i have happened across a couple of unappreciative reviews of Queen of Smooth’s new lead single from new album ‘Soldier of Love’. A Guardian review concluded the track was lame and dull with not much happening (from what i recall). Yet i was struck by the track immediately when played on Radio 2 when it was record of the week a while ago (and not heard much of it since).

It was the slick beat snare rolls (surely quantised/programmed?) and general stylish yet warm beat production. Then it was the space between, as the grace laid in the not much going on factor for me. And this all supported the barren battle-worn story of the track. And then Sade’s silky poised vocals therein telling the story of her service as a soldier in this minefield. One for the head, heart and haunches hence gets my approval.

Granted the rest of the album is a bit too cheesy and formula for me. But this track rocks and so does Ms Adu (writer, producer and programmer on most album tracks), even if she may have succumbed to a splash of cosmetic stretching…

Embedding of video has been disabled by Sony – now that is boring…So press here for the also slick and spacious video

Having absorbed and enjoyed the new album ‘Silence’ from Robert Henke as Monolake, he was obliging enough to satiate my curiousity about his commitment to produce this album employing absolutely no compression.

Now, it seems compression is considered by some, perhaps many, audio engineers as a vital audio sculpting tool alongside EQ and reverb as the most used (and perhaps misused) processor especially in our prevalent in your face pop/electronic production styles.

Hence, I was eager to enquire the story behind making an album without using compression and what Herr Henke’s intentions were. I found this album an elegant production with certainly a softer feel than most electronic productions though still with enough presence to enchant the listener.

I hope you find it tasty food for thought and do feel free to further explore the discussion with your own feelings/thoughts upon the matter…

* Q1. You may be most described/known as a (minimal) techno producer but I feel there is much more going on. How would u define yourself? What are your musical/artistic aims?

Robert: I am somehow in the middle between being an engineer and an artist. I like the art of engineering, and the art of making art. My aims? I guess, achieving something that is touching in some way

* Q2. Were you engineer, musician or artist first? And now, would you say you are an engineer, musician or artist first?

Robert: I come from an engineering background, family-wise. But I knew from a very early stage onwards, that I wanted to do something that is connected to art / music.

* Q3. On first impressions I found “Silence” lighter & brighter in the higher frequencies, there is plenty of clarity, space & transparency and the bass is warm, yet full and rounded – the kick drums still have punch. Overall a gentle warm & pretty sound that seems happily co-agulated without the usual tool of compression. To what extent would you say this could be due to the ‘no compression policy’?

Robert: I guess a lot. But my initial approach came from another perspective: When recording physical instruments, compression seems to make sense to me; one can achieve a certain level of intimacy by making the quiet parts louder, enhance those interesting details in the background etc… However, in my compositional process I do this already when creating the sounds itself. I build my own backgrounds, and therefore I can simply decide how prominent they are by mixing and editing. This to me eliminates the need for compression on this part.

The other classical use of compression is working with its dynamic effects. I know people who make great use of that, but when ever I tried it so far, at the end I preferred to leave it out. In most cases I simply don’t like it if I hear a compressor ‘working’. And if it is very subtle I can get the same effects by other means.

There’s of course a third interesting part of the story and this is how to use compression in a mix. I realize that my non compression approach has its disadvantages; playing this CD on a cheap stereo is not rewarding. The same goes for most headphones. In this regard, my decision was quite elitist. I wanted it to sound good on a good stereo.

Back to mixing: without compression, the art of mixing becomes much more important. Since every sound has space, there is much more room for placement, but also much more chances to do it wrong. I feel that in most cases I achieved a quite satisfying balance here, and that in those cases the individual sounds really do have an aura around them, and this is what i wanted to achieve.

* Q4. Upon headphone listening I noticed the bold panning/stereo fx decisions. Is this normal stereo field behaviour for you? Almost reminded me of some Beatles productions..

Robert: Ha, funny comparison. I have actually never listened to it with headphones. I know that I should, just to make sure it works with all those millions of mp3 players out there, but I simply didn’t. I don’t even know why I never took care of it. I guess I just trusted my speaker setup in the studio. Apart from that, I really enjoy wide stereo effects. I will have to listen to the album again with headphones now

* Q5. Was this album produced using Ableton?

Robert: Yes. It’s simply my host of choice. And also, I am always annoyed by those folks telling you that Ableton Live does not sound as good as (insert Logic/Protools etc.. here ). Now I can say, well, I personally believe I managed to produce a decent album entirely within this software.

* Q6. As a mastering engineer yourself, how closely did you work with Rashad Becker on the mastering of this album?

Robert: I am always present at his studio when he is doing it. Sometimes I even tap on his shoulder saying: Uhm, I think without that EQ here it sounded more how I would like it. And then we discuss and come to an agreement.

Another great advantage of the production entirely in Live: in one case during the mastering we both found that a specific element was way to prominent in the mix. Something I would in retrospect call a typical mixing mistake. Someone else should do my mixing in the future. However, we decided that it is better to change it in the mix instead of ‘master around it’. We opened the session in Live, lowered one part by -3dB and transfered that better version over to his workstation. All this within ten minutes.

Once Rashad is done, there is a very last step: I grab all the files after the mastering and do the final timing adjustment, the silence/overlaps between the pieces and sometimes even little level corrections (piece 3 a bit less loud…) a few days later at home. This is something which needs time and Rashad’s time is too expensive to use it for this. I also want to do it with some distance from the main mastering process.

In our relationship he is the spectral genius, I am the manufacturing and quality assurance department

*Q7. Will you be continuing a gar kein compression approach or was this a one-off experiment/statement? i know I’m using less already..

Robert: As a general strategy, for sure. As a dogma: no.

For Monolake album info and site apply finger compression here and for full transcript of his interview in the Wire Jan 2010 press here

Ok, quick caveat/disclaimer/excuse: i would like to re-iterate this is my first imovie (free version) experiment and i actually did intend and allow myself a high cheese factor therein.

So, back to the track. This is a collaboration with fellow Manc electronic activist Paul Green. I heard this track on his soundcloud and instantly thought of an escapist, let’s get away from it all paradise beach holiday feeling. And so we recorded some vocals and he accused me of going lounge jazz. Yea, i can do lounge jazz – bring on the spectrum of moods and voices.

So, this is intended as a depth of winter gift if you, like me, have chosen to reside in a cold, grey, long winter clime. And shall not be jetting off to a tranquil beach holiday, only wondering where the next coconut vessel cocktail will appear.

I hope you enjoy the cheese and virtual vitamin D

here’s a sweet video by an artist by name of Jutta for the Moon on a Spoon track that is now out on Die Puppe’s first album called “A Doll’s House”. A pretty product to behold it is too, with 2 tracks embellished with the voice and words from me.

…experimental electronica and all that un-razzmatazz just don’t stoke the fires in the eyes i know. so i sometimes turn to laurie anderson/bjork comparatives and feel i am cheating myself of my own approach and intention as well as sounding like i trying to be somebody (else)…emotional stuff, sounds support the story and can come from electronics, voice or invited instrumentalists…sometimes singing, sometimes speaking, often in between…sometimes hard beats sometimes no beats at all…any offerings in a nutshell type thingy warmly welcomed. go on, tell it to me straight – or wonky if more appropriate.

derek sivers on refining this art:

words matter

describe your music

Came across an interview with Tom Jackson in CD baby podcast #043. It is his livelihood but he got me thinking on the special set of ingredients that bake or fry a magic performance. Being good live is another skill on top of being a good musician, vocal/musical training. He talks of the central point of a gig is to create moments, then the audience want to take the song home cos they want to feel that moment again.

What is that moment/those moments? For me as an audience member i feel it is intimate or authentically expressive, when they show their fragility/raw reason for writing the track. To snatch a glimpse of their duende at play with my almost naked eye. I am touched by performers that carry out the song how they feel (like) it. O, and i’m afraid i do like a bit of chat – i am there in the same room as this person who is usually on represented by plastic or radiowaves (etc..please adapt as appropriate to your chosen listening mediums).

I would like to feel like i knew them a little more as a human. Being. Tom Jackson talks of emotional connection between audience and artist/stage occupier. Don’t agree with wanting to emulate Bono but there is some useful nuggets for thought in here. Planning, personality and adapt technical/creative structure of output for live appeal – taking yer time.

“create moments, not just songs”

Full interview here

I have been somewhat reticent at emitting this post at risk of seeming completely self-immersed, and actually being open about the physical pain that lives in me. But a few dear friends and peers assure me, try to convince me that my story is interesting and may be of use/worth to others. Plus I read this nice quote that “self-knowledge actually leads away from self-absorption” (Stephanie Dowrick) cos the more u know the less u need to gaze in yer navel.

And it is new album “til you’re no longer blinkered” theme related stuff. Since a hardcore new level of pain and sacral dismantlement, I have once again been sent back to my drawing board, back to base. back to the being rather limited, exhausted and horizontal. Surgeon consultants, doctors and painkillers. unable to meet a straight-forward mechanical explanation or solution, I had to stop. Again. So many questions. And forced to consider (again) that my physical pain seems linked to emotional stuff. For me.

Sleep, dreams and free health spa trials are more useful to me than painkillers. And then came the timely suggestions of CDs, books, tabletop dishwasher (i know bad for climate change, but a life/body saver for me and i do use it responsibly) and alternative/natural treatments. I did a guided meditation and the nasty gnawing nerve pain evaporated. Bonkers. Apparently there was no “ebb and flow” of spinal fluid going beyond my bellybutton. And i feel some mad seismic shifts going on – anyone remember the castrol GTX TV ads in the 80’s? Dreams have uncovered emotional backlog and practical next steps.

i have surrendered to this process, even tho it feels like the pain might swallow me up some days. In the hope that this is impermanent – a shedding of more stale skins – so i can be stronger, lighter, brighter and more useful…or at least more able and less exhausted. And it’s almost unfolding as a somewhat fascinating journey – an accelerated spell of curvatious learning for sure. In what we are made of and the habits we inhabit…the stuff i love to wax lyrical like a candle that can burn at both ends at the same time without risk of being finite.

So, you see it is inextricably linked with the musical output…

The plain and the pressure
in perfekt disharmony;
The plain, the pressure
in imperfect harmony

Manc based engineering & musical companyera Janet Wolstenhome invited me to play a few tracks live and almost unplugged at her friend’s get-together which turned out to be a thoroly fun creative and otherwise sharing. Despite being rather disabled by my chronic pain, I usually quite cheerfully lug around my dozen or so devices, with their corresponding power adaptors and cables (they’re the hefty bits). i jumped at the chance/excuse of well this is stripped down and not as full/much to rehearse/set up. Played “say trees” (a request, my ode to the abundance and splendour of berlin’s tree population) with only a tarabouka, and first track from my new album called “mammoth mountain” – all strings and scintillating effects in the recordings) on a budget roland keyboard – would have taken the pocket casio had it not been monophonic. I could tell i was communicating more clearly what the songs are essentially about. and i felt really comfortable and relaxed – i thought it would be intense, scary to be so intimate with yer audience. And i got a chance to know them (so it’s not all me, me, me for a change) and even their talents for singing, scriptwriting or playing bodhran. It got me thinking, i like this and hope to do it again. Also resolved to youtube these 2 songs in their stripped down personable-ness as it was mentioned they might be stronger more stripped down.

i first heard steve lawson raving on about this channel of income and playing live outlet for him at the Unconvention panel we shared in 2009 . He has actually set up a site and what i may even hazard to describe as a micro movement, with manifesto and how-to step by step instructions outlined at microgigs.net. He even has an article on his wow-how-does-he-find-the-time-and-energy-to-do-all-this blog steve lawson.net.
Dunno about the price structures, i much prefer a pay as much as u can/want – but great he has a strategy at all. Maybe i may align myself to this micro movement in a not so macro way…

“A true one-off and one of Manchester’s best kept secrets.” Oh the true randomness of reviews…Thanks to Cath Aubergine for spreading me words tho..

Photo snatched by Paul Green.

Submit some of your weight on here to delve therein

Happened across this metaphor (thank you mr doodlebug) – simplistic and formulaic i know – about our need/desire for connection/intimacy…interesting one to ponder, relating to the as we don’t speak ever blossoming forthcoming album-ness: help thyself and in turn be happier and healthier with others?

tis only a theory…