Beijing-based “transnational blues” duo Gong Gong Gong have released their newest 7″ “Siren” b/w “Something’s Happening”. I produced this single (along with their upcoming full-length record), recording at October 2017 at Seaside Lounge and Doctor Wu’s, and mixed/mastered at Studio Windows this spring. The duo recently wrapped up a tour with Parquet Courts, will be touring with Flasher and Public Practice this winter, and with Bodega in February 2019. If you haven’t already, check out the amazing video for “Siren” below, and pick up their single now via Wharf Cat Records.
Beijing-based psychedelic blues duo Gong Gong Gong have announced their American debut single “Siren” (out November 9 via Wharf Cat). I produced/recorded/mixed/mastered this along with their upcoming full-length Phantom Rhythm in fall 2017 – winter 2018 at Seaside Lounge, Doctor Wu’s (RIP), and Studio Windows. “Siren” is perhaps my favorite of the songs we tracked, and a wonderful introduction to this unique band. Check it out via Stereogum, along with their upcoming tour dates supporting Parquet Courts, Flasher, and Bodega.
Wide Awake!, the new album by Parquet Courts, is out now via Rough Trade. The LP was produced by Dangermouse (at Electric Lady in NYC and Sonic Ranch in TX), mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer, and mastered by Joe LaPorta at Sterling Sound. I spent a couple days working on additional recording and arrangements at Doctor Wu’s, including field-recording the children’s choir on “Death Will Bring Change”. Wide Awake! has already received rave reviews from a range of publications including Rolling Stone, NME, NPR, and many more. Buy and/or stream it now.
NYC’s post-punk quintet Bodega premiered “How Did This Happen?!”, which was featured on Brooklyn Vegan, Northern Transmissions, DIY Mag, and Clash. “How?!” is the first single from their debut album Endless Scroll, produced and recorded by Austin Brown (of Parquet Courts), and mixed/mastered by me at Doctor Wu’s. Endless Scroll is out June 1 on What’s Your Rupture; in the meantime, catch the band at SXSW, around NYC, and in Europe this spring.
New music by Parquet Courts, the Drums, PC Worship, Turn to Crime, The Britanys, Dougie Poole, Operator Music Band and more…
To kick things off, Parquet Courts‘ collaboration with Bun B finally came out! They debuted this version of “Captive of the Sun” on Colbert last summer with members of PC Worship, Blues Control, and my bandmate Bob Jones. Austin Brown and I went into Doctor Wu’s shortly after that to put together this remix, which has a chopped n’ screwed version by DJ Candlestick and OG Ron C on the B-side. Pitchfork premiered the track, along with a Houston rap playlist by Young Doc Gooden (fka Austin Brown)… so proud to still have my 713- number. Pick it up on limited-edition LP via Rough Trade, and check out the lyric video below.
I was also super excited to see the premiere of The Drums‘ new single “Blood Under My Belt”. Pitchfork premiered the song last week, as the first single from the new record “Abysmal Thoughts”. Bandleader Jonny Pierce and I worked together last summer at Doctor Wu’s, disassembling his demos and rebuilding them into something else entirely. I’m really happy to have recorded and mixed this album, and I can’t wait for more of it to be released. Mastered by Joe LaPorta at Sterling Sound, “Abysmal Thoughts” will be released in June on Anti-.
PC Worship – one of my favorite groups going – released their new album Buried Wish, which I had the pleasure to master and help sequence with Justin Frye. All of the PC Worship records (and many PC Worship songs) have their own series of detours and digressions, which is particularly true of this album – it veers from ornate horn arrangements to grunge-sludge stomp to acoustic/field recording meanderings and everywhere else in between. Hopefully you caught them on tour with Naomi Punk, but either way you should catch them next month with The Dreebs. Check out the great press in Pitchfork, Noisey, and Clrvynt, and pick up Buried Wish on Northern Spy now.
My fellow electro-rock weirdos Turn to Crime released their latest (fourth? sixth?) record Secondary in early February. Derek Stanton records all of the music himself at his own Molten Sound studio in Detroit, and you can hear that freedom of creativity and amazing collection of gear throughout each of his records. Secondary, which I mixed and Sarah Register mastered last year, is my personal favorite – “Chasing”, “Dead Man”, and the title track are all undeniable gems. Check out these features on Noisey and Brooklyn Vegan, and pick up the record through Mugg and Bopp.
Bushwick rock+rollers The Britanys released their debut EP Five A Side, which premiered with an enthusiastic NME review. We recorded these songs in two different sessions, deciding in the end to go with the stripped-down basement recordings for this EP – they just rocked harder! Check them out at SXSW, and stream/purchase Five A Side from the group’s Bandcamp.
Electronic country-crooner Dougie Poole released his debut LP Wideass Highway on JMC Aggregate. I mixed and mastered this strange and beautiful record last year, and was happy to see it featured in both FADER and Ad Hoc. Do yourself a favor and pick it up at Dougie’s Bandcamp.
Fuzzy synth rockers Operator Music Band‘s debut LP Puzzlephonics I & II came out last week. The album pairs two EPs (recorded by band member Dara Hirsch) which we mixed and mastered at Doctor Wu’s last fall. Stereogum and Brooklyn Vegan both featured the group, who is heading out on tour this week toward SXSW. Pick up a copy now on New Professor Music, and stream it below.
My German indie-rock buddies Behave! released a video for “Someone”, the first single from the record we did last summer in Hannover. It was a pleasure working with the group over there on a Studer A800 with a bunch of vintage German mics, and I’m really happy with the results, which I mixed and mastered back in NYC. If you read German, you may enjoy this interview on Diffus, but even if you don’t, you’ll probably enjoy the song (it’s in English).
NYC alterna-singer-songwriter Tica Douglas’ new single “The Same Thing” was recently released. The Wild Honey Pie and Gold Flake Paint both featured the track, which I mixed and mastered as part of the new record Our Lady Star of the Sea, Help and Protect Us. 2014’s Joey was released to great reviews, and I’m excited that this one will be released on Team Love later in May. Stay tuned…
In a similarly off-kilter-folk vein, Dark Tea’s debut EP was released last month. I mastered this for Gary Canino, who also plays in the fierce NYC punk band Rips. CLRVYNT wrote about the EP, and you can purchase it on Bandcamp.
And Brian Chillemi (also of shredders Junk Boys) released a video single for the new song “Child of the Earth” (which I mastered). Read about it on Impose, and buy the track on Bandcamp.
Also released: Eventide debuted their new plugin ‘Fission‘. It’s the first in their line of “Structural Effects”, which separates the transient and tonal information of a source, and allows you to effect each separately. I consulted with the designers Russ & Tom and my friend Joe Waltz early on in the process of development, and contributed a handful of presents to the plugin. Check out this explanation here and download the demo now!
I spent some time upstate this past month, checking out the progress on the incredible new control room at Outlier Inn (where I recorded Parquet Courts’ Sunbathing Animal and Honduras’ Rituals). I always loved visiting and working at the space, but with this new room (designed by Wes Lachot) and new console (Tom Elmhirst’s modified Neve VR 72), it’s going to be a truly incredible place to make a record. I can’t wait for the opening this May.
I also spent some time with Acid Dad, recording and co-producing their debut LP. We recorded the basics to my Otari MX-5050 at their studio upstate, and mixed it in Brooklyn at Doctor Wu’s. It’s a fierce and fun album – I’m excited for people to hear this one. Check them out later this month on the road with Honduras.
One last thing: I posted a new Soundcloud playlist too, if you’re interested in hearing a mix of different things I’ve worked on.
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.
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!
Jonathan Schenke 