back from nyc.
We spent two great days recording in NYC. As predicted, we really needed two months, but I'll take what I can get.
Here's some photos: plink in the studio.
A few random observations from the trip:
- We brought our laptops, but Kampo has a great Rhodes and B3/Leslie. Now and then we fired up Reaktor or some other softsynth, but each time it was clearly ridiculous. "Let me just add a bit-reducer... where is that menu...". I swear, using a computer to make music is like programming a robot to have sex.
- You've never heard recorded music until you've heard it in a good control room, straight from the master. I always forget this until I'm sitting there in a studio listening back. This time... the drum sounds alone. Amazing. (It helps to have a great engineer turning knobs.)
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On Friday night, I watched dj_methodikal play a killer set -- lots of glitchy ear candy manipulated live, but also big head-bobbing beats (played live as well). It was probably one of the best realizations of "live electronic music" that I've seen.
You could mostly hear the music over the crowd talking. We didn't sell a single CD.
On Tuesday, I watched Dutch Kills play a nice set to 20 or 30 people. The band that went on after them had a song on a Dawson's Creek soundtrack; I know because they announced it two songs into their set.
And I found myself wondering what are we doing? Music is so weird.