Monday, March 17, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Steve Albini
Steve Albini just finished mixing our album.He's now making a cd-rom listening copy out of the tapes.
I should point out that it's 1.27am local time as I write and he was in the studio at 11.30am this morning and we've only taken a 30 minutes lunch break.He's not paid by hour either, he's paid by day.He's worked 13.5 hours today so far and he still has about an hour worth of material to go through.
The recordings sound amazing, there might be flaws but those are due to the band not to him.
I mean...come on you know who this guy is and what he's done so far.I don't mean recording big albums and working with hugely influential people, I mean crafting his own sound, playing with some incredible bands( his bands) and never, ever, sucking THE MAN's cock and being quite verbal about it.
You know who this guy is.And here he is, paid $350 a day, working 14 hours days for popular workshop as he would do for any other band in the world, provided they didnt make him physically sick.
He cracks great jokes and meaws like a proper cat too.His boilersuit has a really long zipper( you know why).
I guess that's it.Just wait till you hear THAT sound.
I guess I ll miss him.
gx
I should point out that it's 1.27am local time as I write and he was in the studio at 11.30am this morning and we've only taken a 30 minutes lunch break.He's not paid by hour either, he's paid by day.He's worked 13.5 hours today so far and he still has about an hour worth of material to go through.
The recordings sound amazing, there might be flaws but those are due to the band not to him.
I mean...come on you know who this guy is and what he's done so far.I don't mean recording big albums and working with hugely influential people, I mean crafting his own sound, playing with some incredible bands( his bands) and never, ever, sucking THE MAN's cock and being quite verbal about it.
You know who this guy is.And here he is, paid $350 a day, working 14 hours days for popular workshop as he would do for any other band in the world, provided they didnt make him physically sick.
He cracks great jokes and meaws like a proper cat too.His boilersuit has a really long zipper( you know why).
I guess that's it.Just wait till you hear THAT sound.
I guess I ll miss him.
gx
FRIDAY 0103 HUNDRED HOURS, LOCAL TIME
LET THE RECORD RECORD THAT THE RECORD IS DONE. BAKED AND SHIPPED. DONE.
BYE NOW.
jake_shop
BYE NOW.
jake_shop
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
chicago, us, 28/02/2008. 00.14 hours
Hello world.
finished vocals.finished fags.drained,knackered,tired,totally bloodless amoeba.just adrenaline.the fagbutts in the ashtray give away the state of things-halfsmoked.Oh the nerves.thank fuck-something to smoke!felt the urge to hum Blur's "Miss America" on the piano once left alone in the studio.Wasnt enough.Went on youtube and found this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvt_dY7ybKE
I am now listening to "Oily water" waiting for "Miss America".
I miss Blur.Badly.Oh wait, here it comes.."Michael!"...
Fuck I love this band.
People from the other side of the ocean are signing in on msn.It's time for coffee over there innit.It's time for a beer and a nap for me.
Have I mentioned I cant drink beer while doing singing?It sucks big time.All the bubbles come up and all the notes go AWOL.Man, anything that prevents me from drinking beer's gonna have to be a drag.Ban singing.
Back to Blur.
"Hallo funny you".Miss America is playing in the headphones.Seriously.This is a throwaway song in Blur's catalogue.It'd be a gem in so many other bands' repertoire.They sneaked into peope's lives totally uninvited, people thought they were a hyped joke when they first happened.They ended up being crucial in so many people's lives...cerrtainly in mine.ah.I m drunk.Happy.And vaguely ill.Shame everytime I ve seen them live they were crap.
Now listening to "Villa Rosie".
BLUR.Argh!BLUR!!!!!!! : ))))
Gypsy x
finished vocals.finished fags.drained,knackered,tired,totally bloodless amoeba.just adrenaline.the fagbutts in the ashtray give away the state of things-halfsmoked.Oh the nerves.thank fuck-something to smoke!felt the urge to hum Blur's "Miss America" on the piano once left alone in the studio.Wasnt enough.Went on youtube and found this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvt_dY7ybKE
I am now listening to "Oily water" waiting for "Miss America".
I miss Blur.Badly.Oh wait, here it comes.."Michael!"...
Fuck I love this band.
People from the other side of the ocean are signing in on msn.It's time for coffee over there innit.It's time for a beer and a nap for me.
Have I mentioned I cant drink beer while doing singing?It sucks big time.All the bubbles come up and all the notes go AWOL.Man, anything that prevents me from drinking beer's gonna have to be a drag.Ban singing.
Back to Blur.
"Hallo funny you".Miss America is playing in the headphones.Seriously.This is a throwaway song in Blur's catalogue.It'd be a gem in so many other bands' repertoire.They sneaked into peope's lives totally uninvited, people thought they were a hyped joke when they first happened.They ended up being crucial in so many people's lives...cerrtainly in mine.ah.I m drunk.Happy.And vaguely ill.Shame everytime I ve seen them live they were crap.
Now listening to "Villa Rosie".
BLUR.Argh!BLUR!!!!!!! : ))))
Gypsy x
"perceive this!"
MIxing.Mixing.Mixing.Burning onto tape.TAPE.Organic stuff rolling through a machine and conveying sound previously recorded.Sound "jumping at you from the speakers"( I am quoting, and there's no other words to describe how this now sounds like)
"All about Vikki":check
"X-rays confidential":check
"Her Birthday":check
Next on is "Radical".
More later.
"All about Vikki":check
"X-rays confidential":check
"Her Birthday":check
Next on is "Radical".
More later.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
chicago,us,wed feb 27 2008 12:37am
Just finished the vocals for "Alphabet".I am completely drained.I could have never imagined I could have got so tired by playing and singing music.Woke up at 9 this morning and enjoyed a couple of delicious coffees pissed into my cup by this machine called Barista, provided by Star*ucks.I could have never imagined Star*ucks could make ANYTHING worth talking about in positive terms.I have learned 2 things today, as you can see.
Past the 2nd coffee I made my way to Studio A and started warming up my voice by means of ludicrous and distressful vocal excercises, accompanying myself on the piano.I had to resist the temptation to hum Elton John's songs at Steve Albini's beloved studio. I was tempted.Very tempted."It's a little bit funny".
Then it was time to sing.Bashed down "X-rays confidential" and did "All about Vikki" again.First time around wasnt good enough.Then attempted to re-do "popsong" but my voice rebelled and decided it was time for a break.Bring on the piano on "X-rays" and the keyboard bits on "Channels" and "Alphabet".Then some more sharp steel on "X-rays".That was added via one of Steve's Travis Beans.The black one.It was cold and hard, and heavy, and slender.
It turned me on, very much.I mean it.
Done that, it was dark outside and time for dinner inside.Antonio made some totally rad (erm) spaghetti with eggplants( ARRRGH), a taste of that and then down to the studio again to do more vocals.Did "Her Birthday", "Sailplanes" ( a little new song about some guy who didnt deserve a song but the song begged to exist), "uh (uh) uh uh ( candy panic attack)" and "Alphabet".Je suis plastered.Je suis knackered.Excuse my French, I am going to bed.
Good night friends enemies lovers and creditors.
Gypsy x
ps it was lovely to see you Susie.And lovely to work with you Greg.
Past the 2nd coffee I made my way to Studio A and started warming up my voice by means of ludicrous and distressful vocal excercises, accompanying myself on the piano.I had to resist the temptation to hum Elton John's songs at Steve Albini's beloved studio. I was tempted.Very tempted."It's a little bit funny".
Then it was time to sing.Bashed down "X-rays confidential" and did "All about Vikki" again.First time around wasnt good enough.Then attempted to re-do "popsong" but my voice rebelled and decided it was time for a break.Bring on the piano on "X-rays" and the keyboard bits on "Channels" and "Alphabet".Then some more sharp steel on "X-rays".That was added via one of Steve's Travis Beans.The black one.It was cold and hard, and heavy, and slender.
It turned me on, very much.I mean it.
Done that, it was dark outside and time for dinner inside.Antonio made some totally rad (erm) spaghetti with eggplants( ARRRGH), a taste of that and then down to the studio again to do more vocals.Did "Her Birthday", "Sailplanes" ( a little new song about some guy who didnt deserve a song but the song begged to exist), "uh (uh) uh uh ( candy panic attack)" and "Alphabet".Je suis plastered.Je suis knackered.Excuse my French, I am going to bed.
Good night friends enemies lovers and creditors.
Gypsy x
ps it was lovely to see you Susie.And lovely to work with you Greg.
Monday, February 25, 2008
singing
is a bitch.especially when recording on tape.no tricks, no gimmicks, nothing but the truth.
does anyone want to sing in popular workshop?their singer's tired amd he likes playing guitar better.
Gyp x
does anyone want to sing in popular workshop?their singer's tired amd he likes playing guitar better.
Gyp x
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Right now
I'm wearing a woolly jumper.
Gypsy's singing some song about camels. T
Steve's got round glasses and blue overalls.
Jake's practicing his poker face.
Antonio is thinking in Italian.
There's some guy who gets paid to make tea for us, which I think is very wrong.
There's a cat that had a sticker stuck to it's face, which I removed and now it likes me.
There's a billiards table which has only 3 balls and no pockets and I can't strike the white, again that feels wrong.
We're in Chicago and the only things we've seen are the studio, a bridge and a supermarket. Wrong.
They call toilet roll "bath roll" which I assume they use in the bath? Messy.
Steve and I had some confusion about pants, trousers and draws. Where as we have trousers over our pants, and pants in our draws, they have draws under their pants and have no trousers at all!
Steve's friend just won an Oscar.
Beer is rubbish here. Lite my ass.
Mmm.
Luke
Gypsy's singing some song about camels. T
Steve's got round glasses and blue overalls.
Jake's practicing his poker face.
Antonio is thinking in Italian.
There's some guy who gets paid to make tea for us, which I think is very wrong.
There's a cat that had a sticker stuck to it's face, which I removed and now it likes me.
There's a billiards table which has only 3 balls and no pockets and I can't strike the white, again that feels wrong.
We're in Chicago and the only things we've seen are the studio, a bridge and a supermarket. Wrong.
They call toilet roll "bath roll" which I assume they use in the bath? Messy.
Steve and I had some confusion about pants, trousers and draws. Where as we have trousers over our pants, and pants in our draws, they have draws under their pants and have no trousers at all!
Steve's friend just won an Oscar.
Beer is rubbish here. Lite my ass.
Mmm.
Luke
Saturday, February 23, 2008
and relax...
2038 hundred hours. saturday.
finished! all the live takes are down now, which means that all me and luke have left to do is wander electrical finding stuff to hit. and then hit them. in the right places. pretty much.
feels good. today we kicked off with "sailplanes", a song about... sailing. yep. no-one's heard this before, but it sounds a bit like mclusky in their slower moments. not initially scheduled for the album but turned out pretty fookin massive. the perfect way to end the album. got this one second take. "radical" came next - this was a bitch. first take was rockin but due to some reasons too boring to go into, it had to be re-done. took a while, oddly enough. but came out... MASSIVE. me and Gee-Gee re-did the intro due to some other reasons more boring than the previous ones. about 5 times. haha. rock and roll. the band upstairs are tracking their drums separately to their cymbals. honestly.
oh yeh, and we finished off with the album opener which will be called "freak le freak, AKA the freakster". I reckon the album should be called this too, we'll see. antonio conducted us for this, he's got some talent in that department. he's also just beaten me at billiards again. i'm pretty sure he stayed up all night reading the big billiards book (entitled "billiards" i think), and all day practising. he's pretty nifty.
dinner has been consumed. the studio has been re-set. we are now officially OVER-DUBBING second guitars. and maybe some vocals.
see ya on the flipside.
yours free and easy,
jake_shop
finished! all the live takes are down now, which means that all me and luke have left to do is wander electrical finding stuff to hit. and then hit them. in the right places. pretty much.
feels good. today we kicked off with "sailplanes", a song about... sailing. yep. no-one's heard this before, but it sounds a bit like mclusky in their slower moments. not initially scheduled for the album but turned out pretty fookin massive. the perfect way to end the album. got this one second take. "radical" came next - this was a bitch. first take was rockin but due to some reasons too boring to go into, it had to be re-done. took a while, oddly enough. but came out... MASSIVE. me and Gee-Gee re-did the intro due to some other reasons more boring than the previous ones. about 5 times. haha. rock and roll. the band upstairs are tracking their drums separately to their cymbals. honestly.
oh yeh, and we finished off with the album opener which will be called "freak le freak, AKA the freakster". I reckon the album should be called this too, we'll see. antonio conducted us for this, he's got some talent in that department. he's also just beaten me at billiards again. i'm pretty sure he stayed up all night reading the big billiards book (entitled "billiards" i think), and all day practising. he's pretty nifty.
dinner has been consumed. the studio has been re-set. we are now officially OVER-DUBBING second guitars. and maybe some vocals.
see ya on the flipside.
yours free and easy,
jake_shop
latest report from electricaland.
it's 2.46pm and we just finished recording a new song called "Sailplanes".
We are now sipping a coffee and about to enter the studios to radicalize "Radical".
The sun seeps through the window and sonic youth play on Jake's laptop.
It's a beautiful day.Last night Jake was repeatedly beaten by Antonio at billiards.Jake does not do losing.He strangely woke up in a good mood though.
I retreated after dinnner ( delicios rice+tomato+potatoes concoction courtesy of antonio the wizard) with a vhs of Aldridge's Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte starring Bette Davis and Olivia De Havilland.Masterpiece.Shame I fell asleep ten minutes in.THis morning we found a great documentary about the history of electronic music and tripped out watching green soundwaves buzz on tiny screens and accomplished sound scientists wearing amazing shirts with stratospheric collars.It was the 70s, Buckaroo.Steve just rigged an extra cabinet to Luke's amp for the bass in Radical to be heard across the ocean.Listen out friends.Here it comes.
Love
gx
We are now sipping a coffee and about to enter the studios to radicalize "Radical".
The sun seeps through the window and sonic youth play on Jake's laptop.
It's a beautiful day.Last night Jake was repeatedly beaten by Antonio at billiards.Jake does not do losing.He strangely woke up in a good mood though.
I retreated after dinnner ( delicios rice+tomato+potatoes concoction courtesy of antonio the wizard) with a vhs of Aldridge's Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte starring Bette Davis and Olivia De Havilland.Masterpiece.Shame I fell asleep ten minutes in.THis morning we found a great documentary about the history of electronic music and tripped out watching green soundwaves buzz on tiny screens and accomplished sound scientists wearing amazing shirts with stratospheric collars.It was the 70s, Buckaroo.Steve just rigged an extra cabinet to Luke's amp for the bass in Radical to be heard across the ocean.Listen out friends.Here it comes.
Love
gx
Friday, February 22, 2008
BOSH #2
ALPHABET (TAKE 10 OR SO)
CARE/DONT CARE (TAKE 4)
GET UP AND WAIT (TAKES 3+4)
CITY LIMITS (TAKE 2)
REPTILIANS (TAKE 2+MORE)
woo yeh. that's what we did today.
radical tomorrow.
bye.
jake_shop
CARE/DONT CARE (TAKE 4)
GET UP AND WAIT (TAKES 3+4)
CITY LIMITS (TAKE 2)
REPTILIANS (TAKE 2+MORE)
woo yeh. that's what we did today.
radical tomorrow.
bye.
jake_shop
Thursday, February 21, 2008
BOSH #1
CHANNELS (TAKE 4)
POPSONG (TAKE 1)
XRAYS (TAKE 1)
VIKKI (TAKE 2)
HER BIRTHDAY (TAKE 4)
UH (UH) UH UH (TAKE 3)
SON OF A DOG (NOT QUITE)
TIRED NOW.
jake_shop
POPSONG (TAKE 1)
XRAYS (TAKE 1)
VIKKI (TAKE 2)
HER BIRTHDAY (TAKE 4)
UH (UH) UH UH (TAKE 3)
SON OF A DOG (NOT QUITE)
TIRED NOW.
jake_shop
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
quite a bit of a month
February 2008.Quite a bit of a month to say the least.We trooped out on tour with art brut on the 7th.London ULU.Sold out show, the biggest to date for the popshop.Confusion, emotion, power, volume, grins.It was an amazing start to an amazing experience.We were lucky enough to get to play to huge crowds for a while, in nice venues with good PAs and very sympathetic guys at the helm, but mostly we were lucky enough to see art brut doing their thing, stirring shit up, entertaining, thrilling, hotwiring kids all over the country, without anyone's permission and on their own terms.We were lucky to meet them, hang around, share their stage, their food occasionally, mostly their souls.We owe them lots, Art Brut, we owe you lots.Thank you for having us, for inspiring us and showing us that it is possible, in today's Britain, to sell out 1200 capacity venues while being yourselves.
Have a great time in Europe, you're forever in our hearts.
I should now underline that I am writing this in a state, drunk, jetlagged, totally sleep deprived.
We played a gig last night in Stoke, the last of the Art Brut tour, then drove to London, dropped the gear, slept for 2 hours and drove to heathrow where we proceeded to board a plane to Chicago.Plane was 2 hours delayed, departed at noon local time, landed in chicago at 2pm local time, after a 9 hours flight.popshop went thru passport control and baggage reclaim, challenged the punishing temperatures well below 0 and then got a cab to Electrical Sudios.We were welcomed by Ben and Stephen who showed us around the impossibly incredibly dreamlike place and offered whatever is available in here( and believe me there's lots of amazing stuff, I am not talking drugs, I am talking GEAR), we then proceeded to try a few amps and drums and pedals and guitars and finally went to the local "grocery store" and got hold of a bit of food and booze, then back to rehearse for a couple of hours.We're now drained tired happy like kids and about to go to bed.We'll meet Steve, the owner of this place and the guy who'll record our album, tomorrow morning and we'll work hard.
There would be so many other things to say describe picture document and we will do.Indeed, we'll share as much as we can of this.
Good nought for now, you punks.
Gypsy x
Have a great time in Europe, you're forever in our hearts.
I should now underline that I am writing this in a state, drunk, jetlagged, totally sleep deprived.
We played a gig last night in Stoke, the last of the Art Brut tour, then drove to London, dropped the gear, slept for 2 hours and drove to heathrow where we proceeded to board a plane to Chicago.Plane was 2 hours delayed, departed at noon local time, landed in chicago at 2pm local time, after a 9 hours flight.popshop went thru passport control and baggage reclaim, challenged the punishing temperatures well below 0 and then got a cab to Electrical Sudios.We were welcomed by Ben and Stephen who showed us around the impossibly incredibly dreamlike place and offered whatever is available in here( and believe me there's lots of amazing stuff, I am not talking drugs, I am talking GEAR), we then proceeded to try a few amps and drums and pedals and guitars and finally went to the local "grocery store" and got hold of a bit of food and booze, then back to rehearse for a couple of hours.We're now drained tired happy like kids and about to go to bed.We'll meet Steve, the owner of this place and the guy who'll record our album, tomorrow morning and we'll work hard.
There would be so many other things to say describe picture document and we will do.Indeed, we'll share as much as we can of this.
Good nought for now, you punks.
Gypsy x
ART BRUT, TOTP, #1
CHICAGO IS VERY VERY COOL. MORE OF THAT LATER THOUGH.
RIGHT NOW, WITH WORDS, SENSE AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHM FAILING ME, I SHALL LET THE JPEGS DO THE TALKING. THE LAST 2 WEEKS WE'VE BEEN ON TOUR WITH ART BRUT. IT WENT A LITTLE SOMETHING LIKE THIS (I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ARTICULATE A FEW WORDS BY WAY OF EXPLANATION):
gypsy, he carries guitars too kids:
this is a bridge, fuck knows where (actually I do know where this is, I just thought that would sound cool and that):
blurred, car, fast, vroom vroom:
We got used to this:
AB Soundcheck, Sheffield?:
Yeh, stop harrassing the poor boy:
Sheffield, shoes, blood, and a mirkin perhaps?:
Set list in guitar case, nice:
Bradford, STUPID WONDERFUL venue, we brought the rock of course:
1, 2, 3, knobs, present and correct:
The number of the yeast perhaps:
Bradford, side of stage:
Bradford, front of house:
This is called the Destructor Tower in York. It's the world's largest completely 2-dimensional thing:
Waiting for the car wash:
York. Rammed:
York. Gypsy. Feedback:
If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all:
My diet for 2 weeks:
Last date, Stoke:
Jasper, doing the crab or something:
Bye bye:
Answers on a post-card please.
jake_shop
RIGHT NOW, WITH WORDS, SENSE AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHM FAILING ME, I SHALL LET THE JPEGS DO THE TALKING. THE LAST 2 WEEKS WE'VE BEEN ON TOUR WITH ART BRUT. IT WENT A LITTLE SOMETHING LIKE THIS (I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ARTICULATE A FEW WORDS BY WAY OF EXPLANATION):
gypsy, he carries guitars too kids:
this is a bridge, fuck knows where (actually I do know where this is, I just thought that would sound cool and that):
blurred, car, fast, vroom vroom:
We got used to this:
AB Soundcheck, Sheffield?:
Yeh, stop harrassing the poor boy:
Sheffield, shoes, blood, and a mirkin perhaps?:
Set list in guitar case, nice:
Bradford, STUPID WONDERFUL venue, we brought the rock of course:
1, 2, 3, knobs, present and correct:
The number of the yeast perhaps:
Bradford, side of stage:
Bradford, front of house:
This is called the Destructor Tower in York. It's the world's largest completely 2-dimensional thing:
Waiting for the car wash:
York. Rammed:
York. Gypsy. Feedback:
If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all:
My diet for 2 weeks:
Last date, Stoke:
Jasper, doing the crab or something:
Bye bye:
Answers on a post-card please.
jake_shop
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