Tag: Studio Windows

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Happy New Year & Decade!

Of the dozens of albums & singles I worked on that came out in 2019, Phantom Rhythm by Gong Gong Gong is particularly near & dear to my heart.  I produced/recorded/mixed the record (and earlier singles) with the group starting back in 2017, and played the works-in-progress for friends & colleagues, leading to tours with Parquet Courts, Bodega, and Flasher and a relationship with the always-interesting Wharf Cat Records. Unsurprisingly, this fresh take on “multinational blues” made its way onto a number of Best Of 2019 lists, including Loud and Quiet, Aquarium Drunkard, and Raven Sings the Blues, as well as writers’ lists in The Wire and The Guardian.

Phantom Rhythm also made its way onto Post Trash‘s Best of 2019 list, where it shares space alongside Duo Duo by electro-rock whiz kids Operator Music Band (another personal fave that I co-produced/recorded/mixed), and two records that I mastered: noise-punks Weeping Icon’s self-titled debut and Dehd’s stellar breakup-pop LP Water.

Gimme Tinitus‘s Best of 2019 also featured Gong Gong Gong, Operator Music Band, and Weeping Icon, as well as Brooklyn noise-rock duo ESSi and their mind-bending debut Vital Creatures (which I co-produced/recorded/mixed/mastered).

Perhaps the most touching was seeing Parquet Courts in a number of Best of the Decade lists.  The albums I produced with them (and Light Up Gold in particular) launched the band’s career, and were massively important for me and my trajectory as a producer/engineer.  In the seven years since Light Up Gold was first released, I’ve watched their popularity and stature steadily rise, as their name became a short-hand comparison for literate, catchy punk bands.  Nevertheless, it was humbling and exciting to see Light Up Gold rank #16 in Rolling Stone (and #2 in writer Rob Sheffield’s personal list), #37 in BrooklynVegan (and #7 in writer Bill Pearis’ personal list), #39 in AV Club, #41 in Treble, #78 in Vice, and #80 in Stereogum; Sunbathing Animal rank #140 in Pitchfork; and their break-out single “Stoned and Starving” rank #16 in Rolling Stone and #89 in Stereogum.

Snail Mail’s Lush also graced a number of these Best of 2010s lists.  I helped to record the album, which was produced & mixed by my studio partner Jake Aron.  Lush was undoubtedly important not just to the music culture of the last couple years, but also to our work: it was the first album tracked in the new Outlier Inn (where I’ve recorded many albums since Sunbathing Animal in the studio’s previous setup), and the first album mixed in our own Studio Windows.  Lush ranked #48 in Stereogum and #122 in Pitchfork, and its lead-single “Pristine” ranked #87 in Stereogum and #97 in Pitchfork.

One last thing I almost missed: Catherine – the short film & web series by Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp (the minds behind Marcel The Shell With Shoes On) was featured in Vulture’s Favorite Comedy Moments of the Decade.  I don’t do much for sound-for-film these days, but this was certainly a highlight for me, and I’m happy to see it still getting some (admittedly confused) love.

I’m looking forward to 2020, with the debut album Person by my new group P.E. scheduled in March, alongside albums I’ve produced for Pottery, Public Practice, Dougie Poole, and Brandy also arriving this spring.  Regardless of how arbitrary Best Of lists can seem, it does feel like a great way to start off the new year & decade…. thanks for reading & listening.

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Audio tech legends Eventide Audio recently met with me at Studio Windows to film an Artist Spotlight interview.  I talk a bit about my recording philosophy, how I use their gear in the studio (specifically the DDL-500, EuroDDL and MixingLink), and go over my pedal board for performing live with P.E. (which includes their Rose pedal, a MixingLink, and PowerMax).  I’ve been a fan of their gear for decades and have worked closely to consult on & test some of these products, so it’s an honor to have been a part of this series.  Thanks Eventide!

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Machinegum – the NYC neo-new-wave quintet led by Fabrizio Moretti of The Strokes – has released their debut album Conduit.   The album was produced by Fab and my studio partner Jake Aron, recorded at Outlier Inn and Figure 8, mixed by Jake, myself and Andrew Maury, and mastered by Heba Kadry.  There’s quite a range here, from softer crooners to abstract synth-rock and everything in between, and features contributions by Delicate Steve and Ian Devaney of Nation of Language.  Stereogum published this thoughtful review of the album to alert the world of its release; Conduit is on all streaming services now via Frenchkiss Records.

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P.E. – my new group with members of Pill and Eaters – has released our first single “Top Ticket”, featuring a remix by Liars.  Stereogum premiered the track, BrooklynVegan called the group “a veritable sonic Reese’s Cup”, while Ears To Feed and Pop Bollocks wrote more in-depth track reviews.  “Top Ticket” is the first taste of our debut LP Person, which is due March 6 on Wharf Cat Records.  The album was produced at Studio Windows, edited and arranged from live improvisations with the group, and mixed/mastered by myself.  You can stream the tracks below, and pre-order Person on Wharf Cat’s site, the Special-Edition of which includes the bonus cassette Sick, Sad, Fun!

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New York City new-wave/post-punk quartet Public Practice are back with two new songs!  “Disposable”, the ripping A-side of this digital single, recently premiered on BBC Radio 1.  The B-side is a cover of “Extra-Ordinary” by Yukihiro Takaishi (of Yellow Magic Orchestra), and features Ben Jaffe (of Pill & P.E.) on sax.  I produced these songs with the band, recording/mixing/mastering at their space and Studio Windows earlier this year.  Check out the feature on Stereogum and stream below!  “Disposable” b/w “Extra-Ordinary” is out now via Wharf Cat Records.

 

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Phantom Rhythm, the debut full-length from Beijing-based “transnational blues” duo Gong Gong Gong, is out now!  I am so proud of this record, and ecstatic to see it out in the world – we began recording the album at Seaside Lounge in October 2017 (the same sessions that yielded the Siren single), and finished mixing earlier this year at Studio Windows.  In the meantime, they’ve toured with Parquet Courts, Flasher, and Bodega in the US, Europe, and China, and made fans worldwide.  Just read the press:

“An alarmingly stripped-down form of hypnotic rock which spiritually evokes the blues as well as punk, but otherwise can’t be directly compared to any other genre or artist” – Allmusic

“An album of avant-rock, unpretentious high art” – Pop Bollocks

“Ambassadors of the worldwide underground through a thoughtful collection of haunting barebones punk” – Post Trash

8/10: “Fearsome psych rock by the slightest means” – Loud & Quiet

Working with the group and producing these recordings has been a highlight of my career.  Stream the album in full, pickup a copy on LP or CD, and do not miss them live!  Phantom Rhythm is out now on Wharf Cat Records.

 

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NYC noise-rock duo ESSi have released their debut LP Vital Creatures, and it’s a doozy.  I produced the album with the group, recording at Thump Studios and mixing/mastering at Studio Windows last year.  It’s wonderful to have such glowing feedback in the press, not just about the record itself (“quite simply one of the best albums of the year” – Tone Shift, “brooding but also enveloping” – Post Trash, “the real joy of this record lies in [their] fearless playing with tone, texture, and form” – Echoes and Dust), but also the kind words of recognition for my role in the process.  It IS an exciting sounding record, and I highly recommend you stream it below, go see them live, and pick up an LP pronto.  Vital Creatures is out now on Ramp Local.

 

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Brooklyn-based noise-rock combo Weeping Icon just dropped their self-titled full-length album.  Pitchfork called the songs “noisy punk thrashers that are clever, incisive, and frequently very funny” in their very positive review, and the group had great press also in Kerrang, Bandcamp Daily, Stereogum, AdHoc, and others.  Ben Greenberg recorded and mixed the record, and I assembled and mastered it with the group at Studio Windows.  Dig in above, below, and beyond!  Weeping Icon is out now on Fire Talk.

 

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NYC’s alterna-punk quartet Desert Sharks have released their debut LP Baby’s Gold Death Stadium.  The Talkhouse premiered the album alongside an interview last week, and there’s a bunch of other great press via Northern Transmissions, Vents, MXDWN, and more.  The group recorded the album with Jordan Lovelace (of my faves Brandy) and I mixed/mastered it at Studio Windows.  Check out the press above, stream the record below, and head over to their Bandcamp to pick up your own copy.  Baby’s Gold Death Stadium is out now on Substitute Scene Records.