Build-Out Phase One

We have begun the build-out. We've put in floating walls for optimum sound so our neighbors don't get blasted with sound every time we set up a drum kit. All the framing and sound channel for the walls around the perimeter of the room is up and this very day the first round of sheet rocking is under way. Two layers of 5/8" sheet rock separated by Green Glue for added sound absorption. After the perimeter of the room is done they will begin framing in the isolation booths, entrance room, a large closet and the wall between the control room and tracking room. It will all be finished in two weeks (God help us).

New Studio

After a year and a half in the current Two Pillars location I have found a bigger and better space in Northeast Minneapolis! Here is what it looked like when I first signed the lease...Notice the TWO pillars!!!

the final masters are in...

Back in January I was asked to stop by the studio for the drum tracking of the band North. They were considering me as the producer of the album. The drum tracks were finished and after a few weeks of jostling a few things around the project was officially in my hands. Since then we have poured over the right instruments for the right parts and the best sounds we could get for each, not to mention a name change (we're now called Greycoats). Now, eight months later the project is finished and I am thrilled. Since this is more of an art-rock band I was able to take some production liberties and add some really interesting instruments that I have acquired over the years...

Omnichord
Stylophone
Sheng
Taisho-Goto (aka the guitarpwriter)
Bowed Bells
Wine Glasses
Spence Harp (a unique auto-harp made in Brainerd by Bill Spence)
Toy Piano
and more...

We had set a date to master the project, as every artist needs a deadline, and found ourselves frantically making final adjustments until 5am the morning of. I worked twenty hours straight that day but every lost minute of sleep was worth it, as this is easily some of my best work. We will be pushing this album as hard as we can and will even be touring in the fall with a band from California called Loquat. If you would like to hear a sample you can go to www.myspace.com/greycoats

real strings...

A couple weeks ago my friends Ben Rosenbush and Faith Miller came in to the studio to add the beauty of real strings to the Tim Lemmens project. They played on four songs. Two of them I had done string arrangements for, which they just played and the other two were more improvised. I love the richness that strings bring to a song. These two came in and played all over the Caitlyn Smith album Face Over Heels and I just had to ask them back again. Tim was in the holy land for a couple weeks, came back and went full speed ahead into camp season and we will be reuniting next week to finish tracking. Hope to be done mixing in August. In the meantime I have been mixing the greycoats record and couldn't be more excited. More to come...

north... er, greycoats rather

The other album I am producing right now is a band called greycoats. Formerly known as North, the band called me up looking for someone to produce their project. They had recorded this album in it's entirety at another studio on their own and decided (after restructuring many of the songs) to take it again, this time with a producer. Since they are long time acquaintances of mine and have used me to record/mix other projects they have worked on it seemed to be a natural fit. Greycoats also found themselves in need of a bass player and I decided it was a good time in my life to step into a more serious performing group. The drums, Rhodes and piano were recorded back in January at a studio just four blocks from Two Pillars called Fur Seal. Back at Two Pillars Jon, the singer/guitarist has been tracking guitar and vocals, I tracked all the bass, their keyboard player, Titus came in and sorted through all the keyboard parts he laid down at Fur Seal and the drummer, Mike came in to play shakers, tambourine, and jingle bells. They have a song called "Spiritual," which needed some interesting rhythm tracks. We decided to record these tracks outside since it fit the feel of the song. Mike recorded the stamping of his feet on the pavement, banging a hammer on a metal pipe and dropping a handful of heavy chains on the ground in rhythm to the song. Since they had recorded many parts for the album already and wanted to utilize some of those tracks, Jon brought in a media disc filled with cello parts, marching bass drum, bells, accordion, clarinet and er-hu. The only problem was that the tempo changed on a couple of the songs. Since it was only off by 2-3 beats per minute I was able to time stretch the audio without changing the pitch and line them up. I am still surprised at how good it sounds after taking such an audio beating as time-stretching. Greycoats has more of a brit-rock feel. Imagine Morrisey singing Coldplay songs with the back up band of Sigur Ros, with the overall musical direction by Thom Yorke.

Tim Lemmens

I am in the process of producing two full records by two local artists. The first is a veteran of the Twin Cities music scene. His name is Tim Lemmens and his sound is inspired by the likes of Dave Matthews, John Mayer and Maroon5. We have been feverishly tracking everything part by part, which has allowed us to be quite picky about each musical moment that passes. His drummer Aaron and guitarist Mike both did a fantastic job. I laid down all the bass tracks and between Tim and myself we are adding various keyboard parts. I have these new API pre's that sound amazing especially combined with my two Distressors. I am finding it difficult to go to my other top notch pre's because the API's sound so pristine. The newness will undoubtedly wear off and I will give some time back to the other slightly jealous preamps. We have all the bed tracks laid and are currently and simultaneously doing Tim's vocals and adding other ear candy moments like synth, Wurlitzer electric piano, rhythmic loops, Rhodes, Hammond organ, pump organ, Casio keyboard drum beats, thumb piano, etc. Once these things are done we will focus on background vocals and the album will be ready to mix. The key ingredient to the recording success of this project is the monstrous upgrade to HD3. Good bye LE. You have run a good race but the inevitable has finally come to fruition.

Save the Cookie - part dva (that's two in Slovak)

My girlfriend and I just returned from Slovakia. It was one part vacation, one part work. On the vacation side of it we got to see Bratislava, Vienna and Prague. The Save the Cookie album "Phantastic" has been released all over Slovakia and we spent a couple days shooting a music video for the song "My Music." I was blown away by the quality, as it is easily comparable to any high-budget music video I have seen on this side of the pond. In the video I play a big record label executive and am signing a contract with them. As I push the contract towards them a gust of wind blows all the contract papers around the room. I freeze in time and the camera will circle around me (a la the Matrix) with the papers floating through the air. It was really fun to be a part of it. We also took some time in the studio to write a new song for their next record. The song is called Sugartown and after we finished writing it I produced Monika's vocals, like I did back in August when I was there last. We're going to keep writing music from opposite sides of the world and when they are ready to record again, Monika will either fly to America to work in my studio or I will return to Bratislava. Be sure to check out Save the Cookie at www.savethecookie.eu. Hopefully the video will be available soon on their site or on youtube.