I woke up feeling pissed off this morning for no real reason, so I made some angry, horrible techno and drank some red wine.
The synths are BLAH BLAH BLAH. Drums done entirely on a BLAH BLAH BLAH. Mastered using FUCK OFF compressor and a SUCK MY BALLS EQ. As always, it was mixed into the mastering chain.
I have nothing else to add, cunts.
Tony Bernardo “Untitled Render 03”
I first heard this when I was driving through Milwaukee in the middle of winter. It still blows me away every single time I hear it.
Years ago I read an interview with Vladislav Delay where he mentioned that he had recorded a track for a demo CD somewhere. My memory isn’t great at the best of times, but what I recall was that he said that the track was entirely acoustic, and that he was surprised by the outcome and how closely it resembled is electronic works. Being the fanboy I am, I immediately wanted to hear this track – little did I know that it would take me fourteen years to track it down (if in fact, I have the correct recording).
I asked Sasu where I could find a copy, and he had no idea. Couldn’t even remember a track name, nor did he have a copy himself. This left me scouring forums and sites like Discogs.com for
Through a combination of blind luck and worryingly focused perseverance, I finally stumbled up what I believe to be the recording. It is from a demo CD, and it is fully acoustic (minus a Space Echo). However, I was under the impression that it should be a CD that was once included with a magazine, and this track was found on a label sampler CD. Secondly, it’s not entirely Vladislav Delay, it’s a collaboration with someone called Zeitkratzer (you’ll need to excuse me, my noise game isn’t what it should be). Make of it what you will, but I think this is what I’ve been looking for. I’m sure it’s as close as I’ll get.
Asphodel 2003 Label Sampler
Not knowing much (anything) about the Asphodel label, nor Zeitkratzer I can’t say much else. But here is the track, called “Self-titled”, in all it’s scrappy, rough glory. I wasn’t much enamoured with it on first listen (what can live up to a fourteen year wait?), but I like it more and more with each listen. There’s something lovely and raw about the recording that is rarely captured. It has all the magic of an early demo, no bullshit just music in the making.
I told you I would finish when I got back from Italy. Amazingly, and in one in a million odds, everything in the studio worked today, so it all went quite smoothly. Of course, the Roland RE-201 did chew its tape but that’s what it does. It’s endearing I tell myself. It is.
Having some free time today I opened up the Eminent 1600 organ that my good lady bought me (she’s an enabler) and decided to fuck around with the spring reverb. It’s noisy as hell, but sounds lovely. I can see myself weeding some more sounds out of this one. Oh, and the drum sounds! Oh man, I’ll need to make some recordings of them because they are so lovely. Completely analogue of course, but deep and grainy. I’ll use those soon too.
The recording is very dense and disorganised. I really like this one. There’s not a lot of dynamics either, and what there is only exists through cutting instrumentation. It’s kind of mastered – and by that I mean I ran it through my ART Pro VLA II compressor a bit. This stuff doesn’t really need mastering now, and when it does I tend to mix into the mastering bus. You know, like a pro. A lazy pro.
BassDress Studio, after a messy session. Wooden spoon for percussion is irie.
I don’t have a title for it yet, but I’ll think of something soon enough. Listen below, I’ll put up some download link later on.
edit: Called it Piedmont. Download links: Flac 24Bit / MP3 V0]
A quick demo piece I wrote tonight. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to finish it when I return from Italy this week.
I watched The Revenant for the first time tonight, and whilst it a really cool film the highlight was definitely recognising a track from Vladislav Delay’s “Visa” about an hour into it! Good choice, Mr. Soundman!
Recorded just before Flow Festival, Helsinki, Finland 2016. Speaking briefly about the intricacies and realities of making music in the current climate. Well worth watching if you’re interested in seeing just how the industry works – even for smaller artists.
Went to this gig in London and had a great time. World class performances, I’m glad someone had the foresight to record it – and not only that, there appears to be a country cool enough to have shown it on TV.
I was fortunate enough to find this little oddity in a Venetian market earlier this month. As far as I can tell it’s a live recording from a performance of composer G. Donizetti’s “The Elixir Of Love” by The Victorian Opera Company. I don’t know much about Opera, but I loved the handwritten cover and the fact that the master was cut live (a recording technique that seems quite insane by today’s standards).
It’s pressed to a “Mastersound Custom Processed Record” meaning there is no catalogue number, but the matrix in the runout reads “LWG-6833 A”. The label states that the conductor for this session was Leonard Spira and the produce was David Niven. Neither of whom I am familiar with.
Recording of “Elixir Of Love” by G. Donizetti.
Sung by The Victorian Opera Company.
Conducted by Leonard Spira.
Margaret Haggard sings the role of Adina.
John Pringle sings the role of Dulcamera.
Was singing first tenor in chorus.
Recorded live at the Palais Theatre, St. Kilda
As far as I can tell both Margaret Haggard and John Pringle were main stays at The Victorian Opera Company, St. Kilda, Australia . Sadly, I can find no information about the recording other than what’s written on the cover. If I had to guess I would say it was recorded in the mid-seventies.
It’s a lovely performance, sung entirely in English (thank god!), and a relaxing listen. If anyone has information about the recording (especially who the illusive ‘I’ was) please get in contact with me.
It’s a terrible shame that someone who once proudly wrote on the cover what part he sung, then presumably sent his recording halfway around the world had it end up in an old dusty box in a second-hand market. Hopefully freeing the recording makes up for it.
Listen below to hear a long-lost, likely forgotten recording.
Side 1
Side 2
