Wednesday 2 September 2009

Shitter 01


An Epic in the Making: The Implosion of a Rock Band.
(by John Carmichael, TTL
Keyboards 1989 - 1993)
Finally, after years of planning, by one man actually, we finally, reluctantly ended up in “The Loft” (not in Rochdale but somewhere) for recording. As usual we were unprepared, no practice for eons yet we were willing to splurge cash on a recording session. I for one is reluctant. I just spent heaps of cash on a mortgage and I’m not really looking forward in playing producer. The botched recording sessions in Rochdale were a reminder of what the band is capable of. Of self destruction that is. Judging by the progress we were making or the lack thereof we could finish this project in two months with minimal budget. But right now, the singer has his own Shaun Ryder like tendencies like overdubs here and there, shit like this and that. I hope he got a grant from Oxford or something because the delays are costing a lot. I just wish he’d share his hash with everyone at least we’d be smiling and stoned. The guitar player is, well, “himself” again. Actually he went into recording with nothing in mind and started being “himself”. Let’s call him the Mark E. Smith of guitar players. End of story. Another week, another delay, we started July we didn’t do anything in August it is September now and the tracks are rotting in the mixing board. I’m not sure what the plans are or when the finances are going to give out. We got a new drummer he is still in the adjustment period I think he’ll do well because he was able to withstand the endless repetition demands from our singer/quasi band leader. By the end of the year, my prediction would be, it’s still going to be unfinished. We’ll be another waste of MD discs. I’m hoping to get my hands on the unfinished tracks and work some magic. Or to put it bluntly, fuck it up that even the band would hate it. By the way, some unofficial tracks were leaked online. Ladies and gentlemen, let the name-dropping start. 4AD? I respect the record label but it’s the name droppers that I abhor. If you can’t describe the shit, don’t. I’m already about to vomit when people compare us to post punk 80s bands. I dare you to say it again. Say it again.


Frag 02- (remix) - Was able to cook up some tracks using some noises I recorded in a micro cassette. Micros are kind of cool for their lack of bass sound much like the sound of cell phone speakers my workmates play during break time. Sounds like a tin can. But not the micros. It still has a rich analog sound but the thing is, the bass isn’t registering. I treated it to a barrage of reverbs and choruses and I was able to create a sonic noise and re-recorded some parts to produce a different layer. It was supposed to be a sonic feedback laced sound but the house remix kind of gave it a thumping sound that balanced the ear ache that the micros produced. So kids, a micro cassette recorder is more lethal than your lame ass I-pod.


Krakow – is actually not sonically inspired but more based of what would have happened or to put it this way, what would you hear if you were the one operating the machines in the gas chamber. Lots of industrial noises, back masked tapes and a drone of an actual machine. First time listeners swore that they were able to hear prisoners being led to the chamber and subsequent screams even it was drowned by loud machinery.

R.I.T.H. (Rivets in the Head) – A hardcore industrial track music generated from machines operating. Background noises were recorded in a factory assembling tin cans for canned goods. Live noises were recorded simultaneously with the background using a generic delay pedal running through a Behringer 8 track mixer.


The music industry is dead. I

No comments: