Jonathan Schenke is a go-to producer for the indie-rock élite, having worked on albums for Dirty Beaches, Parquet Courts, and Frankie Rose, among others. He steps out from behind the mixing boards with this exaggerated electro-funk project, which he shares with the multi-instrumentalist Bob Jones. The duo, which builds synth-based soundscapes that would not be out of place in an early-eighties slasher flick, has released two self-titled records; this year’s is grinding and quirky, full of deep club tunes with the Korg-inflected whimsy of early New Wave bands like Oingo Boingo and the Buggles. They perform with Yvette, a raw industrial duo whose jagged tracks should come with cautionary signage.
It’s been waaaaayyyy toooo loooong since I’ve updated this page, and as a result I’ve decided to switch this page over to a more standard blog-style format from here on out: shorter updates more often. In the meantime, here’s a ton of things that I’ve worked on which have come out in the last few months:
The Drums released their new record “Abysmal Thoughts”, the first for Anti Records. The reception has been across-the-board good, with a variety of publications proclaiming the “music has never been better” (AV Club), “the purest version of his vision yet” (Allmusic), and “a treasure chest of an album in which you’ll find something different and unique hiding within each listen” (Paste). I worked closely with Jonny Pierce on this – (re)recording many of the live instruments, developing arrangements, adding synths and effects, and mixing the entire album. The album was beautifully mastered by Joe LaPorta at Sterling Sound, and I’m thrilled by this being out in the world. Watch the video for lead single “Blood Under My Belt” and stream the album in its entirety below.
Eaters – my electronic/art rock group with Bob Jones and Christopher Duffy – released our second untitled record on Dull Tools. CLRVYNT debuted the first single “Embrace the Strange” ( “It’s a gnarly track, illustrating how the band can rocket from one starting point to the far reaches of space”), Impose and Brooklyn Vegan ran some insightful interviews, and positive reviews graced Post-Trash, Flood, and YellowGreenRed. Favorite quote (from Post Trash): “Eaters have made an album that rewards those who listen by providing a different experience each time you put it on. Layered, complex, and varied, it pays off in different ways. It’s a record that gives you new favorite moments after you listen. Like light going through glass, the sounds refract outward based on who is listening. Give it a listen and see what sounds make it to you.” We’ve got some great shows coming up late-summer/early-fall, and new songs and sculptures in the works – stay tuned.
Gold Dime – the arty no-wave trio led by Talk Normal’s Andrya Ambro – released their debut Nerves on Fire Talk. I mixed this expansive feedback-soaked LP last year, Sarah Register mastered it, and it’s been gaining nice press from Impose, Brooklyn Vegan, AdHoc, and more. They’re playing around NYC quite a bit, and you can stream/purchase the LP directly below:
NYC singer-songwriter Tica Douglas released their latest album Our Lady Star of the Sea, Help Us And Protect Us on Team Love. I mixed and mastered this album, which ranges from intimate guitar-and-voice ballads to full-blown compositions with synths, drums, horns and more. Tica and the LP received a great deal of press, with features in MTV, Impose, CLRVYNT, and Bandcamp (who also named it one of the spring’s best releases). Stream it below and then go pick up a copy on LP.
Australian darkwave maestro Buzz Kull released his debut LP Chroma. I co-produced/mixed/mastered over the course of many months, trading files back and forth as the songs took shape. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m so happy to see this killer LP out. Chroma is out now on Burning Rose, and you can stream it on their Soundcloud.
Canadian trio Telecomo recently released their debut album For Sale. I recorded/mixed/mastered this collection of tightly-wound jangly garage anthems, which you can stream below and purchase from their Bandcamp page.
Prog-punk/psychedelic hardcore group Fucked Up released the Year of the Snake EP, the latest in their ongoing series of Zodiac-themed epics. Noisey interviewed the guitarist/song-writer Mike Haliechuk about the record (which I mastered), calling this EP “the best one next to 2008’s 19-minute long Year of the Pig.” Pitchfork also praised the EP, saying “even after decades’ worth of relaxing boundaries, Fucked Up bastardize hardcore in a way that gives off the thrill of creative heresy.” Year of the Snake is out now on Tankcrimes.
Former Dirty Beaches ringleader Alex Zhang-Hungtai has a trio called Love Theme. Their new self-titled LP (which I mastered) is out now via Alter, with songs on Pitchfork and FADER, and they’re touring North America this September. Check it out:
The Tills – a wild and catchy psych-garage group from North Carolina – released their new LP CANON. I mastered this record, which was recorded and mixed at The Fidelitorium by Missy Thangs, and it slays. Amplifier Magazine and Clture both featured the group, calling it “thoughtfully unkempt and unpredictable at times, catchy yet familiar”. CANON is out now on Phuzz Records.
And NYC-based glitch-pop duo HDLSS recently released the LP Selections from DUMB. I mastered this record along with my studio partner Yale Yng-Wong, and tracks have been featured on FADER, Stereogum, and Noisey. Stream the thing below:
I also edited and mixed the feature-length film component of Radical Hospitality, a long-form installation by Montana Simone at IDIO Gallery, as well as assisted on sound-design for the installation itself. The project is based on her experiences while traveling through the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Western Europe, being welcomed in both “hostile” cultures and by refugees alike. The abstract film serves as the guide/anchor to the installation, which also featured large-scale sculptures, interactive music, and a zine of found photographs. The trailer is streaming below.
Thank you for reading. Please write me at jonathan [dot] schenke [at] gmail to get in touch.
Happy New Year everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve updated the site – it was crazy end to 2016…
My group Eaters put together an installation of sound and light sculptures at Knockdown Center in December. Entitled Eyes Have Brightened, the exhibition opened as part of the massive Parquet Courts event (where I mixed their set as well) and was up through the end of the season. From the statement:
Building on the visual and sonic vocabulary of their unique live music performances, the show features sound and light sculptures and immersive installation elements by Christopher Duffy. This will be the New York premiere of their performative sound sculpture ‘Moment of Inertia’, and will feature a new soundtrack for the installation composed by Bob Jones and Jonathan Schenke.
‘Eyes Have Brightened’ installation shot, photo by Steven Probert
At Chris’ suggestion, Bob and I spent a few days making some improvised, beat-less instrumental music for the installation. Prisms, the resulting soundtrack album, was featured on Brooklyn Vegan and AdHoc, who called it “transportive… full of minimalist tones, Prisms oscillates between hopeful and buoyant swells to eerie and confounding synths.” Prisms is streaming below, and available to download from Bandcamp.
Tangentially, I was featured in an Eventide video, where I discussed their new TEC Award-nominated plugin TVerb. I was a consultant and “alpha-tester” for the plugin (which is inspired by Tony Visconti’s recording techniques employed on David Bowie’s “Heroes”), and used it throughout the mixing of the upcoming sophomore Eaters LP (due this spring on Dull Tools). Check out the video on Eventide’s Facebook page.
NYC psych-punks The Men released their sixth album Devil Music in November. The back-to-basics LP was recorded live-to-tape in their practice space by Jordan Lovelace (of Pampers and Tournament), and I mixed/mastered it at Doctor Wu’s with the group last spring. Many reviewers have used terms like “raw”, “caustic”, “cathartic”, and “primal” – all of which are apt descriptions for this awesome show of force. Devil Music is available on LP/download now via We Are The Men/Sacred Bones, and is streaming below.
Speaking of Tournament, the rawk-n-rollers released their new EP Take The Wheel via Colonel Records in October. Also tracked live-to-tape by Jordan and mixed/mastered by me with the band at Doctor Wu’s, the EP is six songs of rowdy good-times. As Noisey put it: “there is nothing more true to the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll—as it was originally intended, that is—as playing your heart out in a garage as if it were a packed, smoke-filled arena.” Take The Wheel is available now on LP, cassette and download via Colonel Records, and is streaming below.
Shop Talk‘s self-titled debut was released on LP last fall as well. The group plays a kind of melodic, slightly twangy, classic “punk” – instantly recognizable yet completely its own thing. Kyle Keays-Hagerman tracked the band at his studio and I recorded the vocals and mixed/mastered it at Doctor Wu’s, wrapping it up back in 2015. The band (featuring members of Queening, Liturgy, and Pygmy Shrews) has done a couple tours and a bunch of local shows since then, and has been covered in The Deli and Brooklyn Vegan, so it’s awesome to see this get a proper pressing. Shop Talk is out now on Brainbox Records and is streaming below.
I worked with Operator Music Band on their debut full-length Puzzlephonics I & II in October. They’re a Brooklyn quartet who create electronic pop songs around relentless motorik grooves with tag-team male/female vocals. Dara Hirsch (one of the singer/guitarist/synth players) recorded the songs at Gravesend Recordings (in the Silent Barn), and we mixed and mastered it at Doctor Wu’s. The album will be out later this year on New Professor Music – in the meantime, take the opportunity to check out their single Materielmusik, go see them live (a real treat!), or pick up one of the pedals made by Jared Hiller (the other co-singer/guitarist/synth player) and his company L0/Rez…the Mona Lisa Overdrive is one of the most insane things I’ve plugged in!
In November, I mixed and mastered the new record by Tica Douglas, entitled Our Lady Star of the Sea, Help Us and Protect Us. Tica’s last record Joey was featured in Pitchfork, Impose, and other zines, and this new one was recorded by Ryan Dieringer (who co-produced Joey as well) in various locations upstate. I really admire the ambition of this record – which shifts from intimate, singer/songwriter moments to densely-packed arrangements featuring horns, synths, and a rocking band – and I had the songs stuck in my head for weeks. Our Lady Star of the Sea will be out later this year on Team Love Records.
I also mastered a few singles at the end of the year: The Tills’ “I Don’t Wanna Be Here Blues” (which has a killer video, and whose upcoming album Shannin I mastered last year as well), Dark Tea’s “Providence Sky” (a side project of Gary Canino of the band Rips – check the Impose feature and accompanying video too), and a pair of singles by Brian Chillemi and his band Junk Boys.
Video-wise: In and Out of Control, a short film by Emir Eralp featuring a score by Eaters, has continued to receive wide acclaaim, winning accolades in Istanbul, Berlin, London, and other festivals around the world. And Hospital Head Doctor – a short film by Dean Fleischer-Camp and Jenny Slate (of Marcel the Shell, Catherine, and other projects) which I sound-designed and mixed back in 2015 – was recently released and awarded a Vimeo Staff Pick. Watch it below.
Hi everyone, long time no post. I’ve been in the studio and/or traveling over the past few months… here’s an attempt to catch up:
NYC scuzz-rockers The Men have announced their upcoming album Devil Music. They recorded it live in their practice space with Jordan Lovelace (of Pampers and Tournament), and we mixed/mastered it at Doctor Wu’s this spring. It’s a rawkus return to form for these guys – fans of the early albums should be psyched! Noisey premiered the first single “Lion’s Den” and asked some questions of guitarist/singer Nick Chiericozzi – check it out! Devil Music is out November 11th on We Are The Men.
Australian dark-wave artist Buzz Kull premiered “Tomorrow’s Ghosts” on Noisey. It’s the new single from the upcoming album Chroma, which I co-produced/mixed/mastered this LP long-distance over the course of a year or so. Buzz Kull is supporting The Soft Moon on their Australian tour this fall – a perfect fit. Chroma is out soon via Stellar Kinematics.
On the Eaters front: Our remix of Parquet Courts’ “Human Performance” was released as a single, and the Performing Human EP is out now on Rough Trade. Parquet Courts has also invited us to create an installation at the Knockdown Center in Queens, NY on December 10th – tickets are on-sale now, and more information is available here. And our new LP will be out in Spring 2017 – we’re finishing art and masters now.
New releases available now:
Parquet Courts – Performing Human EP (in addition to the Eaters remix, I mixed the ‘Dreamland Version’ of the song and mastered the EP)
Kel Valhaal – New Introductory Lectures… (Hunter Hunt-Hendrix from Liturgy’s solo electronic project, which I mixed and recorded vocals at Doctor Wu’s – check out his interview with Paper Mag)
A couple records by Alex Zhang-Hungtai, formerly Dirty Beaches: Ancora, a live improvisational recording with David Maranha and Gabriel Ferrandini on Grain of Sound (which I mixed and mastered) and Knave of Hearts, a collection of drones and solo-piano on Ascetic House (which I mastered)
Holly Overton – The Split EP (the MPHO singer/songwriter backed by Jason Kelly from Fergus & Geronimo/Future Punx and Ben Jaffe from Pill. I recorded/mixed/mastered this earlier this year)
Brian Chillemi – I Went to Town EP (Junk Boys/Organs singer/songwriter goes solo, check it out on Impose or on cassette via Time Castle Recordings. I mastered this.)
‘Bluebeard’ – a short film by Rachel Cole and Kimberlee Venable, which I mixed – will premiere at Bushwick Film Festival
I recently did an interview with the podcast The Stonehall Sessions. The host Riley had done quite a bit of listening to my back-catalogue, and we had a great talk about recording and the creative process. The title about sums it up perfectly: “Work on it Until You Don’t Want to Work on it Anymore”
I spent a couple weeks in Germany this summer working on a record with the group Behave. Their music is catchy, creative, and grooving rock – fans of classic 10cc, kraut rock, and the Captured Tracks roster take note! We recorded to a Studer A800 using a bunch of vintage Neumann and AKG mics, and the results sound amazing. I’m putting the finishing touches on the mixes now, so hopefully this record will be out early next year.
Shortly after returning, I began working with The Drums on their new LP. Their previous releases had been performed and recorded almost entirely by band-leader Jonny Pierce, but he wanted to try things a bit differently this time. We took his original sessions, recorded live drums (at Thump), and spent a month at Doctor Wu’s adding to/replacing/re-arranging/mixing the record. I am immensely proud of the work we did – it’s a beautiful, imaginative, and immediately memorable collection of songs. Joe LaPorta will be mastering it at Sterling Sound, and it should be out in Spring 2017. I can’t wait for people to hear it.
Last week, I worked with the Brooklyn buzz-band The Britanys on their debut EP. Their early singles were home-recorded and mixed by Gordon Raphael (of Is This It fame), and the group has already gained an eager following from publications like NME (who premiered a video while we were in the studio). We spent a few days at Seaside Lounge recording to 8-track tape, and mixed and mastered at Doctor Wu’s. Expect to hear a lot more soon.
And in between all of this, I mastered a couple of records: a brilliantly damaged new LP by PC Worship for Northern Spy; and a go-for-broke gonzo rock record by The Tills from North Carolina. Both are excellent, and should hopefully be out sooner rather than later.
Oh! And Eventide‘s TVerb (for which I was I was a consultant and alpha tester) was just nominated for a TEC Award! I’m working with Eventide on some other software and gear now… super exciting stuff.
Thank you for reading – if you’d like to talk about sound, please write jonathan [dot] schenke [at] gmail [dot] com
Eventide Audio, the legendary effects and gear manufacturer, recently announced their latest plugin TVerb. The plugin was developed in association with producer Tony Visconti, based on the fabled recording technique used on David Bowie’s “Heroes”, where he used multiple gated microphones placed at varying distances to capture the size of Bowie’s voice in the hall at Hansa Studios. I worked with designers Joe Waltz and Adrienne Humblet as an “alpha tester” and sounding board to help develop the plugin, and contributed a handful of presets I developed on the new Eaters LP. It’s not only a fantastic sounding reverb, but also an inventive approach to sound design that can yield some pretty unique results. Check out Tony Visconti introducing TVerb below.
The psych/prog sextet Cloud Becomes Your Hand have announced their new LP Rest in Fleas. I mixed and mastered the LP with head-Cloud Stephe Cooper and the band last fall, and I love this record – wild yet precise, hilarious and horrendous, it hits all the spots that you would want from a prog-pop opus. FACT Mag and Tiny Mix Tapes have both written excitedly about the new record, sharing a bonkers new trailer and the dizzying first single “Bridge of Ignorance Returns” (hear below). FACT says the band have “such a knack for silly, cartoonish melodies that it can almost distract that they’re one of the most technically dazzling experimental rock bands on the rise.” They’re hitting the road soon with label-mates Horse Lords… don’t miss out! Rest in Fleas is out May 27th on Northern Spy.
Honey Radar is back with another batch of lo-fi pop-gems called Blank Cartoon. Band-leader and old pal Jason Henn spoke with Noisey about the record, who also premiered the “busted pop” of the single “Fort Wayne Mermaids”. Pitchfork reviewed the track as well, writing “Lo-fi, catchy, and classic-sounding, Honey Radar’s albums evoke a dirt-covered Nuggets collection from an alternate universe.” Raven Sings the Blues shared the “hypnotic swirl and noxious chug” of “Caterpillar”, and Treblephonic posted an insightful interview about the background of the project. I mastered this LP over the winter, it’s awesome, and available May 20 on What’s Your Rupture.
Parquet Courts recently released Human Performance to widespread acclaim and are out on tour now in support of it, but before they left, we worked on an EP of remixes and alternate versions of the title track. I mixed a slower, more meditative version of the song called “Performing Human”, worked with my bandmate Bob Jones to create an Eaters remix, and mastered the EP (which also includes a dubbed-out remix by Chris P of Future Punx/Dull Tools). The EP is due later this year on Rough Trade.
After some well-deserved time off and stripping back to a quartet, hard rockers The Men have completed a new LP called Devil Music. They recorded it completely live (vocals and all) in their practice space with Jordan Lovelace (of Tournament/Pampers), and I recently mixed and mastered it at Doctor Wu’s. It’s totally gnarly and woolly – fans of The Men’s first few records will be thrilled. Devil Music should be out later this year.
I also recently worked with Mark Perro from the Men on another project – Midnight People, the debut album from MPHO. We recorded at Seaside Lounge at the beginning of the year, and mixed and mastered the LP at Doctor Wu’s. The group – which also features singer/songwriter Holly Overton and bassist Russ Hymowitz – shifted gears a bit on this recording, with the addition of a live drummer to the lineup. The record still shares much with the melodic synth pop of their first EPs, but pushes in a rock/new-wave vibe with the more “live-band” dynamic. Midnight People should hopefully be out soon.
I’ve recently put the finishing touches on Chroma, the new album by Australian dark-wave group Buzz Kull. I first worked with Marcel Whyler on his single “Dreams”, co-producing/mixing/mastering it, and paving the way to this record. It’s great – heavy and danceable rhythms, moody and memorable hooks, with an interesting array of sounds and textures. Chroma will be out later this year on Stellar Kinematics.
I’ve also been working with bizarro rock/synth noise band Ice Balloons to finish up their new LP. We recorded a handful of tracks down at Seaside Lounge earlier this year and the group recorded a number of others themselves. We took the batch into Doctor Wu’s to mix, and I’m mastering it now.
I’ve worked on a handful of masters over the last couple of months as well. Alex Zhang Hungtai (formerly Dirty Beaches, currently Last Lizard) sent me a record’s worth of solo piano and field recordings, entitled Nina. This beautiful and haunting collection will be out later this year on Ascetic House. I mastered a record of blissed-out synth jams by Barry London (of Oneida) for Decontrol Records; a single by Alex Rose, a singer-songwriter associated with GODMODE’s House of Feelings; a bluesy solo EP by lead Junk Boy Brian Chillemi; and the lead single by Obliques (formerly Zulu Pearls) for Cantora Records.
Many other projects are in the works too, and hopefully it won’t take another two months to update again… if it does, don’t forget to check out the Cloud Becomes Your Hand and Honey Radar records in the next few weeks! Thanks for reading.
In fall 2014, Parquet Courts and PC Worship toured together in Europe, playing individual sets as well as a collaborative set under the name PCPC. They wrote a bunch of new material specifically for these shows, loose and noisy tunes that drew influences from both camps. Their performance at Ramsgate Music Hall in Kent, England was captured, and with no studio recording, it is the only document of this project. I mixed and mastered it with members of the group last summer, and the performance is now available on LP and digital download via Dull Tools. Check out my jam “I Know (You)” below, or head over the Dull Tools Bandcamp page to pick up a copy for you and your friends.
Shortly after their tour supporting their debut LP Rituals, I went back into the studio with Honduras to work on a new EP called Gathering Rust. We recorded the tracks at Thump Studios in Brooklyn and mixed/mastered at Doctor Wu’s this winter, and these new songs show the band building upon the strengths of the LP and their time on the road. NME debuted the first single “Hollywood”, and the follow-up “That Old Feeling” recently hit The Fader. The Gathering Rust EP is out this week, and the band is currently on the road with Sunflower Bean on their way down to SXSW. Check out “Hollywood” below:
I spent some time in the studio last fall with Jordan Bernstein (of PC Worship and the Dreebs) to help bring his new project Jordonna into focus. It’s a far cry from the damaged noise rock of either of those groups, focusing instead on trap beats, prepared guitar, and male/female rapping/singing. Far out stuff, for sure. Jordan, along with Marilu Donovan and Heidi Beth Ferrell, recently released the debut LP The Wallet in its entirety via Soundcloud, along with some videos and live performances. Stream the video for “Mad Dog” below, and visit the Jordonna Soundcloud page to stream the album in full.
Bronze Float recently released their second LP Standard Final Candle. Led by David Brant, the personnel on the record includes many of my old friends from the rotating Elephant Micah/Vollmar/Honey Radar crew. I mixed and mastered this record with David back in 2014, and it’s a pleasure to be able to share these tender, beautiful recordings with the public. Fans of Arthur Russell’s album Love is Overtaking Me, Sebadoh’s more reined-in moments, and Skip Spence will find much to enjoy here. The limited-edition hand-cut LP is already sold out, but you can download and stream the album via Third Uncle.
Eaters – my project in collaboration with Bob Jones (music) and Christopher Duffy (visuals) – created a sound and light installation at Machines in Magnets (in Pawtucket, RI) in January/February. The show included our prepared-turntable sound sculpture Moment of Inertia, as well as a new sound sculpture (a modification of the Ring sculpture from our live show) and a series of light objects that Chris made based on and inspired by his work for our performances. It was an amazing experience to see some new ideas come to fruition and to transform a space like that. We’re planning a NYC installation now – more news when we get it. In, other news: we finished our new record! Come see us April 28th at the Marlin Room at Webster Hall (with Suuns and John Congleton) to hear some new songs, and check out the video for Moment of Inertia below.
I’ve recently been working with Hunter Hunt-Hendrix from Liturgy on his new solo project, Kel Valhaal. In many ways, the project picks up where The Ark Work left off minus the “band” aspects, with the sound palette focused on abstract electronics, pitched kicks, glitch edits, and the “uncanny valley” of quasi-realistic instrumentation. We did vocal recording (though the record is largely instrumental) and mixing at Doctor Wu’s over the past couple months, and are wrapping up the master now. It’s a rich and unique sound, and am excited for people to hear this soon.
I’ve also been working on the new Fucked Up EP Year of the Snake, the latest installment of their Zodiac series. I recently mastered their tracks for the A-side and B-side (as epic as you’d expect!), and am waiting on a couple of remixes to complete the release. Expect it later this year on What’s Your Rupture.
Additionally, I’ve been on new records by MPHO (now a quartet with a live drummer), Ice Balloons (featuring members of TV on the Radio and Wild Yaks), and Buzz Kull (whose singles “Dreams” and “Nausea” I’ve previously mixed). I’ll be wrapping up each of these (very different but equally interesting) releases in the next month, and will write more about them next time.
As always, thanks for reading, and please feel free to reach out if you’d like to talk about sound. All the best, Jonny.
Liturgy’s The Ark Work graced a number of year-end lists, topping both Rolling Stone‘s and Spin‘s Best Avant Records of 2015 lists. “The most ambitious art-rock statement of the year is an ecstatic jumble of disciplines, ideas and textures” (Rolling Stone) that “blurs boundaries between worlds that you wouldn’t have previously thought even shared a border” (Spin). The record also made Washington Post’s Best Music of 2015 (#8 – a “lavish sound-world out of guitar-generated turbulence, computer-generated brass and the muscle-generated rhythms of Greg Fox, one of the greatest drummers doing it”), Consequence of Sound’s Top Metal Albums (#13- “a transcendent achievement in that it is the audible equivalent of finally rising above all and reaching your final form”), Tiny Mix Tapes’ Favorite Music Releases (#48), and Spin’s Best Songs of 2015 (#77 for “Vitriol” – “out of black metal comes black gold”) . The Ark Work is unlike anything else out there – check out the centerpiece “Reign Array” below.
PC Worship dropped Basement Hysteria, the long-form EP follow-up to last year’s Social Rust, on Northern Spy in November. Justin once again wrote, recorded and arranged these songs with his band, and we mixed and mastered together at my place. It’s looser, freer, and rawer than Social Rust, but any long-time fan of the group will find much to enjoy here. Pitchfork gave it a 7.8, opining that “Here, rock’n’roll is a pirated vessel, steered unhurriedly toward doom.” Check out the EP in its entiriety below, or head over to Northern Spy to buy it on good, old-fashioned CD.
Parquet Courts also released a full-length EP recently, entitled Monastic Living, their first for Rough Trade. The recordings were from recent studio sessions and practice-space jams, edited and arranged by Austin Brown, and mixed and mastered by myself and Austin at Doctor Wu’s. This record’s a weird one – a mostly instrumental collage of the band stretching out into some new and uncharted territories. Reviews have been mixed across the board, but personally I love to see the band exploring different facets of their sound, and it’s got some of my favorite A. Savage cover art yet.
[Cease and Desist] DIY! (Cult Classics from the Post-Punk Era 1978-1982) – the compilation that was a target of Sony’s copyright lawyers – was released at the end of October on Optimo Music. Pitchfork wrote a comprehensive and complimentary review, rating it an 8.4. The whole thing is a must for fans of this era: the selection and sequencing by JD Twitch of Optimo is excellent and unique, and the liner notes and essay paint a vivid picture of the material on-hand. I’m thrilled to have been able to re-master and add “further audio love” to the compilation. Stream the sampler below and hang tight while they repress the record, or download the (slightly-edited) digital release if you simply can’t wait until then.
Brooklyn rockers Junk Boys (featuring members of Organs, MPHO, and Yin-Yangs) recently released their self-titled album. We recorded an EP in early 2015, and returned to Seaside Lounge this past summer to record the full-length, which both expands and refines the sound of the band. Impose says the songs “rip through attitudinal, turbocharged power-chord riffage, with crude, impassioned soloing, and incensed vocal howls”, premiering the song “Arizona Nights” last month. Check out the album below or on their Bandcamp page, and go see them around NYC and try to score a tape.
Holly Overton – singer and song-writer of MPHO and Juniper Rising – released a solo EP in November. We worked together to record and arrange the songs – breezy synth pop that fans of MPHO will enjoy – and I mixed and mastered it last fall. Check out the video Holly made for the song “Midnight Sun”, and stream the EP below.
One of my favorite projects to work on this past year is the new Turn to Crime record Secondary. I’ve gotten to know Derek and the band over the past couple years and love the music he’s been creating, but this is the best one yet. Super catchy and utterly bizarre, it’s an album full of singles beamed in from an alternate reality where new wave, kraut-rock and glam still rule the airwaves. Derek wrote and recorded the album at his Molten Sound studio, I mixed it, and Sarah Register mastered it at the Mastering Palace. I can’t wait for people to hear this record!
Another highlight of last year was mixing and mastering the new Cloud Becomes Your Hand record Rest in Fleas. It’s a wild, proggy ride of a record – alternately goofy and threatening, often in the same breath – stuffed full of unison leads, odd time-signatures, crazy synth noises, bells, whistles, kitchen sinks and more… it’s fantastic! Northern Spy is putting it out this spring – stay tuned.
I also recently mixed the debut full-length of the band Gold Dime – the new project from Andrya Ambro of Talk Normal, backed by Adam from the Dreebs and Lazar of Sediment Club. The album – recorded by Andrya and Justin Frye – is a heavy, heady slice of densely-arranged no-wave. Sarah Register was her bandmate in Talk Normal, and she’s mastering it now – I can’t wait to hear it in its full glory.
Jordan Bernstein (the other constant in the Dreebs and often-bassist in PC Worship) has a new project called Jordonna: trap beats, prepared guitar, rapping and singing by Jordan, with additional vocals by Heidi Beth Jaye and Kassie from Guerilla Toss. I mixed and mastered it with Jordan over the summer and fall, finishing it at Doctor Wu’s. It’s a total curve-ball of a project, really cool stuff. I look forward to seeing them play this live around NYC this spring.
Honey Radar is a great band from Philly, mining the best gems from lo-fi rock’s history… a little GBV here, a little Olivia Tremor Control there… They’re prolific and always interesting – just try not to get absorbed into their Bandcamp page! Plus, my old friend Jason Henn plays drums and records the group’s material, so it was a great pleasure to master their new record Blank Cartoon. Take a moment to go listen to 2014’s full-length Chain Smoking on Easter or any of their 3 EPs from 2015 to prepare yourself – Blank Cartoon drops this spring on What’s Your Rupture.
I always enjoy working with old friends on new projects, and it was no exception mixing the documentary film Up This Hill by Paul Sobota. The film follows a group of inner-city youths from Cleveland as they travel to rural southern Kentucky to repair and restore homes, shifting from one type of poverty to another, and learning a lot about themselves in the process. It was great to work with Paul and Ben Kinsley (who recorded and edited the sound), and I hope to see this moving little film making the rounds soon.
I also mixed a couple series of ads for the new TiVo Bolt, directed by Robin Comisar for Ghost Robot. You may have seen one from ‘Interruptus’ or ‘The Date’ somewhere. Robin’s got a great eye, and these ads are utterly silly… hope you enjoy.
Lots of cool stuff is already happening this month. If you should find yourself in the Providence/Pawtucket area, come see the art installation by Christopher Duffy and Eaters at Machines with Magnets, opening January 15th through February 7th. Thank you for reading, and please feel free to write if you’d like to talk about sound.
Rituals, the debut album from Brooklyn dream-punk quartet Honduras, is out now on Black Bell Records! We worked on this record last fall/winter – recording live to 8-track tape in upstate NY at Outlier Inn, and mixing/mastering in Brooklyn at Doctor Wu’s – and were all thrilled with the results. Brash and immediate, lovely and catchy, the record captures the energy of these songs and finds the group exploring new territory in the process. Interview Magazine and NME streamed the record, both The Fader and BK Mag ran features on the group, and they’re wrapping up a tour with Oberhofer – go see them in your town! Re-listening to Rituals now, I remember why I was so excited making this record, and look forward to getting back into the studio with them this winter. Stream Rituals from one of the links above, and check out album-closer and personal-favorite “Mirror” below:
Dan Friel‘s new album Life is out October 16th on Thrill Jockey Records. I mixed this wild instrumental noise-pop record with Dan earlier this year, and as a fan of both the man and his music, it was a real pleasure to help bring this thing to… well, life. Fact Mag and Stereogum debuted the first single “Life (Pt.1)”, and NPR premiered “Rattler” in their column “Songs We Love”, throwing in a Sonic Youth comparison for good measure. The album was mastered by Sarah Register, and “Rattler” is available to stream below. Also, make sure to check out Dan’s interview and in-studio performance on WNYC’s Soundcheck!
Service Industry, the sophomore LP by NYC outre-rock duo Lushes, is also out October 16th, via Felte Records. I worked with the group to flesh out the recordings with synth arrangements and effect treatments, yielding some interesting results and avenues of exploration. In addition to the first single “Low Hanging Fruit”, Tiny Mix Tapes and Self-Titled Mag premiered “Circus” and “Rub Your Eyes” (streaming below). The album was recorded and mixed by Aaron Mullan, mastered by Sarah Register, and features Sam Hilmer (Zs, Diamond Terrifier) and Justin Frye (PC Worship).
PC Worship shared the first taste of Basement Hysteria with “My Lens” (via The Fader). It’s a 13-minute doozy of a track, an example of the more stripped-down and stretched-out vibes from the new EP (which I mixed and mastered this summer). The group is on tour in Europe now, with NYC dates supporting Panda Bear, Container, and The Men this fall. Basement Hysteria is out November 13th on Northern Spy.
Godmode Records are releasing a series of EPs by their artists entitled You’ve Been Sweating Wrong Your Whole Life, many of which I mastered earlier this year. Yvette is a NYC electro-noise-rock duo I’ve been a fan of for years, having gotten to know them and sharing the stage with them multiple times, and their new Time Management EP is absolutely ferocious. Pitchfork and NME featured the single “Calm and Content”, and Noisey and Stereogum hosted streams of the EP in its entirety.
Other releases in You’ve Been Sweating Wrong that I mastered include Hand of God’s Int’l Shipping EP (“trippy MPC house jams”), Fasano’s The Beach EP (“left-field b-boy crooning”), Fitness’ self-titled EP (“freakshow electro”), Soft Lit’s self-titled EP (“3am breakup pop”). Malory’s self-titled EP is also a part of the series, and was mastered by Stuart Hawkes. Kudos to label-head and producer Nick Sylvester for his creative sounds and direction on this wide-range of EPs! Click on each of the above links for a stream and write-up of the release, and head over to Godmode’s store to order the series.
VBA recently issued their debut EP Will It Still Be There. I worked with the group earlier this year at Seaside Lounge and Doctor Wu’s to record and mix these songs, which push the boundaries of rock into more experimental textures and form. The group finished vocals and arrangements this summer, and mastered with Josh Bonati. Stream the album below, and keep an eye out for them around NYC this fall.
Fort Lean released their long-awaited debut album Quiet Day last week on Ooh La La/Caroline. My studio partner Jake Aron plays bass in the band, and I watched as they spent years crafting this album of immaculate indie rock. The album was recorded and mixed at a variety of studios, including Dreamland (in upstate NY) and Strange Weather (in Brooklyn). I did additional mixing with Jake at Doctor Wu’s, and the record was mastered by Chris Gehringer. Check out their series of utterly bizarre videos by Mike Anderson (think Tool meets Beetlejuice), and stream the album sampler below:
Humeysha came by Doctor Wu’s to master their self-titled debut LP with me last month. The Fader premiered the surreal video for the first single “Burma Between You and Me”, a great sampling of the New York via New Delhi sounds on this unique record. Humeysha is out now on Camp & Street.
I also mastered the new Polly Hi album Deceleration at Doctor Wu’s. The record was produced/recorded/mixed by Andrew Lappin, a regular and friendly presence at the studio. Fans of Here We Go Magic and Wilco take note – this is spacious, grooving, beautiful stuff.
MPHO came into Doctor Wu’s last month to mix and master their new EP T.I.G.H.T.. They’re a new synth-pop group comprised of Mark Perro of The Men/Dream Police, Holly Overton of Juniper Rising/herself, and Russell Hymovitz of Junk Boys/Dream Police. I’ve worked with these three multiple times, it’s always fun, and it’s been great to watch this project develop over the last year. T.I.G.H.T. is a gritty and gleaming sampler of disco power-pop – check it out!
Apart from all that, I’ve spent much of the past couple months focused on Eaters. We did another run of shows with Shabazz Palaces, including a fantastic home-town show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg (check out these awesome photos by Impose). Our sound-sculpture Moment of Inertia was featured in both The Creators Project and The Spec, and we’re planning a couple sound/art installations in the new year. We’ve also been hard at work completing the next full-length – I’m not sure what to say other than I can’t wait to share it with everyone! In the meantime, Eaters are playing a couple shows around CMJ this month – October 16th @ Cake Shop (Inland Empire Touring showcase w/ Turn to Crime, The Gotobeds, Spray Paint and more) and October 18th @ Silent Barn (Dull Tools/Wild Wild Life party w/ Future Punx, Pill, Beth Israel, and many more) – come hear the new stuff!
Please feel free to reach out if you’d like to talk about sound, and thanks, as always, for reading.
Moment of Inertia, the new EP from my group Eaters, is out now via Driftless Recordings. The EP is an audio-video document of a sound-sculpture conceived by visual artist, group member, and old friend Christopher Duffy (who is also responsible for the on-stage sculptures at our live shows). I’ve tried describing it many different ways, so perhaps it is best to quote the statement we prepared:
A large cylinder of glass serves as a manually-spun platter for an altered turntable, playing an original composition cut to acetate. Void of a motor of any sort, the turntable slows over the course of the composition, eventually coming to a complete stop. Throughout the experience, tempo and pitch fluctuate, exploring perceptions of speed, elasticity, and entropy.
Brooklyn Vegan premiered the EP last week, coinciding with more shows with the always-incredible Shabazz Palaces. Check out the video (a single shot of the sculpture in action) and audio (three different versions of the compostion) below. Special thanks to Steven Probert for shooting the cover image and video and to Josh Bonati for cutting the acetate.
Parquet Courts recently announced their new EP Monastic Living. The recording was done at Sonelab and in their practice space (by band member Austin Brown), and Austin and I mixed and mastered it last month at Doctor Wu’s. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s a weird one! Monastic Living is out November 13th on Rough Trade.
Stereogum recently announced the new Lushes album Service Industry. I spent some time with the group this past winter, developing synth parts and treatments across the record, which was recorded and mixed by Aaron Mullan (Sonic Youth, Tall Firs, et al). The album comes out October 16th on Felte Records, and you can stream the first single “Low Hanging Fruit” below.
Also coming soon: Do You Remember Real Pain, one of two new EPs by Rat Columns (aka David West). I met David when Eaters and Lace Curtain (one of his many other projects) toured together last fall, and we started mixing when we got off the road. I mixed and mastered 4/5 songs for the EP (which you can stream below), to be released August 20th on Adagio 830. (His other EP – Fooling Around – is out now on Blackest Ever Black).
Honduras just released a video for “Paralyzed”, the first single from their upcoming album RItuals. I produced this record a while ago – recorded upstate at Outlier Inn, mixed/mastered at Doctor Wu’s in Brooklyn – so it’s excited to see pieces of it shared with the world. It’s a great record, and though it sounds like we have longer still to wait for the full thing, you can check out the video and audio for “Paralyzed” now.
I wrote about this in my last post, but there has now been an official update to the delayed Optimo Music post-punk compilation that I re-mastered and restored along with Michael Train this spring. Originally titled Now That’s What I Call DIY! (Cult Classics From the Post-Punk Era 1978-82), the double-LP collection was set to be released this month before Sony – who is behind the series Now That’s What I Call Music! – issued a cease and desist. Optimo couldn’t reach an agreement with Sony’s lawyers, so all of the original packaging has been destroyed and the title has been changed to [Cease and Desist] DIY! The compilation is truly great, so I’m pleased to announce that it has a new release date of October 30th. Read more of the story and the full track-listing on Pitchfork, and check out a sampler of the collection below.
I also worked with Michael Train to restore and remaster the long out-of-print back-catalog of late 70s/early 80s Aussie post-punk group the Sunday Painters. The first reissue in the series was a collection of early singles called In My Dreams, which was released earlier this year. Their two subsequent full lengths – Something to Do and 4th Annual Report – are coming out August 28th via What’s Your Rupture. As with In My Dreams, these reissues have been lovingly restored and feature bonus downloads of never-before-heard live recordings. Check out “Something to Do” and “Shattered Lens” below.
After mastering the compilation American Music this spring, I recently mastered five different EPs for GODMODE Records, one of my favorite local labels. Yvette, Soft Lit, Fitness, and Hand of God all have new EPs coming soon; Fasano’s The Beach EP is out now (streaming below).
I recently spent a few days in the studio with Junk Boys, recording/mixing/mastering a full-length record as a follow-up to the EP we did this winter. It rips!!
I also mixed a commercial for director Robin Comisar (creator of the short Mom Died that I sound designed and mixed). The commercial is for Crossfit, and features a 79 year old woman using the fitness program for rehabilitation. The ad is playing on ESPN, and you can stream it on Youtube as well.
Thanks as always for taking the time to read this! Much more in the works – finishing the next Eaters LP; lots of records; maybe some short films; and hopefully some more beach time before the end of summer!
Who is Gil Scott-Heron?, the documentary/memorial film about the late musician and poet, is screening in select theaters and available digitally now. The film, directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard (the BAFTA-nominated filmmakers behind the Nick Cave pseudo-doc 20,000 Days on Earth), is more tribute than biography, a heartfelt eulogy by friends and family. I feel honored to have mixed it and been a part of the project. Okayplayer has the screening dates, and the film is available now from iTunes along with the album Nothing New.
Liturgy have been touring hard since the release of The Ark Work, covering both the US and Europe, with more thoughtful press from publications like Village Voice, Chicago Reader, and the Quietus. I worked with the group to integrate samples and MIDI information into their set (all triggered in real-time by Hunter) to portray some of the arrangements from the record without losing any of the live power of the band. If you haven’t listened to the new record The Ark Work yet, stop reading this and go turn this on immediately! It’s an album unlike anything else, and was a surreal pleasure to re-listen to it for the first time since mastering (on clear vinyl, no less!). The Ark Work is out now on Thrill Jockey, and the group has more US dates this summer (with the always-awesome Yvette) and another European tour this fall.
I recently mixed the new album by Dan Friel, entitled Life. I was an early fan of Parts and Labor, met Dan shortly after moving to Brooklyn, and have shared the stage with him, but this is the first time we’ve ever worked together on something. It was a real treat! The new record continues with the palette of blown-out toy keyboard, heavy beats, and mixer feedback, but we worked hard to add more depth and power to the arrangements. Mastered by Sarah Register at the Lodge, Life sounds larger than that – it’s awesome! It should be out later this year on Thrill Jockey.
If you didn’t go see PCPC last fall, the mutato-collabo of Parquet Courts and PC Worship, you really missed out. But fortunately for everyone, there is a live record coming out on Dull Tools! Recorded at Ramsgate Music Hall, I recently mixed and mastered this with Andrew, Austin and Justin. I’m not gonna lie – it turned out waaaay better than any of us anticipated: a surprisingly badass and compelling document of a creative blip from some of my favorite musicians. Here’s a demo of set-opener “Fell Into the Wrong Crowd”.
Parquet Courts also have a couple split 7″s on the way, including another one of the recordings we did during Sunbathing Animal. Check out their cover of Joey Pizza Slice’s “Pretty Girls”.
I spent some time in the studio this spring with a band from NYC called VBA. They’ve toured with Kurt Vile and Blonde Redhead, but this EP is their first recording. We recorded at Seaside Lounge and mixed at Doctor Wu’s, and the sounds are both heavy and brain-y, drawing from the rock experimentation of bands like This Heat and Suicide, with a wallop of psyched-out sludge. Honestly one of the best drum recordings I’ve captured! The EP will hopefully be out soon.
I’ve been doing a lot mastering lately, my own mixes and with others as well. Awards Banquet came into Doctor Wu’s recently to work with me on their debut full length, which was recorded and mixed by Jason Kelly (of Future Punx and Fergus & Geronimo). The album, coming out on Scioto Records, is a super catchy, classic-sounding rock record, like hearing an old friend from your collection for the first time. I also mastered a collection of yoga sutra chants by Caroline McCarter for Yoga RX, recorded and mixed by Ian Saylor (from Turn to Crime)… a very blissful way to spend the afternoon. Unfortunately, the Optimo Music post-punk compilation that I mastered, Now That’s What I Call DIY!, has been postponed due to a cease-and-desist from Sony over the title. I’ll post more details as I get them. And Magical Beasts (the new project from members of the I Ching Quartet) is running a fund-raiser on Pledgemusic to get their album (which I mastered) pressed to vinyl. They’ve almost reached their goal – fans of acoustic folk-pop should definitely check it out!
Photo by Echard Wheeler
I’ve also been spending a lot of time with Eaters. We recently created a new sound sculpture called Moment of Inertia, which premiered in May at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA. Chris Duffy (our visuals member) conceived the piece and created the sculpture (a centrifugal-force-powered glass turntable), and Bob and I created the music (cut to acetate by Josh Bonati). The premiere was part of the museum’s Third Thursday series in their Glass Studio, which involved a team of glass artists working under the direction of Chris in tandem with our music and lights. It was a truly unique experience, and fun to step out of the normal performance situations. We’re working to put together an EP based on Moment of Inertia, to be released later this year on Driftless Recordings.
Eaters also hit the road with Shabazz Palaces recently for a Midwest tour. Those guys are incredible; it was truly inspirational to watch them play every night. We’re doing more dates in the Northeast with them in August (including August 5th at Music Hall of Williamsburg), which I’m already looking forward to. In the meantime, we’re playing this Friday (June 19) at Alphaville (great spot in Bushwick) with Future Punx (our brother/sister band) and Nuraxi (psyched to see them!)
Thanks for reading – please feel free to drop me a line if you want to talk about sound!
Jonathan Schenke 