What are your favourite non-electronic recordings from the last 10 years?

PaulBrewer

1. Were any of them recorded at a home studio? Why not, in your opinion?

2. I picked 'Non Electronic' to differenciate from 'Microphone' recordings , but they can of course have an Electronic element

3. I picked 10 years to avoid the usual 'Elvis' first record' 'Sgt. Pepper's' answers i.e. something most people here can directly relate to.

ICN

Favourite non - electronic recording method is it, What?

It has to be mechanical Old Boy!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonograph_cylinder



(I'm going to pretend I didn't see the 10 years bit.. Sorry to mess..:pac:)

Seziertisch

Stuff produced by:

Nigel Godrich - sort of a revived Alan Parsons/Floyd thing. See most of the Radiohead albums and Sea Changes by Beck.

Glyn Johns - his fathers son. High definition Stones with a hint of early 70's LA. See Ryan Adams Heartbreaker and I suppose the stuff he has done with the Kings of Leon.

John Leckie - still keeping it real after all those years, from post punk to the Stone Roses to giving the world its first taste of what Radionhead were to become with the Bends. Those Muse albums define the sound of early noughties alternative rock to a great extent. A producer who I feel very much responds to the needs and aesthetics of the bands he works with to help them become more themselves. Hence he is still going strong.

Dave Friedmann - a touch of the Floyd, lo-fi, electronica, late 60's, early 70's etc. Some intriguing combinations of elements. A proponent of cosmic Americana in his own way, in direct line with Walt Whitman and Gram Parsons. Beautifully spacious settings. Invariably gorgeous sounding guitars in particular. He really has an ability to combine some quite incongrous elements. See the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev.

Dave Sitek - producer/member of TV on the Radio. The album Return to Cookie Mountain offers absolutely intriguing production. Unlike anything else around. Cavernous, droning, strangely heavy. He reminds me a bit of Martin Hannett in the almost dub like quality to his recordings. Very much a sonic architect and willing to follow his own muse.

Pharell/The Neptunes - I don't universally love him/them seeing as they are sometimes almost pastiche but therein lies the genius of creating original tracks that sound like samples. I know its electronic, but Some of the clickier stuff they have done is particularly interesting. I suppose Drop it like its hot is the most obvious one, although the most spartan thing I heard from them was the last Clipse album. To a certain extent the above description would also fit the guys from Outkast.

Jon Brion - arranger/producer extraordinaire. Heavily indebted to the Beatles and the early 70's LA sound. Aimee Mann, Elliott Smith, Fiona Apple even the last Kanye West album, numerous film scores. A producer who harks back to the days of the producer as auteur. Think Jack Nietzsche or someone. God be with the days when a produce also had to be an extraordinary musician. A rare enough bird these days.

Also of note, the Postal Service - Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel) and some of Death Cab for Cutie. Taking emo pop and combining it with an ever increasing mainstream acceptance for electronica. The success of this was largely down to a couple of cracking singles and I am sure that plenty bought the album based on the strength of those that might not have been too keen on some of the rest of the stuff on there, but still quite intriguing that an album which was heavily indebted to Warp Records et al should find favour with a broad audience including your average OC/Dawsons Creek fan.

PaulBrewer

Seziertisch wrote: »

Stuff produced by:

Nigel Godrich - sort of a revived Alan Parsons/Floyd thing. See most of the Radiohead albums and Sea Changes by Beck.

Glyn Johns - his fathers son. High definition Stones with a hint of early 70's LA. See Ryan Adams Heartbreaker and I suppose the stuff he has done with the Kings of Leon.

John Leckie - still keeping it real after all those years, from post punk to the Stone Roses to giving the world its first taste of what Radionhead were to become with the Bends. Those Muse albums define the sound of early noughties alternative rock to a great extent. A producer who I feel very much responds to the needs and aesthetics of the bands he works with to help them become more themselves. Hence he is still going strong.

Dave Friedmann - a touch of the Floyd, lo-fi, electronica, late 60's, early 70's etc. Some intriguing combinations of elements. A proponent of cosmic Americana in his own way, in direct line with Walt Whitman and Gram Parsons. Beautifully spacious settings. Invariably gorgeous sounding guitars in particular. He really has an ability to combine some quite incongrous elements. See the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev.

Dave Sitek - producer/member of TV on the Radio. The album Return to Cookie Mountain offers absolutely intriguing production. Unlike anything else around. Cavernous, droning, strangely heavy. He reminds me a bit of Martin Hannett in the almost dub like quality to his recordings. Very much a sonic architect and willing to follow his own muse.

Pharell/The Neptunes - I don't universally love him/them seeing as they are sometimes almost pastiche but therein lies the genius of creating original tracks that sound like samples. I know its electronic, but Some of the clickier stuff they have done is particularly interesting. I suppose Drop it like its hot is the most obvious one, although the most spartan thing I heard from them was the last Clipse album. To a certain extent the above description would also fit the guys from Outkast.

Jon Brion - arranger/producer extraordinaire. Heavily indebted to the Beatles and the early 70's LA sound. Aimee Mann, Elliott Smith, Fiona Apple even the last Kanye West album, numerous film scores. A producer who harks back to the days of the producer as auteur. Think Jack Nietzsche or someone. God be with the days when a produce also had to be an extraordinary musician. A rare enough bird these days.

Also of note, the Postal Service - Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel) and some of Death Cab for Cutie. Taking emo pop and combining it with an ever increasing mainstream acceptance for electronica. The success of this was largely down to a couple of cracking singles and I am sure that plenty bought the album based on the strength of those that might not have been too keen on some of the rest of the stuff on there, but still quite intriguing that an album which was heavily indebted to Warp Records et al should find favour with a broad audience including your average OC/Dawsons Creek fan.

Interesting indeed.

dav nagle

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Interesting indeed.

I second that, very good observation

sei046

Seziertisch wrote: »

Stuff produced by:

Nigel Godrich - sort of a revived Alan Parsons/Floyd thing. See most of the Radiohead albums and Sea Changes by Beck.

Glyn Johns - his fathers son. High definition Stones with a hint of early 70's LA. See Ryan Adams Heartbreaker and I suppose the stuff he has done with the Kings of Leon.

John Leckie - still keeping it real after all those years, from post punk to the Stone Roses to giving the world its first taste of what Radionhead were to become with the Bends. Those Muse albums define the sound of early noughties alternative rock to a great extent. A producer who I feel very much responds to the needs and aesthetics of the bands he works with to help them become more themselves. Hence he is still going strong.

Dave Friedmann - a touch of the Floyd, lo-fi, electronica, late 60's, early 70's etc. Some intriguing combinations of elements. A proponent of cosmic Americana in his own way, in direct line with Walt Whitman and Gram Parsons. Beautifully spacious settings. Invariably gorgeous sounding guitars in particular. He really has an ability to combine some quite incongrous elements. See the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev.

Dave Sitek - producer/member of TV on the Radio. The album Return to Cookie Mountain offers absolutely intriguing production. Unlike anything else around. Cavernous, droning, strangely heavy. He reminds me a bit of Martin Hannett in the almost dub like quality to his recordings. Very much a sonic architect and willing to follow his own muse.

Pharell/The Neptunes - I don't universally love him/them seeing as they are sometimes almost pastiche but therein lies the genius of creating original tracks that sound like samples. I know its electronic, but Some of the clickier stuff they have done is particularly interesting. I suppose Drop it like its hot is the most obvious one, although the most spartan thing I heard from them was the last Clipse album. To a certain extent the above description would also fit the guys from Outkast.

Jon Brion - arranger/producer extraordinaire. Heavily indebted to the Beatles and the early 70's LA sound. Aimee Mann, Elliott Smith, Fiona Apple even the last Kanye West album, numerous film scores. A producer who harks back to the days of the producer as auteur. Think Jack Nietzsche or someone. God be with the days when a produce also had to be an extraordinary musician. A rare enough bird these days.

Also of note, the Postal Service - Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel) and some of Death Cab for Cutie. Taking emo pop and combining it with an ever increasing mainstream acceptance for electronica. The success of this was largely down to a couple of cracking singles and I am sure that plenty bought the album based on the strength of those that might not have been too keen on some of the rest of the stuff on there, but still quite intriguing that an album which was heavily indebted to Warp Records et al should find favour with a broad audience including your average OC/Dawsons Creek fan.

I love your answers! Always good reading in them!

Seziertisch

I forgot to mention James Mercer of the Shins. All of their recordings (with the exception of the last album, which was done with Joe Chicarelli) have been done at home to a great extent with a few mics and a few preamps into his pc.

The drums were studio jobbies with a number of different engineers. None of the gear was what could be called insanely high end. I saw an interview where he talked about the lack of air on the first album as he was completely oblivious to room mikng. The albums are not necessarily brilliantly produced but are quite unique sounding and for that reason a bit fresher than a lot of "cutting edge" jobs. I think he does stuff no "schooled" engineer/producer would do. The songs are kind of a classic songwriting thing but not completely, some unusual melodic turns. I read that he is quite a fan of Echo and the Bunnymen and that comes through a bit.

Great performances and quite a singular vision of what his art should sound like. Having a song on the Garden State soundtrack did no harm to their popularity,with the last album debuting at no. 1 in the US.

The arrangements tend to be quite minimalist in spots, and the songs seem improve on repeat listenings. I know a lot of people who were initially kind of "this is not bad", and then kind of "I can't stop listening to this". Whether by design or not the albums tend to be restrained and unforceful, and are/were very much not in vogue with what is/was happening in indie guitar music. Rather than filling every inch of the stereo panorama with stuff, a few strong elements are all that is present a lot of the time, quality over quantity.

Also of note, though not a new album, the remaster of Raw Power by Iggy and the Stooges, officially the loudest album ever. The original recordings were flawed with the kick and bass on the same track meaning that they couldn't really be separated. The original, mixed by Bowie, was a flawed masterpiece. A tour de force without tour de force production. The remaster suffers so badly from digital clipping it is unbelievable, though strangely it kind of suits the music, and in many ways does justice to the band. Supposedly this was the express desire and request of Iggy who attended the remastering sessions.

Others seem to agree with the approach that if the band "rocks" why not hammer it at the mastering stage to power this home. This kind of makes me wonder whether the big problem with a lot of the heavily compressed rock albums we hear is that the bands are a bit sh it and that this is intended to give them a set of balls they really don't have. The exception that might prove this is Songs for the Deaf by Queens of the Stoneage. It is really loud but I can still listen to it without the compression really detracting from the listening experience.

dav nagle

Seziertisch wrote: »

I forgot to mention James Mercer of the Shins. All of their recordings (with the exception of the last album, which was done with Joe Chicarelli) have been done at home to a great extent with a few mics and a few preamps into his pc.

The drums were studio jobbies with a number of different engineers. None of the gear was what could be called insanely high end. I saw an interview where he talked about the lack of air on the first album as he was completely oblivious to room mikng. The albums are not necessarily brilliantly produced but are quite unique sounding and for that reason a bit fresher than a lot of "cutting edge" jobs. I think he does stuff no "schooled" engineer/producer would do. The songs are kind of a classic songwriting thing but not completely, some unusual melodic turns. I read that he is quite a fan of Echo and the Bunnymen and that comes through a bit.

Great performances and quite a singular vision of what his art should sound like. Having a song on the Garden State soundtrack did no harm to their popularity,with the last album debuting at no. 1 in the US.

The arrangements tend to be quite minimalist in spots, and the songs seem improve on repeat listenings. I know a lot of people who were initially kind of "this is not bad", and then kind of "I can't stop listening to this". Whether by design or not the albums tend to be restrained and unforceful, and are/were very much not in vogue with what is/was happening in indie guitar music. Rather than filling every inch of the stereo panorama with stuff, a few strong elements are all that is present a lot of the time, quality over quantity.

Also of note, though not a new album, the remaster of Raw Power by Iggy and the Stooges, officially the loudest album ever. The original recordings were flawed with the kick and bass on the same track meaning that they couldn't really be separated. The original, mixed by Bowie, was a flawed masterpiece. A tour de force without tour de force production. The remaster suffers so badly from digital clipping it is unbelievable, though strangely it kind of suits the music, and in many ways does justice to the band. Supposedly this was the express desire and request of Iggy who attended the remastering sessions.

Others seem to agree with the approach that if the band "rocks" why not hammer it at the mastering stage to power this home. This kind of makes me wonder whether the big problem with a lot of the heavily compressed rock albums we hear is that the bands are a bit sh it and that this is intended to give them a set of balls they really don't have. The exception that might prove this is Songs for the Deaf by Queens of the Stoneage. It is really loud but I can still listen to it without the compression really detracting from the listening experience.

A wealth of knowledge, thanks for the posts

PaulBrewer

Seziertisch wrote: »

I foThe exception that might prove this is Songs for the Deaf by Queens of the Stoneage. It is really loud but I can still listen to it without the compression really detracting from the listening experience.

A terrific sounding record I agree. 'A lad' told me the cymbals were recorded seperately as an overdub ........ dunno if it's true.

PaulBrewer

Seziertisch wrote: »

I forgot to mention James Mercer of the Shins. All of their recordings (with the exception of the last album, which was done with Joe Chicarelli) have been done at home to a great extent with a few mics and a few preamps into his pc.

The drums were studio jobbies with a number of different engineers. None of the gear was what could be called insanely high end. I saw an interview where he talked about the lack of air on the first album as he was completely oblivious to room mikng.

I heard a BBC Radio session with the Shins recently, good stuff.

In my experience, 'air' around a sound always refers to the feeling of space around a note, as opposed to 'room' which is a reverb reference. It's what helps differenciat different elements especially in a dense mix. It is one of the first things to go on sub standard equipment.

krd

Seziertisch wrote: »

Stuff produced by:

Nigel Godrich - sort of a revived Alan Parsons/Floyd thing. See most of the Radiohead albums and Sea Changes by Beck.

Glyn Johns - his fathers son. High definition Stones with a hint of early 70's LA. See Ryan Adams Heartbreaker and I suppose the stuff he has done with the Kings of Leon.

John Leckie - still keeping it real after all those years, from post punk to the Stone Roses to giving the world its first taste of what Radionhead were to become with the Bends. Those Muse albums define the sound of early noughties alternative rock to a great extent. A producer who I feel very much responds to the needs and aesthetics of the bands he works with to help them become more themselves. Hence he is still going strong.

Dave Friedmann - a touch of the Floyd, lo-fi, electronica, late 60's, early 70's etc. Some intriguing combinations of elements. A proponent of cosmic Americana in his own way, in direct line with Walt Whitman and Gram Parsons. Beautifully spacious settings. Invariably gorgeous sounding guitars in particular. He really has an ability to combine some quite incongrous elements. See the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev.

Dave Sitek - producer/member of TV on the Radio. The album Return to Cookie Mountain offers absolutely intriguing production. Unlike anything else around. Cavernous, droning, strangely heavy. He reminds me a bit of Martin Hannett in the almost dub like quality to his recordings. Very much a sonic architect and willing to follow his own muse.

Pharell/The Neptunes - I don't universally love him/them seeing as they are sometimes almost pastiche but therein lies the genius of creating original tracks that sound like samples. I know its electronic, but Some of the clickier stuff they have done is particularly interesting. I suppose Drop it like its hot is the most obvious one, although the most spartan thing I heard from them was the last Clipse album. To a certain extent the above description would also fit the guys from Outkast.

Jon Brion - arranger/producer extraordinaire. Heavily indebted to the Beatles and the early 70's LA sound. Aimee Mann, Elliott Smith, Fiona Apple even the last Kanye West album, numerous film scores. A producer who harks back to the days of the producer as auteur. Think Jack Nietzsche or someone. God be with the days when a produce also had to be an extraordinary musician. A rare enough bird these days.

Also of note, the Postal Service - Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel) and some of Death Cab for Cutie. Taking emo pop and combining it with an ever increasing mainstream acceptance for electronica. The success of this was largely down to a couple of cracking singles and I am sure that plenty bought the album based on the strength of those that might not have been too keen on some of the rest of the stuff on there, but still quite intriguing that an album which was heavily indebted to Warp Records et al should find favour with a broad audience including your average OC/Dawsons Creek fan.

I'd count the Postal Service as very much electronic.

The only really great non electronic recordings, from the last ten years, I can think of are the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

I really can't stand Guitar/BassNdDrums/ bands these days.. I think they sound very contrived and awful. What's the point exactly? Electronic music these days is far more real,, and has soul.


PJ Harvey still records things on Tascams and Yamaha porto studios -- you can go and find the Documentary of the making of her last album -- you can see her using these.

People like Jack Nietzsche, had many pre electronic/Sequencer/sampler tricks and techniques. Such as the dead art of tape splicing.

Also studios in Jack Nietzsche's time had session musicans on staff. Who did not getting listings on the recordings.

I'd say now days -- probably most of what you here on the radio -- started in a home studio -- and was just cleaned up later.

Where most studios make their money is through recording voice over work for corporate training and ads,, and maybe a bit of sound work for TV and Film. I think windmill lane don't even record music anymore. A Heinz Beanz ad will pay off far more then recording a Blizards album.


And listen back to Martin Hannett.... What he produced is absolutely brilliant -- but it's full of flubbs and mistakes -- but he could just make it work as a whole.

I've heard plenty of recordings made on home studios that were pristine, and technically superior to Martin Hannett -- But He could make Ian Curtis's out of tune three note deliveries sound like a personal message from god.

PaulBrewer

krd wrote: »

The only really great non electronic recordings, from the last ten years, I can think of are the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Just to clarify, in your opinion, only the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have made great recordings in the last 10 years? No one else?

krd wrote: »

I'd say now days -- probably most of what you here on the radio -- started in a home studio -- and was just cleaned up later.

Is that your opinion, or do you have evidence to back that up?

PaulBrewer

Seziertisch wrote: »

Stuff produced by:



Glyn Johns - his fathers son. High definition Stones with a hint of early 70's LA. See Ryan Adams Heartbreaker and I suppose the stuff he has done with the Kings of Leon.

Ethan Johns, no? I always get Glynn and Andy mixed up so easy mistake. Coincidentially, there's an interview with him in this months Tape-Op magazine I've just cracked open.

sei046

well, krd.
Whats your story? You have some fairly seemingly well imformed opinions!
Care to give us a brief rundown on yourself? Your setup, what your into, discography?

Seziertisch

Spot on there, Paul. Looks like you're not the only one who gets them mixed up ;-)

Seziertisch

krd wrote: »

People like Jack Nietzsche, had many pre electronic/Sequencer/sampler tricks and techniques. Such as the dead art of tape splicing.

Also studios in Jack Nietzsche's time had session musicans on staff. Who did not getting listings on the recordings.

And listen back to Martin Hannett.... What he produced is absolutely brilliant -- but it's full of flubbs and mistakes -- but he could just make it work as a whole.

I've heard plenty of recordings made on home studios that were pristine, and technically superior to Martin Hannett -- But He could make Ian Curtis's out of tune three note deliveries sound like a personal message from god.

Regardless of whether Jack Nietzsche worked with session musicians who received no credit, I was referring specifically to his ability to arrange for a full orchestra.

As for Martin Hannett's recordings having flubbs and mistakes, which ones are you exactly talking about? I am reasonably familiar with a share of his work and can't really think of any. The guy was a perfectionist. He was obsessed with ABBA. He wanted to record Joy Division in the same studio ABBA used in Sweden. In the studio he was absolutely masterful. I don't think there was anything that was not deliberate about his recordings. He alpha tested for AMS, and indeed he did the first recordings with their delay line. They quite literally gave him the products they were developing and he tried them out and then offered criticisms and suggestions for improvements.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2006/04/13/130406_martin_hannett_feature.shtml