&related=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x5kl5t&related=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="357" width="420"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5kl5t_setna-cycle-1-live_music">Setna "Cycle 1" Live</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/sesameland">sesameland</a></i></div><br /><br />Setna will be playing at Les Tritonales Festival on the 18th of June<br /><br />http://www.letriton.com/fiches/0618-SetnaDFA.htmlUnknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-12002352468934341662008-06-18T06:38:00.000-07:002008-06-19T23:45:17.689-07:00University Of Errors Live In Tel AvivHere is a clip from the incredible University Of Errors show in Tel Aviv shot by Kfir Ripshtos<br /> <br />When I Don't Want You - Hugh Hopper<br /><br />Most of the show was recorded with tons of UnForgiving Digital Distortion so I was only able to salvage this which is still enjoyable.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SjgTzyLK0Cw"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SjgTzyLK0Cw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-68888415079158317972008-05-11T05:20:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:45:43.098-08:00Daevid Allen In Tel Aviv<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SC-8x9tBz1I/AAAAAAAAA0I/Mwe1OYtAO0g/s1600-h/Zero+the+Hero.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SC-8x9tBz1I/AAAAAAAAA0I/Mwe1OYtAO0g/s200/Zero+the+Hero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201583661199249234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Some of you who know me are aware of the special place <a href="http://daevidallen.net/">Daevid Allen</a> and<a href="http://www.planetgong.co.uk/"> Gong</a> have in my heart. I have been in love with them since I first heard Gong (the incredible <span style="font-style: italic;">"<a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Gong/_/A+Sprinkling+of+Clouds">A Sprinkling Of Clouds"</a></span>) on a local radio show in January 1975.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here is how I looked back in those days :-)</span><br />I never heard anything like this before and music has never affected and altered my mind like this ever again. Since then I have been following Daevid's journey through the ages and was lucky enough to be at the <a href="http://www.planetgong.co.uk/octave/cd/gong25th.shtml">Gong 25 Birthday Party </a> celebration in London in 1994 .<br />A few years later I had the chance to meet and work with Daevid on his first visit to Israel in 1999 doing the sound for his show at<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SC-9ittBz2I/AAAAAAAAA0Q/DOV77i5L3a8/s1600-h/sacredgeometry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SC-9ittBz2I/AAAAAAAAA0Q/DOV77i5L3a8/s200/sacredgeometry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201584498717871970" border="0" /></a> the Next Festival recording and mixing a track (entitled by Daevid- <span style="font-style: italic;">Israeligliss ) </span>that ended up on his album <a href="http://www.planetgong.co.uk/octave/cd/sacredgeometry.shtml"><span style="font-style: italic;">Sacred Geometry</span>. </a><br />In 2005 I initiated and presented a 3 part 6 hours radio program about <a href="http://www.planetnana.co.il/ukoomran/index.html">The Life and Times of Daevid</a> for local 106 FM and later conducted an interview with him for <a href="http://www.expose/org">Expose Magazine</a>. In 2006 <a href="http://www.aurismedia.com/">Auris Media</a> organized a show for Brainville 3 (Daevid Allen Hugh Hopper & Chris Cutler) doing the sound and recording the show (one of the songs was included in Brainville's new live album released on RerMegacorp) . More recently Auris Media produced a special Daevid Allen weekend in Tel Aviv's Barby club with 2 different bands<a href="http://www.acidmothers.com/Cgi-bin/tour/L112amg2004/index.html"> Acidmothers Gong</a> & <a href="http://www.universityoferrors.com/">University Of Errors</a>. 2 different nights and 2 completely different sides and approaches of Daevid's music.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.planetgong.co.uk/stuff/cd/big/amg_tokyo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.planetgong.co.uk/stuff/cd/big/amg_tokyo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Acid Mothers Gong the most recent addition to the Gong bands family is a merging of yin and yang - east and west different generations different approaches this group consists Japan's Acid Mother's Temple leader <a href="http://www.acidmothers.com/cgi-bin/crew/C_kawabata/profile.html">Makoto Kawabata</a> <a href="http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/%7Eruins/eng/magaibutsu_eng.html">Tatsuya Yoshida</a> the master drummer /composer of Ruins & Koenjihakkei Josh Polack and Daevid. Acid Mothers Gong play a improvised (real time composed) noisy abrasive piercing radical take on psychedelic space music .This show had the typical effect on the local audience ie: splitting them into two camps either loving them (as I do) or the other half that was expecting the nostalgic "classic" sound of Gong who could not digest this mayhem.<br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fukoomran%2Falbumid%2F5198450957163799089%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="192" width="288"></embed><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.universityoferrors.com/uoelogo.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.universityoferrors.com/uoelogo.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The 2nd night was University Of Errors playing an hard rocking brilliant take of Daevid's period with The Soft Machine."University of Errors revives, re-informs, and reinvents Soft Machine's psychedelic rock and pop of the era, kicking it into the 21st century and resulting a sound that is entirely new." And this show was one of the very best live performances I have had a chance to mix - what a great display of musicianship energy power and inspiration, For me the peak was Daevid and Josh's duel/showdown- sparks were flying !<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);font-size:130%;" >Thank you Daevid and Co. for a tremendous week end you were all able to make us feel alive and happy!</span><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fukoomran%2Falbumid%2F5198467316694230145%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="192" width="288"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-23393822985434013492008-04-20T02:06:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:45:43.735-08:00Toshi Makihara & Jim Meneses - Next Bug<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sonore.com/images/covers/SON-13.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.sonore.com/images/covers/SON-13.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.toshimakihara.com/">Toshi Makihara</a> / <a href="http://www.jimmeneses.com/">Jim Meneses</a> - Next Bug</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R90pcdXs21I/AAAAAAAAAI8/b9B-F8WgcDg/s1600-h/next+bug.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R90pcdXs21I/AAAAAAAAAI8/b9B-F8WgcDg/s320/next+bug.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178340715443051346" border="0" /></a>This is one of those albums that took me by surprise at a time I thought nothing can surprise me anymore (you know that feeling ?). Its been a few years now that I started to re- enjoy and appreciate improvisations and this album is among those<span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span> improvised music that made me realize I have been missing out on some essential music.<br />I met <a href="http://www.avantart.com/music/meneses/jimmeneses.html">Jim Meneses</a> at a <a href="http://www.blast4tet.nl/">Blast</a> show in Holland in 2002 (Jim played with Blast on the album <a href="http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/blast.html"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Wire Stitched Ears</span></span>)</a> At the end of a train ride back to Amsterdam he have me a cd and told me something like "this is my latest project its a improvisation I did with another percussionist"<br />I had no clue what was waiting for me when I put on my little <a href="http://www.koss.com/koss/kossweb.nsf/p?openform&pc%5Ept%5ESportaPro">Koss SportaPro headphones</a> late that night. ....<br />I can't find another term to describe this cd other then Electro Acoustic (Yes I know this term has been overused and I probably like using this in another context then the usual known one.) The point I am trying to make by saying its Electro Acoustic is that this is a rare example of mixing electronic designed and controlled sounds with pure acoustic timbres that actually sound "physical" and the result fully lives up to the term.<br />Jim Menese has developed a system of controlling/ playing/generating sounds/events he designed with a <a href="http://www.alternatemode.com/images/malletkat/malletkat10T.jpg">Midi Mallet Interface</a><br />It seems that a lot of time and thought was put into designing these sounds/soundscapes some sound mechanic and technical some give the sense of of open spaces some abrasive some Jim has a huge palette of sounds he can draw from and react in real time depending on the mood and need of the interplay between him and Toshi's percussion.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R90pt9Xs22I/AAAAAAAAAJE/ueymmm1LLPg/s1600-h/jim.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R90pt9Xs22I/AAAAAAAAAJE/ueymmm1LLPg/s320/jim.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178341016090762082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.avantart.com/music/meneses/text/archiv/jim.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.avantart.com/music/meneses/text/archiv/jim.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>So this work is special in 2 different planes one is the way acoustic and electronic are able to work and interact and the other is the quality of musicianship that Jim and Toshi demonstrate here.<br />This cd was released by French label Sonore a sound sample can be heard <a href="http://www.sonore.com/artist/Makihara+Toshi/">here</a><br />.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-10926899284183592002008-04-13T00:55:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:45:46.907-08:00Thinking Plague Live In Europe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANLeCVdaqI/AAAAAAAAALA/6Moj1wY9NWs/s1600-h/%C2%A9aleachilli0297.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANLeCVdaqI/AAAAAAAAALA/6Moj1wY9NWs/s400/%C2%A9aleachilli0297.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189074175055981218" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.generalrubric.com/thinkingplague/main.html">Thinking Plague</a> has been one of my favorite bands for many years so naturally when Mike Johnson asked me to mix their live sound on this mini European tour I told him I was interested.<br />I have met the Plagues the previous time they were in Europe and had a chance to see them play at the MiMi Festival so I had some idea of how they sound live. TP's music is extremely dynamic in the sense it works on different "planes" and states,there is constant movement and rapid changes and the arrangements reflect these different moods from tight hard in your face passages to eternal wide open sombre pictures. So for me the challenge was to be able to present this mix of elements in a live situation.I am not sure if I succeeded to do so but I think I came close on 2 shows (Wurzburg and Milan) This time around The band consisted of Mike Johnson (Fearless Leader and composer and one of my favorite guitarist ). Long time multi reed player Mark Harris (Alto,Soprano Sax,Clarinet & Flute) Dave Wiley on<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SAMSJiVdaiI/AAAAAAAAAKA/cUwsSOStBm4/s1600-h/Rehearsals.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SAMSJiVdaiI/AAAAAAAAAKA/cUwsSOStBm4/s400/Rehearsals.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189011150705879586" border="0" /></a> Bass of <a href="http://www.generalrubric.com/hamster/main.html">Hamster Theater </a>, <a href="http://www.generalrubric.com/dkerman/main.html">Dave Kerman </a>(<a href="http://www.rerusa.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=RERUSA">Rer Usa</a> President) on drums. The 2 newcomers to the band this time are both amazing musicians whom I have not met in person but nevertheless know and love their music a lot: <a href="http://www.tickmayer.com/">Stevan Tickmayer</a> on Piano & keyboards (Stevan is the composer of both <a href="http://www.rermegacorp.com/sounds/The%20Science%20Group%20-%20Dance%20of%20the%20Arguments.mp3">Science Group</a> cds and has a few solo cds on the <a href="http://www.rermegacorp.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RM&Category_Code=RL">Rer</a> label) and <a href="http://www.cloudsandclocks.net/interviews/DiFalco_interview.html">Elaine Di Falco</a> ( of the wonderful <a href="http://72.170.147.82/Caveman/">Caveman Shoestore</a>) on Vocals. Elaine had the tough job of stepping in and replacing and augmenting TP's vocalist Deborah Perry and she did it in a most commendable way .<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SAM4YSVdakI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/Xh69aOgz-Eg/s1600-h/bd-gouvea.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SAM4YSVdakI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/Xh69aOgz-Eg/s400/bd-gouvea.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189053185550805570" border="0" /></a><br />After 3 days of rehearsals organized by Stevan at a local music school in Orleans came the first show at <a href="http://www.letriton.com/">Les Triton</a> in Paris. The show was successful: the energy level was high and despite being the "first show" the playing was good. The highlight was a guest appearance of BD (bear dog) on 2 songs from the classic <span style="font-style: italic;">In This Life</span> album.Here is also a short extract from one of the songs:<object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/K6wCmPCEHUw&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/K6wCmPCEHUw&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br />Right after Paris we traveled to Germany's progressive capitol Wurzburg were we were treated like royalty by our generous host the one and only Charly Heidenreich<a href="http://www.artrock-festival.de/"></a><br />It was hot in the venue that night as you can see :-)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANBAiVdalI/AAAAAAAAAKY/c8bK8vheHVU/s1600-h/udi%40wurzburg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANBAiVdalI/AAAAAAAAAKY/c8bK8vheHVU/s400/udi%40wurzburg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189062673133562450" border="0" /></a><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IPEKYs2tDiE&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IPEKYs2tDiE&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANP9yVdatI/AAAAAAAAALY/gylLPuilsCg/s1600-h/Maggie%26Udi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANP9yVdatI/AAAAAAAAALY/gylLPuilsCg/s320/Maggie%26Udi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189079118563338962" border="0" /></a><br />One show in Geneva with <span style="font-style: italic;">What's Wrong With Us</span> (actually I asked myself the same quastion that night...) were Maggie Thomas a.k.a. Art bear IV was pulled from retirement and did the live sound for <span style="font-style: italic;">What's Wrong With Us</span><br />Then off to Milan to play a show with local band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/yugenband">Yugen</a> with whom I got to work (mixing their debut album "<a href="http://www.waysidemusic.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=ALTROCK%20001">Labirinto d'Aqua</a>") So it was "natural" that I would mix both bands. Yugen now consists of 9 musicians so I had my hands full that night but with a good dose of the excellent world famous Italian esspersso's I was able to gather the energies needed and I enjoyed both shows immensely - I also had the pleasure of meeting <a href="http://www.griguolo.com/PrimaPaginaEnglish.html">Paolo Griguolo</a> the guitar player of the legendary <a href="http://www.aldodimarco.it/pdp/pdpeng/inizio.html">Picchio Dal Pozzo</a> my favorite band From Italy. My thanks to all my friends in Milan (<a href="http://www.agarthaprog.com/">Marcello Marinone</a> Francesco Zaggo etc.)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANE7SVdamI/AAAAAAAAAKg/5kCs30Z5bp8/s1600-h/DSC_8821.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANE7SVdamI/AAAAAAAAAKg/5kCs30Z5bp8/s400/DSC_8821.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189066980985760354" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANGiCVdanI/AAAAAAAAAKo/yQT7suDnKkg/s1600-h/DSC_8938.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANGiCVdanI/AAAAAAAAAKo/yQT7suDnKkg/s320/DSC_8938.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189068746217319026" border="0" /></a><br />no time to sleep we<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANKLiVdaoI/AAAAAAAAAKw/rEC_Eqm0Rm0/s1600-h/Udi_Aldo%26Francesco.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANKLiVdaoI/AAAAAAAAAKw/rEC_Eqm0Rm0/s320/Udi_Aldo%26Francesco.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189072757716773506" border="0" /></a><br />immediately flew to Portugal for the main show of this mini tour <a href="http://www.gaudela.net/gar/index-e.html">The Gouveia Art Rock Festival </a><br />Unlike the previous time I was there with Present this time I had enough time to discover the beauty of this picturesque little village and be able to relax and enjoy the excellent company of our hosts and fellow musicians. Some images from the TP show by the <span class="fontMain10">Swiss renowned music photographer <a href="http://www.docker.ch/">Claude Wacker</a><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANO_iVdasI/AAAAAAAAALQ/2tB20sIwQKE/s1600-h/i0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANO_iVdasI/AAAAAAAAALQ/2tB20sIwQKE/s320/i0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189078049116482242" border="0" /></a><br />Whats there to add a great Festival fun people to hang out with and... the weather was perfect<br /><span class="fontMain10">The whole organization is professional smooth and extremely generous with the artists and the vibe and atmosphere was relaxed and laid back<br />Nice surprises with the selection of the line up (for me Les Reines Prochaines was THE highlight)<br />Aranis were great (and their sound was perfect) VDGG powerful and<br />impressive Mike Kenealy was fun and entertaining </span><br />Thanks to Luis & Eduardo for making all of this happen !<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANOtiVdarI/AAAAAAAAALI/NOYc_0y75P4/s1600-h/bow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/SANOtiVdarI/AAAAAAAAALI/NOYc_0y75P4/s400/bow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189077739878836914" border="0" /></a>Some more images from the festival.<br /><span class="fontMain10"><a href="http://www.docker.ch/claude/gar2008/thinking-plague/">here</a></span><span class="fontMain10"><br />and<br /><a href="http://www.progrockfoto.de/index.php?id=30&tx_cegallery_p">here</a><br /></span><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CgcVaWDhYbE&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CgcVaWDhYbE&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br />I had a great time meeting old friends and making new ones<br />Thank You Roger Martine and Pierre for traveling all the way from Brussels to see us in Paris,Thank you <a href="http://www.agarthaprog.com/default.asp?pag=news&id=322">Stevan</a> for that excellent goulash and incredible music you played us that night,muchas gracias to the one and only FreakCharly,<a href="http://www.ensembleraye.ch/bio01.htm">Cedric Vuille</a> for traveling a long way for us to meet greetings to <a href="http://www.rermegacorp.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ReRMVCD&Category_Code=&Store_Code=RM">Giovani Venosta</a> for late night entertainment and nice wine, <a href="http://calyx.club.fr/index.html">Aymeric LeRoy</a> for providing us with your time energy and hospitality <a href="http://www.bdrak.com/">Bob</a> and Maggie...<br /><span class="fontMain10"><a href="http://www.progrockfoto.de/index.php?id=30&tx_cegallery_p"><br /></a></span>Hope next time will not be in 2017...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-45488523499231624352008-03-13T07:29:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:45:48.878-08:00Faust In Tel Aviv<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9lJ0tXs2wI/AAAAAAAAAIU/5Se8Wfo4qmw/s1600-h/faust.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9lJ0tXs2wI/AAAAAAAAAIU/5Se8Wfo4qmw/s320/faust.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177250416520125186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />One important experience that kind of got lost in the midst of events was <a href="http://www.faust-pages.com/">Faust</a>'s shows in Tel Aviv.<br />This band is regarded legendary among the lovers of adventurous music. As I already wrote here I am a fan of Faust for over 30 years and having met them in person at the RIO Festival in 2007 and mixing a live track for the special edition of their latest album Disconnected kept in touch and was able to take part in arranging (and of course doing sound) in the first Faust show in the Middle East (not last as they will play in Istanbul later this year)<br />Anyway Faust played 2 shows in <a href="http://www.myspace.com/levontine7"><span style="font-style: italic;">Levontin 7</span></a> as a part of the Pzura Festival. Levontin 7 is Tel Aviv's most exciting and hottest venues run by musicians creating a home for original music .<br />At first I was a bit worried how Faust will fit all their arsenal of weapons in this smallish club but <a href="http://www.art-errorist.de/">Jean Herve Peron</a> assured me all will go down well " if the stage is not enough we will invade the audience".<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9lMH9Xs2zI/AAAAAAAAAIs/BmQkuoI5_QU/s1600-h/Faust+TA+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9lMH9Xs2zI/AAAAAAAAAIs/BmQkuoI5_QU/s320/Faust+TA+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177252946255862578" border="0" /></a><br />The first day or 2 were dedicated to searching for all the industrial machinery and metal objects that Faust require for their stage set up. Some of the necessary stuff was found at a local junk yard by long time friend <a href="http://www.oridrumer.com/">Ori Drumer</a> and some were donated by <a href="http://www.pessoart.com/">Avraham Pesso</a> an gifted painter and dear friend who also invited us to his studio for some black Turkish coffee.<br />When all materials were assembled and the cement mixer, grinding machine , scaffolds were hired by the good folks of Levontin we started one of the longest sounchecks i had ever done - right on time for the begging of the shows.<br />Well I am allways skeptical about groups from the 70's reforming and re uniting 30 years later the result usually suffers from nostalgia or smells like someone trying to cash past glories .<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GTCWfcGKgnY&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GTCWfcGKgnY&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />What can I say about these 2 shows ? They were the real deal - the level of energy and excitement that Faust generate can put to shame bands that are considered radical and daring these days. The set list was made from old and more recent material and were executed flawlessly by the band. New comers <a href="http://www.gallondrunk.com/">James Johnston </a>(currently also the axeman for The Bad Seeds) and James Hudson both added a lot of musical character <a href="http://www.zappi-w-diermaier.com/">Zappi</a> despite fighting a cold was powerfull and creative and Jean Herve Peron played like a raving mad man.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9lK09Xs2yI/AAAAAAAAAIk/1LfkXr5uS2I/s1600-h/Faust+In+TA+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9lK09Xs2yI/AAAAAAAAAIk/1LfkXr5uS2I/s320/Faust+In+TA+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177251520326720290" border="0" /></a><br />The audience were floored by the sheer force and flood of energy coming from the stage at the end of the shows people were coming out of the venue shaking their heads in disbelief they were not ready for this kind of a ride.<br />Next day <a href="http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/934855.html">Haaretz</a> Israel's most regarded daily news paper wrote a raving review on the show - "This was a show of a life time this will not be forgotten for many years - sparks of passion inspiration - art at its absolute peak".<br />My sad side of the story is that my camera was stolen from the mixing desk and all the great footage i got to shoot during these intensive days were gone too.The shows were recorded to multitrack so who knows maybe one day these will see the light of day.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9lKldXs2xI/AAAAAAAAAIc/FECHx0Keewc/s1600-h/livefaust.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9lKldXs2xI/AAAAAAAAAIc/FECHx0Keewc/s320/livefaust.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177251254038747922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9lMwNXs20I/AAAAAAAAAI0/F5v-3qFXphw/s1600-h/Faust+In+TA+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9lMwNXs20I/AAAAAAAAAI0/F5v-3qFXphw/s320/Faust+In+TA+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177253637745597250" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-33231365738837246802008-03-09T03:27:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:45:49.232-08:00Yitzhak Yedid- A Hard Working Musician<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9PCFtXs2uI/AAAAAAAAAIE/Ov_f3LFZor8/s1600-h/yitzhak-yedid3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9PCFtXs2uI/AAAAAAAAAIE/Ov_f3LFZor8/s320/yitzhak-yedid3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175693800112970466" border="0" /></a><br />Besides being busy mixing the Present dvd I found time to put the final touches on yet another new album by Yitzhak Yedid <span style="font-style: italic;"> Vision Fantasies and Dances </span>a 60 min composition for String Quartet and Piano<span style="font-size:-1;"></span><br />Long time collaborator Ora Boasson Horev ( who also plays on the new Tzadik release by <a href="http://www.tzadik.com/index.php?catalog=8115">Boris Malkovsky</a> ) on Bass<span style="font-size:-1;"><span id="wholedescr" class="visible">, <span style="font-size:100%;">Hadas Fabrikant – Violin, Carmel Raz – Violin, Amit Landau – Viola, Jonathan Gotlibovich – Cello</span></span></span><br />This is a unique mixture of carefully thought out compositions and free improvisation. Brooding and somber on some parts and lyrical and poetic on others.<br />Here are 2 short samples from the 6th chapter.<a href="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/yedid2008.mp3">1#</a> and <a href="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/yedid2008.2.mp3">2#</a><br />Here is a short clip from a live performance earlier last year :<br /><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=7044579617926747183&hl=en-AU" flashvars=""> </embed><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9PCMtXs2vI/AAAAAAAAAIM/gemC4EUUfsw/s1600-h/yedid+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R9PCMtXs2vI/AAAAAAAAAIM/gemC4EUUfsw/s320/yedid+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175693920372054770" border="0" /></a>Coincidently at exactly the same week this was finalized Between The Lines finally released Yedid's <a href="http://www.betweenthelines.de/en/cddetails/btlchr71218.shtml">Oud Bass Piano Trio</a> we worked on late summer last year. This is a work were Classical European composition technique meets Klezmer, Arabic folklore meets Free Jazz... here is a sample: <a href="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/yedid-trio.mp3">1#</a> <h1 class="firstHeading"><br /></h1>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-51646241382330769212008-02-25T01:02:00.001-08:002008-12-09T12:45:51.760-08:00The Stargazer's Assistant<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R8KJGefMthI/AAAAAAAAAHM/8hktTc24VOA/s1600-h/sgapage_350x535.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R8KJGefMthI/AAAAAAAAAHM/8hktTc24VOA/s320/sgapage_350x535.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170846066530891282" border="0" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>One of the best of the new groups to rise in Europe in the last few years is <a href="http://www.guapo.co.uk/main.html">Guapo</a>. Their album<a href="http://www.guapo.co.uk/audio/fivesuns_ii_smpl.mp3"> </a><a href="http://cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/guapo.html">5 Suns </a>instantly caught my ear when it came out . In 2004 I had the pleasure of meeting them in person and mixing a few shows in France and Belgium and more recently at the RIO festival last year.Dave Smith and Daniel O'Sullivan are hard working prolific and dedicated musicians who besides of Guapo collaborate on numerous other offshoots and projects.<br />The Stragazer's Asistant - The Other Side Of The Island is a soundtrack for a exhibition/installation of Dave Smith Sculptures and what I like about it is the fact that besides serving as a background to the installation it also makes a fascinating listening experience on its own. Much use of the studio as a creative instrument and interesting sound designs this album evokes moody atmospheres sinister sub sonic events and some startling climax's.<br />Recommended !<br />The album can be purchased <a href="http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=49729">here</a><br />Here is a <a href="http://www.aurora-b.com/MP3/ABX018_1.mp3">Sound Sample</a><br />And <a href="http://www.aurora-b.com/MP3/ABX018_2.mp3">another one</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R8KNROfMtlI/AAAAAAAAAHs/Cf-Ce0CppiE/s1600-h/HHdavid4sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R8KNROfMtlI/AAAAAAAAAHs/Cf-Ce0CppiE/s320/HHdavid4sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170850649260996178" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R8KJ8OfMtjI/AAAAAAAAAHc/jBhPnePPNn8/s1600-h/HHdavid92sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R8KJ8OfMtjI/AAAAAAAAAHc/jBhPnePPNn8/s320/HHdavid92sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170846989948859954" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R8KRy-fMtmI/AAAAAAAAAH0/WHqBQUPMJUY/s1600-h/HHdavid94sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R8KRy-fMtmI/AAAAAAAAAH0/WHqBQUPMJUY/s320/HHdavid94sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170855627128092258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R8KWcOfMtnI/AAAAAAAAAH8/ZKsBMBjKyD4/s1600-h/HHdavid9sm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R8KWcOfMtnI/AAAAAAAAAH8/ZKsBMBjKyD4/s320/HHdavid9sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170860733844207218" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-34136168281666333502008-02-18T05:33:00.000-08:002008-12-09T12:45:52.666-08:00Resurection & Soleil Zeuhl Releases<span style="font-weight: bold;">I am Back On Line!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R7mSqufMteI/AAAAAAAAAG0/oyVDxZ7pMKM/s1600-h/Michal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R7mSqufMteI/AAAAAAAAAG0/oyVDxZ7pMKM/s320/Michal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168323310115403234" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I know I know its been a while...I have been neglecting this space but believe me I have all the right excuses: Bought a new home, went through the whole circus of renovating it, then moving in and the time needed to equip and install (literally nearly gave me a hernia :-) , and just as we thought we are nearly settled we received the biggest gift -My new baby girl Michal!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">oh and by the way I still had to find time to work on new projects.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R7mRwufMtdI/AAAAAAAAAGs/_K7VlYjQtoI/s1600-h/logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R7mRwufMtdI/AAAAAAAAAGs/_K7VlYjQtoI/s320/logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168322313682990546" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Today I just received the latest batch of releases on </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Soleil Zeuhl</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> a small French label that specialize obviously in Zeuhl related bands and artists.I have met Alain Le Bon the owner of SZ in Carmeaux at the RIO Festival and we both agreed to collaborate on future projects on his label.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">So for this batch of releases I mastered 3 albums</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R7mRS-fMtcI/AAAAAAAAAGk/ouWMQPry2gk/s1600-h/bbi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 194px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R7mRS-fMtcI/AAAAAAAAAGk/ouWMQPry2gk/s320/bbi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168321802581882306" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">1) BBI - BBI</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This was a trio of </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Philippe Bussonnet</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> (Magma,One Shot) </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Jean-Claude Buire (Ex Offering)and </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Laurent Imperato (ex Xaal) they recorded this studio album in 1996 they played </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" id="lblDescription">intense and powerful kind of jazz rock (actually much more rock then jazz) </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">and for some reason or other the master tape was "lost" .So my task was to do some sort of audio restoration on the existing source. I think we succeeded as the result sounds fine and is able to carry through the energy of the music with enough resolution to make a a nice listening experience. </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Bussonnet</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> was happy with the final sound and thats a good sign.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Here are some sound smaples:</span><br /><a href="http://alain.lebon4.free.fr/soleil/sons/bbi-1.mp3"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sample 1</span></a><br /><a href="http://alain.lebon4.free.fr/soleil/sons/bbi"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> Sample 2</span></a><br /><a href="http://alain.lebon4.free.fr/soleil/sons/bbi-5.mp"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sample 3</span></a><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R7mV_OfMtfI/AAAAAAAAAG8/_P8cQA_aY6A/s1600-h/amygdala2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R7mV_OfMtfI/AAAAAAAAAG8/_P8cQA_aY6A/s320/amygdala2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168326960837604850" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)Amygdala - Complex Combat </span><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This is a band from Japan that plays a dense complex progressive rock with lots of that hard intense typical Japanese energy. It was quite a challenging work as they do not speak good english and resort to using the Google translator. The drums were recorded in France by </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Daniel Jeand'heur (the drummer of One Shot) and the rest in Japan and my job was to make the whole thing a bit more homogenic and round.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Here is a sound sample: <a href="http://alain.lebon4.free.fr/soleil/sons/bbi-5.mp">Sample 1</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)Setna - Cycle 1</span></span><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R7mYp-fMtgI/AAAAAAAAAHE/VHMWYO3tKSY/s1600-h/setna.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/R7mYp-fMtgI/AAAAAAAAAHE/VHMWYO3tKSY/s320/setna.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168329894300268034" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This is the debut album of</span></span><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"><img src="img/gl.link.gif" alt="Link" border="0" /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> this French group that was long time coming. Setna are inspired from the more melodic side of the Zeuhl aesthetic and came up with a thoughtful and</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">sensitive album .I enjoyed working on this and had a good rapport with Nicolas Cande the composer .Basicly the mastering of this album was quite straightforward the album was recorded and mixed professionally and my task was to enhance the overall dynamics tighten u the bottom end and make sure the whole thing flows in the right pace. Here are some sound samples:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sample 1</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://alain.lebon4.free.fr/soleil/sons/setna-6.mp3">Sample 2</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-58830875173005286412007-08-14T00:41:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:45:53.510-08:00Faust - Disconnected<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RsG49CLoRyI/AAAAAAAAAFE/hFQ85-zw3ac/s1600-h/disconnected01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RsG49CLoRyI/AAAAAAAAAFE/hFQ85-zw3ac/s320/disconnected01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098559611857291042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RsFjDCLoRvI/AAAAAAAAAEs/hT3M1Kc0hNE/s1600-h/disconnected03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RsFjDCLoRvI/AAAAAAAAAEs/hT3M1Kc0hNE/s320/disconnected03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098465156936517362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Despite being a bit biased (first and foremost as a devoted <a href="http://www.faust-pages.com/index.html">Faust</a> fan for more then 25 years but also due to the fact I mixed and mastered the bonus track on the "special edition") Me thinks this might be the best thing Faust released since their glory days in the early 70's and makes it a real cause for celebration.<br />All the special ingredients that make the Faust experience are here and a few new ones added. Pioneering the usage of the studio as a creative compositional tool. A mix of electronics, rock beats, extensive editing, acoustic instruments, musique concrete, and industrial atmospheres. There is a strong sense of tension and suspense running trough the cd. And despite the obvious huge amount of studio work obviously it took to make this it still feels organic and cohesive.<br />Here is a <span style="font-weight: bold;">short audio sample</span> of <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.art-errorist.de/mp3s/lass_mich_nww.mp3">Lass Mich</a> </span>the first track.<br />In April I had the chance to actually see and enjoy the live Faust experience as they were headlining the <a href="http://www.rocktime.org/rio/faustpage_english.htm">RIO Festival</a> in Carmeaux. While doing the sound for the <a href="http://www.totalzoo.com/present">Present</a> 2 Pianos show I noticed a man sitting right next to the mixing desk watching the whole sound check. At the end he approached me and complimented on the sound and asked me were am I from I told him from Tel Aviv Israel and then asked him were he was from and he told me something like: "I'm originally French but living in Germany" and when I asked him what exactly he was doing there he told me he came to play with his band in the festival -it took me a second or 2 to realize I was talking to <a href="http://www.art-errorist.de/biography.htm">Jean Herve' Peron</a><a href="http://www.art-errorist.de/biography.htm"> </a>of Faust Wow ! Anyway we had a nice lunch together and I made him take off and give me his only <a href="http://www.rermegacorp.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ReRF1CD&Category_Code=&Store_Code=RM">71 min</a> T shirt (he is extremely nice to fanboys like me).<br />We stayed in touch and I sent him some of my mixing works -He especially liked the <a href="http://www.maelstrom.nu/ezine/livereview_iss35_88.php?sid=8cb4ff7a12d8f0d619366b7a2657f9e2&osCsid=8cb4ff7a12d8f0d619366b7a2657f9e2">Fred Frith & Chris Cutler Live in Tel Aviv</a> recordings I made in 2005 (god know when these will ever see the light of day...). That led to me mixing <span style="font-style: italic;">"Hard Rain</span>" one of the songs from the live show at the RIO festival<br /><br />...And the good news is that Faust will probably be coming to their first show here in the Holy Land (2 shows one in Tel Aviv and one in Jerusalem) later this year and I will be doing the sound (probably will record them too).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-49655230616760710522007-08-01T22:40:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:45:54.511-08:00Anova Records-Rockfour,Anat Damon,Amit Erez<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RrF5GyLoRWI/AAAAAAAAABs/pQNYeMOwbgk/s1600-h/anat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RrF5GyLoRWI/AAAAAAAAABs/pQNYeMOwbgk/s200/anat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093985810989466978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RrF45CLoRVI/AAAAAAAAABk/ej-3dbxf868/s1600-h/amit+erez.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RrF45CLoRVI/AAAAAAAAABk/ej-3dbxf868/s200/amit+erez.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093985574766265682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RrFxKSLoRUI/AAAAAAAAABc/TmjgzV37UQE/s1600-h/rockfour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RrFxKSLoRUI/AAAAAAAAABc/TmjgzV37UQE/s200/rockfour.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093977075025986882" border="0" /></a><br />This week I worked on making the new master of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/rockfour">Rockfour's</a> latest cd :<span style="font-style: italic;">Memories Of The Never Happened. </span>Rockfour are a veteran Israeli band that specializes in psychedelic rock and this is their 6th international release.I have known them for many many years having shared the same studios and through mutual friends (<a href="http://www.myspace.com/izaboband">Izabo</a> ,<a href="http://www.tractor.co.il/">Tractor's Revenge</a>) but this was my first opportunity to work with them and it seemed we hit it off quite well right from the start (these guys have loads of experience and know exactly what they want )<br />This album is extremely colorful and melodic with a healthy live playing vibe (unlike a lot of rock albums that are currently recorded) and loads of positive energy throughout .<br />They recently won a competition run by Dave Gilmour of covers for Pink Floyd's Arnold Lane the prize was to record at the legendary Abbey Road Studios and from hearing the tracks I must tell you it sounds fantastic.<br />The album is released by a new Israeli label <a href="http://www.myspace.com/anovamusic">Anova Records</a> - this is a label run by music enthusiasts that make it a different species in the local music industry puddle . Their maiden issue weas to re-release was the wonderful debut by <a href="http://www.anatdamon.com/">Anat Damon</a> <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jpfoxqlsldde"><span style="font-style: italic;">Falling</span></a> a unique and charming Israeli singer/songwriter (I did the mastering for this cd a few years back).<br />Other artists in the pipeline <a href="http://www.myspace.com/amiterez">Amit Erez</a> another promising Israeli singer songwriter with whom I had the pleasure to work with on his former EP <a>Black Light<br /></a>Good luck Anova !Unknownnoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-69938552352905020422007-07-25T01:48:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:45:54.941-08:00Kletka Red - Hybrid<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RqcQACLoRTI/AAAAAAAAABQ/ClrEP7lz-qQ/s1600-h/hybrid.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091055496537326898" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RqcQACLoRTI/AAAAAAAAABQ/ClrEP7lz-qQ/s200/hybrid.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />One of my reasons to start writing these pages was to shed some light on music that somehow is overlooked and needs more attention.<br />Now and then I will be writing a few words giving my insights about these musical gems, direct people to more info and hopefully have some sound samples and links.<br /><br />This time I'll start with a cd that is in my opinion one of the very best of the last years yet because of lack of promotion and other reasons hardly got any exposure.<br />Kletka Red is a multi international band originally conceived by <span style="font-family:Arial;">Leonid Soybelman ( <a href="http://nz.tpt.edu.ee/nz_eng.html">Ne Zhdali</a>), one of my favorite musicians and guitarist. Kletka Red also includes </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Andy Moor (<a href="http://www.theex.nl/">The Ex</a>) on guitar,Tony Buck (<a href="http://www.thenecks.com/">The Necks</a>,Peril etc.) on drums and newcomer Joe Williamson on bass. </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">They play a unique mixture of a jerky fractured hybrid of hard piercing punk rock improvised noise with all sorts of of East European traditional music </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">(Klezmer,Rembetika,Russian folk etc.) plus a dose of </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">dissonant avant flavors to top it.</span><br />In 2000 Kletka Red released <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Hybrid</span> the follow up to the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Highjack</span> debut cd released on John Zorn's <a href="http://www.tzadik.com/index.php?catalog=7111">Tzadik</a> a few years back.<span style="font-family:Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br />The playing on this recording is extremely live and energetic and give the listener the impression of spontaneity despite the intricate nature of the interplay involved.<br /></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">The combination of Soybelman and Moor's guitars is impressive often coming up with explosive passages and telepathic like synchronization .Buck shows completely different side of his usual playing with The Necks and proves how much of a versatile player he is and Williamson blends naturally with him.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Most of the pieces have Leonid Soybelman's typical </span><span style="font-family:Arial;">charming</span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> Russian Yiddish and his own invented vocals and texts that often add a sense of humor and authenticity .<br />There is a nice balance between those hard rocking bracing pieces and the more gentle poetic "acoustic" songs (mostly the rembetica inspired ones) giving the album depth and variety<br />Why this essential piece of music failed to reach its potential audience is a mystery.There was a lot of care and work put into into this record (nice sleeve art and digipack).<br />Sadly In recent years Leonid Soybelman has completely abandoned music and has no plans to return.He uploaded a low bit rate version of this album <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">FOR FREE DOWNLOAD</span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> </span>so one can listen and get a taste : <a href="http://nz.tpt.edu.ee/music/Soybelman/Kletka%20Red/Hybrid/">Here </a><br />I hope this gives people the urge to go out and <a href="http://www.lifegatemusicshop.it/catalog/product_info.php?&products_id=A41905">buy t</a>he album (it has been re released in 2006 ) and that Leonid returns from his retirement to make some new music.<br /><br />Here is a A Video clip made from footage filmed on the bands last tour.Mostly in Venice.Featuring 2 songs from Hybrid -"<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Pardon Grand Merc</span>i" & <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">"How I Forget"</span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span id="vidDescRemain" style="DISPLAY: inline"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br /></span></span><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hcIFFjBVAFo"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hcIFFjBVAFo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-71219960691078489762007-07-16T00:38:00.001-07:002008-12-09T12:45:55.599-08:00Yitzhak Yedid New Works<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RpsnDhbbhiI/AAAAAAAAABI/3IK4rYDO_Zo/s1600-h/yedid.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087703145511618082" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RpsnDhbbhiI/AAAAAAAAABI/3IK4rYDO_Zo/s200/yedid.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Finalized the master for <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yitzhak_Yedid" target="_blank">Yitzhak Yedid</a>'s -<span style="font-size:0;">"Oud Bass Piano Trio"</span>. A 68 minutes composition in five movements. Yitzhak is an extremely gifted hard working dedicated young pianist,composer. His music combines contemporary classical ,free jazz and jewish music..This is the 2nd work I am doing with Yedid .The previous was: <a href="http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/7328299/a/Reflections+Upon+Six+Images.htm">Reflections upon Six Images </a>featuring clarinetist Francois Houle and longtime collaborator the wonderful Ora Horev on double bass. Here is a <a href="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/yedid.reflections.mp3">short audio clip</a>.<br />Working with him is always interesting and challenging .His music demands a classical approach in dealing with the natural timbres of the instruments and the space and ambience in which the music is recorded. This requires precision and attention to detail. Listen to a <a href="http://www.aurismedia.com/%7Eudi/yedid-trio.mp3">short sample here</a>. To Be released later this year by <a href="http://www.betweenthelines.de/">Between The Lines Records</a> . <span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9202812448427134151.post-68586975880955606882007-06-27T05:43:00.000-07:002008-12-09T12:45:55.844-08:00Busy Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RpslmRbbhhI/AAAAAAAAABA/FK3BcY9CJPc/s1600-h/it%27s+hot....jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Nh9DBgUH2UE/RpslmRbbhhI/AAAAAAAAABA/FK3BcY9CJPc/s320/it%27s+hot....jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087701543488816658" border="0" /></a><br />So This is were I share info on my endless tweaking noodling etc.<br />These past few days were busy with tediously correcting the mixes done for<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.faust-pages.com/">Faust</a>,</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.rocktime.org/rio/sallegaveauenglish.htm"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Salle</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Gaveau</span></a> and </span><a href="http://www.guapo.co.uk/"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Guapo</span>.</span></a><br />These were recorded at the <a href="http://www.rocktime.org/rio/english.htm">Rock In Opposition Festival </a>in France in April and by some mysterious way turned out in the wrong speed .<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Faust</span>'s mix will be added as a bonus <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">cd</span> to their new upcoming <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">cd</span> and is on its way to manufacturing plant in the UK.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Salle</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Gaveau</span></span> and <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Guapo</span></span> will be done this week and hopefully mastered soon.<br /><br />Also the master for <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gilonis">Bill </a></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gilonis">Gilonis </a><span style="font-style: italic;">& <a href="http://www.chantalelaplante.com/">Chantale <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Laplante</span></a></span>'s- Zurich <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Bamberg</span> project for <a href="http://www.davekerman.net/">Dave <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Kerman</span></a>'s <a href="http://www.adhocrecords.com/">Ad <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Hoc</span> Records</a> has been finalized - truly an inspiring listening experience. A CD project of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">electro</span>-acoustic pieces (ping-ponging audio file <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">CDs</span> between Canada and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Zürich</span>). somewhere between music concrete and sound art.<br /><br />Also putting the finishing touches on the master of <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">BBI</span></span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Bussonnet</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Buire</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Imperato</span>-) - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Wha</span> Fuzz -Philippe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Bussonet's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">pre</span>-One Shot power trio with the ex-Offering drummer and ex Xaal guitarist- on <a href="http://alain.lebon4.free.fr/so/debut-gb.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Soleil</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Zeuhl</span>.</a><br /><br />The mixes for <a href="http://www.royyarkoni.com/">Roy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Yarkoni</span></a>'s (<a href="http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/ahvak.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Ahvak</span></a>) new band <a href="http://www.charminghostess.us/blog/archives/13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Dropkin</span></a> featuring <a href="http://charminghostess.us/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Jewlia</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Eisenberg</span></a> need some more tweaking and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">retweaking</span> - we will see when this project will see the light of day it seems very promising.<br /><br />Otherwise its F^&^%%$ hot here in the middle east... my analog gear is just boiling in the 75% humidity<br />Later<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Udi</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2