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Post by missalabama on Dec 22, 2009 1:50:25 GMT -5
Thanks for the info, theafroshane. Must now go and listen to "So Close" and try to hear all of the looping work you did. (Insert Smiley face here if you like)!
The sound I am referring to is at the very beginning of "I want you." It's a very analog sound to me and I describe it as lint on a record needle because it's just a staticy sound in the background. I guess it also sounds sort of like the sound of air escaping from a tire... Maybe it's not an intentional sound. Maybe it's my speakers or maybe it's just my supersonic hearing but it only occurs on "I want you." I thought it was an intentional thing since I haven't heard that sound since I still used my old record player as digital CD sound is so much cleaner. I thought it could be some of Tom's weirdness or John wanting the sound to be a bit dirty. I don't know if this makes any sense, knowing myself (insert rolling eyes emoticon here), it probably doesn't but anyway, if that's not an intentional thing, sorry! I'm just hearing things, I guess.
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Post by Jade on Dec 22, 2009 3:58:45 GMT -5
I just realized you said "I Want You" and I did all that talking about "So Close" OOPS! ... "the answers are clear, it's the questions I no longer hear"... loved your OOPS! posting and all the talking you did about "So Close". Really interesting stuff, thanks for letting us know. Since you're so nicely at it, what's this stunning sounding thing (organ?) in "2nd For The 1st Time"? Sooo beautiful, especially 2:45 into the song shoots me down every time. Oh, and another question - Which sign of the zodiac were you born under? (May be too private?! Sorry...) Thanks  (also for the update on your website) OOOO's and XXXX's Jade |
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Post by theafroshane on Dec 22, 2009 18:20:56 GMT -5
taurus.
That sound in 2nd is Beardy's heavenly approach to the Hammond B3. He nailed it, I think that may have been his first or 2nd take too. I get the goosebumps everytime myself.
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Post by Jade on Dec 23, 2009 17:34:07 GMT -5
That sound in 2nd is Beardy's heavenly approach to the Hammond B3. He nailed it, I think that may have been his first or 2nd take too. I get the goosebumps everytime myself. Ah yes, his approach can only be described as heavenly, simply out of this world. Same goes for Beardy's approach to the piano in Cold Coffee. And yet, these parts blend so very well with the rest of the instruments, nothing sits on top of the other. Amazing sonic experience, can't get enough. Congrats to you too on the Britsound Radio 'album of the year'! "...WITH IMPECCABLE PRODUCTION"... yeah, sooo true! As perfect as it gets! Thanks for always answering our questions, Matthew, I really appreciate. Wishing you a wonderful time and a great New Year. Keep the good vibes going! From Berlin with love Jade xxx PS: Hey, how nice... (I'm a taurus too - May, 8th) |
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Post by Jade on Dec 29, 2009 4:34:06 GMT -5
Sorry, me again. Last time I'm bothering you with my questions I promise... in 2009 anyway.. While Mixing, do you usually start with the music and leave the vocals muted until the music is levelled out completely? Did you do it that way with Departures songs? Or is it a different approach everytime? And during the process, do you also listen to the songs the way the 'common listener' would later do in order to hear how things are located/perceived in 3-dimensional space? Or do you know from experience exactly how all this reverb, delay, panning, volume etc. technically works and needs to be done to achieve the perfect balance/result in terms of sound? I've often wondered why female sound-engineers are such a rare breed. It is a rather male-dominated field isn't it? Do you know of any females in this business? (Don't know why I'm asking this... maybe for my next life... ) THANK YOU! PS: business time was great especially at the outdoor gigs because they'd call me onstage to play drums for some of those. Loving this... Spot on "Matt on monitors"  , wish the recording wasn't quite so blurry, though. I note: Lots of screaming girls as you take the stage  ... VERY COOL drumming, Mister!  No stage-fright whatsoever?? PPS: Nice little game... I like... you did blink first tonight...  |
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Post by theafroshane on Dec 29, 2009 16:31:13 GMT -5
Every song is different. Some of the songs I'd start with the vocal and work the track around that. I think So close began with the vocal, and the loop. I think the vocal is king in songs like john's where theres a message and emotion. Some of the others like rendezvous or even footprints the tracks were getting built up and the vocal would work in. I always go back and forth occasionally working on just the instruments or in some cases, just the vocal.
I always check mixes on my ipod on the train and in a car whenever possible and at home on small speakers and different systems. I usually try to mix in acoustically accurate environments (ie nice studios)... so adjustments made etc can be trusted because there's no problems or inaccuracies in the listening environment.
There's a ton of those FOTC vids out there, some less blurry. No stage fright... those guys are great friends and we used to spend a lot of sound checks jamming together so we would play a fair amount. I was surprised the first time but settled in and rocked it out.
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Post by Jade on Dec 30, 2009 7:43:53 GMT -5
THANK YOU so much, Matt, for taking the time and explaining all this.
Still struggling with the English language and re-reading my questions after posting these, I'm always like 'how can he possibly decipher what I'm getting at', then comes your reply and you get to the very point, saying exactly what I wanted to know. That's pretty amazing.
I've got many brilliant albums but can safely say that I've never been so completely head-over-heels about a record as with John's Departures (not even Cosmos). To see it grow from a 'crazy stubborn' idea all the way to the final result was already a sublime journey on its own, to have you as its producer replying to all of our questions personally is just as exciting and makes it all the more enjoyable. Sometimes I can't quite believe that this is actually happening.
With kindest regards and much respect
Jade
XOXOXO
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Post by theafroshane on Dec 30, 2009 11:02:12 GMT -5
ah no worries. just need fans like you and the others on this board to tell all their friends and send them the music etc. spreading the sounds is the only way to make it grow. There are no big sellout corporate gimmicks with this music, if John's going to gain larger audiences it's going to happen one by one, as folks hear the music from people they trust musically.
So the best thanks we can get from you as fans is for you to tell your friends how much you love the album and burn them a copy or whatever, anything to get them to hear it, and maybe someday come to a show etc.
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Post by Jade on Jan 13, 2010 19:08:43 GMT -5
Hi there Matt, "Stop asking theafroshane countless questions" was high priority on my list of New Year resolutions. As you can see I managed exactly 13 days, what would be a lifetime achievement if I was a mayfly, but - since I'm not - is a rather short period in the history of mankind. Must try harder next year. So, here goes: Is there a trick to find out if something is hidden on a CD? As for all the albums I own containing hidden tracks/messages or something, I've only ever come across these things by chance (when it was at the end and I hadn't turned the CD Player off) or because I had read that there's some hidden content to look for. It's even harder when the 'secrets' are hidden in the pregap. I don't even know how to get there as the CD player I'm currently using won't go to 'zero' when it's at track 1 (same goes for the one in the car). Maybe I'm just too slow. Admittedly, there's something special and cool about hidden tracks, yet I've often wondered why artists would hide a track (or two) rather than put it officially on their records. What if there was a track or a message hidden on Departures and, despite listening frequently and very carefully, I haven't found it yet? And you? BTW, thanks for introducing Hamacide through the link on www.mattshane.com . I've downloaded his remixes at bandcamp.com a couple of days ago. And here I was, thinking I've had it all, and nothing - musicallywise - could throw me for a loop anymore. Now I know I was wrong. They're great and entirely different from everything I've ever heard. Stuck on "Soul Owl" particularly, love those beats spinning around and around, that's pure genius, pretty addictive stuff. Really looking forward to the release of his new album. Sorry, that's enough words until mid-summer I think... hope all is well with you... still... even after reading. Much love ~J. xx |
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Post by theafroshane on Jan 14, 2010 0:05:53 GMT -5
That's great you checked out Hamacide. He's super talented. Yeah I hooked him up with those Post War Years tracks and he killed it. He did a great remix of "Let's Run" as well. Not sure if that's on Bandcamp or not. Check out Post War Years though, fantastic album. They're a great band. Hung out with them in NYC when mixing the end of "Departures" Johnny's buddies are in the band.
Nothing hidden on Departures. "Lost" almost was. As for pregap, try playing track one but holding down the rewind button and just rewind before the first track. I remember an old 311 disc had that hidden track.
I'm regular footed on the snowboard. left foot forward... hitting the slopes in under a month. Can't wait.
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Post by missalabama on Jan 14, 2010 2:01:54 GMT -5
ah no worries. just need fans like you and the others on this board to tell all their friends and send them the music etc. spreading the sounds is the only way to make it grow. There are no big sellout corporate gimmicks with this music, if John's going to gain larger audiences it's going to happen one by one, as folks hear the music from people they trust musically. So the best thanks we can get from you as fans is for you to tell your friends how much you love the album and burn them a copy or whatever, anything to get them to hear it, and maybe someday come to a show etc. Claps for theafroshane! *Insert smiley emoticons here!!!! * This is one of the million reasons that I respect John and his music so much! John's music is real, it's honest and it's the exact opposite of packaged corporate rubbish that is churned out on a mega scale. Garrison music is not about money or fame... It is truly about human connection through song. At least that's how I feel about it. Speaking of spreading the word of John and his beautiful music, in my attempt to Garrisonize everyone I know, they have all been really tired of my incessant nagging them to check out "some British guy's music," as they say, for an entire year! They all got all of his albums because they never checked him out! HAHAAH! That'll teach them not to listen to me! They think I'm NUTZO, by the way- *insert rolling eyes emoticon here.* Then, of course, I probably am! *Insert tongue emoticon here.* They all have said that he is great and that they can't believe that he isn't more well known. I tell them he's not going the label/corporate route... Like Sinatra, John's doing it his way. |
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Post by Jade on Jan 14, 2010 13:10:10 GMT -5
That's great you checked out Hamacide. He's super talented. Yeah I hooked him up with those Post War Years tracks and he killed it. He did a great remix of "Let's Run" as well. Not sure if that's on Bandcamp or not. Check out Post War Years though, fantastic album. They're a great band. Hung out with them in NYC when mixing the end of "Departures" Johnny's buddies are in the band. . Ah, yes, he told me about "Let's Run". Dying to hear that one, unfortunately, it's not on Bandcamp. Made me smile when I read what he wrote about you on his MySpace. Thanks for the recommendation, will definately go and check out Post War Years. Nothing hidden on Departures. "Lost" almost was. As for pregap, try playing track one but holding down the rewind button and just rewind before the first track. I remember an old 311 disc had that hidden track. Tricky! Thank you, I have yet to try it, though. Gonna start with "Dusk and Summer" I think. I'm regular footed on the snowboard. left foot forward... hitting the slopes in under a month. Can't wait. Winter Olympics, Vancouver?? ah no worries. just need fans like you and the others on this board to tell all their friends and send them the music etc. spreading the sounds is the only way to make it grow. There are no big sellout corporate gimmicks with this music, if John's going to gain larger audiences it's going to happen one by one, as folks hear the music from people they trust musically. So the best thanks we can get from you as fans is for you to tell your friends how much you love the album and burn them a copy or whatever, anything to get them to hear it, and maybe someday come to a show etc. Claps for theafroshane! *Insert smiley emoticons here!!!! * This is one of the million reasons that I respect John and his music so much! John's music is real, it's honest and it's the exact opposite of packaged corporate rubbish that is churned out on a mega scale. Garrison music is not about money or fame... It is truly about human connection through song. At least that's how I feel about it. Speaking of spreading the word of John and his beautiful music, in my attempt to Garrisonize everyone I know, they have all been really tired of my incessant nagging them to check out "some British guy's music," as they say, for an entire year! They all got all of his albums because they never checked him out! HAHAAH! That'll teach them not to listen to me! They think I'm NUTZO, by the way- *insert rolling eyes emoticon here.* Then, of course, I probably am! *Insert tongue emoticon here.* They all have said that he is great and that they can't believe that he isn't more well known. I tell them he's not going the label/corporate route... Like Sinatra, John's doing it his way. Well said, Missy and Matt! I'm on that very same mission. Telling people and play them John's music is one of my favorite things to do. ;D As you said, favorable comments all around, just not the same craziness that we both share. One of my friends even registered here, but obviously prefers not to post. If there was a gig here in Berlin I'm sure there were a lot of my friends that would come to see John perform, if nothing else, then to find out what my fussing over his music/'must see performances' is all about. |
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Post by theafroshane on Jan 14, 2010 17:39:39 GMT -5
Not vancouver, colorado.
Don't think there's any hidden tracks on that Dashboard album... but you're welcome to look anyways...
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Post by Jade on Jan 14, 2010 17:55:34 GMT -5
Not vancouver, colorado. Don't think there's any hidden tracks on that Dashboard album... but you're welcome to look anyways... Allegedly "Vindicated" and "Write It Out" appear in the album's pregap. There might be different versions out there. I'll dig out mine and let you know. Have fun in Colorado. Never been to Colorado, I bet it's great in the winter. |
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Post by Jade on Jan 31, 2010 11:54:41 GMT -5
Hi Matt As for pregap, try playing track one but holding down the rewind button and just rewind before the first track. I remember an old 311 disc had that hidden track. Don't think there's any hidden tracks on that Dashboard album... but you're welcome to look anyways... Thanks to your assistance I got there eventually. My version does actually have these two gems hidden in the pregap... and your name (NOT hidden!) in the credits . Been checking Hamacide's Kickstarter page almost every day lately, was a bit of a 'thriller', I think, with the deadline approaching fast... 99% funded, 12 hours to go... here's hoping he gets his project off the ground and the record released by early spring. I'm really looking forward to hearing it, the teaser has me intrigued quite a little bit. Does it have a title yet? As I take it, the album still needs to get mastered. Will you be doing the mastering? Thanks! Much love Jade XOXO |
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(also for the update on your website) 
- 
, wish the recording wasn't quite so blurry, though. I note: Lots of screaming girls as you take the stage 
... VERY COOL drumming, Mister! 
