Hey everyone, Gabriel here. It’s about 6:20 am and we are about to hit the road down to hotlanta to record 3 songs for an upcoming album. We are all quite excited about this recording, it was a great motivation to come right off tour and write and learn new material. I feel that as a band we grew dynamically a great deal over the last tour, and these new songs really reflect a more chamber-music like mindset for us as a band. We chose these songs because they feature the compositional aspect of the band more than the improvisatory, which the studio is an ideal medium to capture. Improvisational music thrives in a live setting where all the potential unknowns feed the energy and allow for new music to be discovered, something that is hard to obtain in a bright recording studio room at 3 in the afternoon with headphones on. But the compositional nature of some of our music lends itself to the increased possibilities for orchestration and tonal coloring that overdubbing allow. As we have done on all of our recording sessions, we will track the songs live as a band in the same room to capture the emotion and conversational qualities that only a live group of musicians can create, and then overdub on top of that.
Overdubbing and adding layers to our songs is something that often exists in my head from the earliest drafts of songs, but is always the last thing to get added. There are always those terrible moments of nerves seeing for the first time if something that works in the brain works in reality. But that unknown really is a beautiful thing, and a vital part of creating something new.
Before we record, I always listen to 2 pieces of music from composers I consider the be absolute masters and orchestration and tonal coloring and just the sheer expressiveness of pure sound. I am going to write a longer entry on both of these composers, but for now here are 2 of the most perfect pieces of music ever, in my opinion. The Debussy piece in particular is probably my favorite piece of music ever written.
On that note, time to head out and meet the van for the trek.
best
gabriel
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12.15.2009
I really enjoyed the Debussy piece. The link for the other piece did not work. I love the live show but always look forward to the hearing the additions that the overdubs bring to the album.
I saw you guys last night at Highline Ballroom opening for Wayne Krantz. I came for Krantz, but after seeing you guys I will definitely be considering the source more often. I really dig your sound and your use of the double neck guitar allowing for layering and looping of sounds. Bass player blew my mind reminding me of Les Claypool. Please check out my blog, bigwordsband.blogspot.com and the band BIG WORDS.
Cheers!!