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Tag: Music

Pickwick’s Moving In!

Posted on by mike

And moving Mountains. Of Stuff.

For the next week or so Pickwick is going to be making some sounds at Soundhouse. Have you heard their recent releases? They’re full of lushness and not so common arrangements. Not your average stuff!

I think they’ll have fun here…

IMG_0014  Getting some tones on the drums. The drum tech got these sounding sweet!

Kory Kruckenberg is the guy behind the console.

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He listens.IMG_0019

He acts!

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I learned that they have a secret code that they talk in, although I couldn’t crack it. There was talk of “small intestines” and “ears”, Genghis Khan and his “family”. Anyone know what they’re talking about?

The worm, the spice … what’s the connection?

Posted on by mike

If we were in Dune, that’s what the question would be. For now …  in this blog anyway. What would it be if  … we weren’t? Gravity and Happiness? Grass and Ultimate? Space and Time? Fear and Love? Bottled water and “Corporations are people”?

Wait, wait – oh here it is:      Seattle, Detroit .. What’s the connection?

A couple of clues I am able to share with you:

The Sonics were in this summer recording their new album (Welcome back to Soundhouse , guys!) with Jim Diamond producing. Jim tracked and overdubbed everything to the 2″ Studer. I was able to be there when they were transferring THE COMPLETE recording (all of the overdubs, everything were done to tape. Of course, not that spectacular 30 years ago, but it just goes to show that they are dedicated the the sound and authenticity) to protools for mixing. Sounded great! Jim took the files home with him to mix ….

Done yet??

Cool Cats. Creative Cats. Young Cats. —— SEACATS!

Posted on by mike

Yup, these guys spent four days here at the end of August, with Steve Fisk. Some really talented and creative kids, umm, I mean CATS. I walked in once and they were dropping a bag of percussion instruments on the floor … I think they were recording that, but I’m not 100% sure. They did some cool/creative stuff recording and they have the right guy producing them –  Steve made good use of the Fairchild EQ’s and Opto Compressor! That just made my day. It’s also cool to see Fisk’s ARP 2600 in the studio.

Check em out here: SEACATS

And, while we get lots of positive remarks about the Vibe at Soundhouse, this gives us a little extra credit, too …

Thanks guys!

– mike

Fashionably late, Summer.

Posted on by mike

Just like a rock star.

We wait for it, expect it We get wet. Some of us complain because its late. But then …

It bursts onto the stage … bigger and better than we’d dreamed! All is forgiven and we Rock out all summer long. And here we are expecting Fall, but the summer show keeps coming at us. Nice.

But, it’s time to get back to the computer, the blog, the music. I will do my  best to catch you up succinctly without missing any juicy bits.

Joe Freeman, who used to play with The Pat Sajak Assassins before he moved to Seattle, brought in a project last weekend. The goal – write and record a song for this sculpture:

  He brought with him Dustin Carroll (drums), and Kris Couture (bass), while I attempted to add some bass/moogerfoogerin’.

Goal accomplished, mix is in progress!

We all played in the Live Room, no headphones using all Neve (OHs, Tom/Floor, guitar), Chandler (bass/DI), UA 2-610 (Kick & Snare) and Great River (ribbons – Royer 121 on the side of the snare, Coles 3048 on kit body). Very nice sounds! Thanks to Chris Gibbs for assisting in the control room!Stay Tuned for more about … the Seacats!

– mike

Sounds of Mass Production. Chris DeMarcus. Soundhouse.

Posted on by mike

The other day Chris DeMarcus came down to Soundhouse from Canada to record some drums for SMP. You see, we have a reputation for getting killer drums sounds. When he got here in the morning he was psyched about all of our vintage gear. I helped him get the kit miced up, everything patched in and the Headphones going. I don’t see many people tracking with compression but as he was after a certain something. While dialing in his tones he would suddenly turn, make some adjustments and say something like, Wow, I really wasn’t liking the way that was sounding, now it sounds great!

I didn’t get to see them when they left, so I sent him an email thanking him for making the trip.

This was his reply –

> Thanks guys, it was great.
>
> I was working quick, so I had some phase issues, but as soon as I got
> things fixed in Protools, it turned out to be the best drum recording
> I’ve done anywhere. Those Chandlers, and Great Rivers, and the
> Trident console pres sound great.
>
> The room sounds awesome. I’ll probably come back down during the
> summer to record some more drums and maybe a little guitar.

Thanks Chris!

Gotta love that 🙂

Voodoo-JuJu Maintenance lapse at Soundhouse brings Things to a Screaching Halt

Posted on by mike

The other day I walked in to find that I forgot to pay my “dues” to the Juju Queen.

The true nature and depth of Jack Endino‘s magic, part mortal, part God of Thunder became excruciatingly apparent.

Mr. Endino, who’s been mixing all kinds of albums here over the years is apparently in cahoots with, and channeling some of the Soundhouse Voodoo, both creating it and drawing from it, was found with his “batteries run down”. My fault Jack, sorry. There are still some things that I am learning about the care and maintenance of Soundhouse and some hiccups are bound to occur. Scotty Crane (the mad man charged with creating this oasis, this magical music making, hoodoo venue – the man who used his “connections” with the “Otherworld” in order to bestow upon it the very best in musical Juju and Vibe) has done his best to convey to me how to care for Soundhouse, but, as you may or may not know: language is not fully sufficient for communications about such things. Perhaps you’ve noticed the Gargoyles around the studio. I understand much, MUCH more now. A quick call to Scotty got me on the right track, the Juju restored and Jack is recovering slowly but surely. A little pick-me-up note to him would surely be appreciated.

Endino Records Torch Burner, Kandi Coded Bassist’s new band. Young Men Dead, Steve Fisk Alive.

Posted on by mike

Mouthful there. And quite in the realm of sensationalist journalism! I never liked journalism in school. Too many rules. But, it’s late and I’m tired and whether I’ll think it’s funny tomorrow, well, I’ll find out.

Chris “L.C.” Hunter (bass and backing vocals for Kandi Coded (Flotation Records) has a new band called Torch Burner (Chris Hunter-Bass/vocals, Mitch Wolfe-Drums, Apples Bonafazi-Guitar, Frank Gross-Lead Guitars). They came in for a quick one-day-three-song-record-and-mix-session with Mr. Endino on Monday. If anyone can do THAT in a day it’s Jack! I never did get to hear a whole song, but it sounded like a Seattle ROCK revival!

Young Dead Men

James Crosbie – Bass/Vocals
Nate Watkins – Lead Guitar
TJ Payne – Rhythm Guitar/Vocals
TJ Watson – Drums

… were in last weekend with Mr. Fisk – a young band (yes, they ARE young men) but in the studio they were, as Fisk said, “one take wonders”.

Coming in this month…

The Insurgence

Back Beat Blue

Stag

Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees drummer, Barrett Martin Group, Sunyata Records)

Let It Sparkle

Blue Star Creeper

Big Dirt (from the Wandering Infinity Collective)