Questions And Answers. Options

[Per Aronsson]

Hi Lighterthief! This is the place in which we ask you stuff and you answer with whatever stuff you have! (Thank you Mr Tein for the Q & A idea).

How is it to have Andy as a bandmember?

What´s your view on recording music?

Your next exiting project?

This post has been edited by Per Aronsson: May 31 2009, 07:34 AM

[SDR]

Hi everyone- thanks for asking the questions Per, - not sure who’s gonna be interested but here goes:

How is it to have Andy as a bandmember?

Well Lighterthief isn’t really a band in the traditional sense- its basically me and whoever happens to come round to the studio. There’s been about 30 different musicians involved over the years. But I have to say that young Partridge is showing a lot of promise- hahah- he always has some very unusual ideas (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

But seriously its been a privilege and an education working with Andy on Monstrance and the Lighterthief tracks.

What´s your view on recording music?

Well I could rant about this for 32 pages but basically I try to find the most interesting musicians that I can- point a microphone at them-press record- and then manipulate and re arrange the results over months and months until they satisfy some deep dark urge within me.

Your next project?

Well there’s a lot of different stuff going on here but the next Lighterthief release on Ape is being finalized right now- it should be out at the end of June/beginning of July. Three tracks again- Andy’s popping up all over the place, plus lots of other Lighterthief musicians, and Jen Olive has contributed the most amazing vocal parts to one of the songs.


Anyway- hope thats enough-

Cheers

Stu

[Honeycomb Jack]

Great news, Stu!

Here's a question - what set you off making music in the first place?

[Per Aronsson]

Thanks Stu! Cool that you and Jen do a song together. Maybe more APEs are heading for the Lighterthief headquarter!?

[SDR]

Great news, Stu!

Here's a question - what set you off making music in the first place?

I have no idea!!!-some inner demon-- hahah- I grew up in house with only 2 records in- "Walking back to Happiness" by Helen Shapiro and "Let There be Drums" by Sandy Nelson and I suppose its been a lifelong quest to make a record with both abnormally low female vocals and ridiculous amounts of reverb.

[Honeycomb Jack]

I have no idea!!!-some inner demon-- hahah- I grew up in house with only 2 records in- "Walking back to Happiness" by Helen Shapiro and "Let There be Drums" by Sandy Nelson and I suppose its been a lifelong quest to make a record with both abnormally low female vocals and ridiculous amounts of reverb.

Do you know, I thought that Lighterthief ep sounded a bit Shapiroish, with a touch of the Nelsons about it!

Thanks for the answer Stu!

[saturnboy]

Hi Stuart -

How did you become such a great recording engineer? School or "on the job" training? I really like the quality of the sound on the projects you've been involved in that I've heard (Monstrance/Lighterthief).

Also - can you give us any info on The Alfonz? I've heard them through MySpace and they are awesome! I'd love to know if or when I could buy tracks like the fab Sitting on Your Radiator.

Cheers!
saturnboy

[SDR]

Well spotted Mr Jack- there's just not enough Shapiroish/Nelson influenced music out there.

And thanks for your kind words Saturnboy but any engineering skills I have developed have come from playing music for many many years and trying( and failing dismally) to make it sound like my favourite records-I played guitar and bass and did a bit of engineering for the Future Sound of London and Amorphous Androgynous which led me to record every person in Swindon that I came across- this in turn led to Monstrance- then Glory Bumps with Shriekback and Barry Andrews and finally to the dissonant but not unfriendly world of Lighterthief.

Mind you- it helps having Andy Partridge on your shoulder saying 'have you ever thought of doing............"

And The Alfonz- pesky varmints- they seem to live in my studio-there's a terrible smell in there- my son is the drummer- so they've been hanging around here for years- Sitting on my Radiator is just about to be released as a single-


Cheers

Stu

[xyzman]

Great work so far Stuart - looking forward to the next batch!

[paranoid android]

Great work so far Stuart - looking forward to the next batch!

Indeed - genious, in my opinion!

So, what was the extent of your involvement in Monstrance, Stu - if I may call you Stu?

Toad.

[SDR]

Indeed - genious, in my opinion!

So, what was the extent of your involvement in Monstrance, Stu - if I may call you Stu?

Toad.

Hi Toad- you can call me whatever you want to:)


well ...

its a long story.

But briefly- I wandered into the studio where Andy, Barry and Martyn were recording Monstrance just as I Lovely Cosmonaut was wafting through the air. I was transfixed by possibly the strangest music I had ever heard in my life. But it made sense totally to me cos i was heading off into the same strange bizarre musical places myself but with only a computer for company- and here it was being played by 3 guys in a room. So I hung around for a bit- helped out where I could- did a remix of Chain Gang to show em what I could do- and then got asked to help out with the mixing of the album- it was great- I learnt a load of new stuff about production from Andy and we just tried to make it sound as good as we could. I think its a great album- but i can see hows its difficult on the ear to some listeners- its pretty abstract- but there are some genuinely brilliant bits I think.

And thanks for your kind words xyzman ( and everyone else who's commented and sent messages)- it's great to think that people are getting what we are trying to do here.

Cheers

Stu

[Per Aronsson]

Stu, is the fact that both you and Andy comes from Swindon an advantage when making music together? You know, some Swindonian feeling/attitude/disease/mood? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[SDR]

Stu, is the fact that both you and Andy comes from Swindon an advantage when making music together? You know, some Swindonian feeling/attitude/disease/mood? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Well – this was not a question to dismiss with a quick quip. This has taken careful consideration. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Well firstly it’s a definite advantage to me as it’s great having someone with Andy’s’ musical experience living close by who can give me some advice on whatever ridiculous musical project I’ve somehow got myself involved in. And Barry Andrews has moved back to Swindon so that’s definitely helped me in my endeavours as well.

But with Swindon in general- I don’t think its much different from any other small town. Lots of bands- a few venues- some real talent floating about- a few people getting it together.

The main thing that influences the music here is that there is no university- so a lot of talented young people leave here at 18/19- and are not replaced with an influx of other drink, drug and sex-crazed youngsters as would be the case in university towns. So there’s not so many clubs- restaurants- bands- artists- culture etc etc

So who stays?- young people who don t feel the urge to get away- maybe their parents aren’t wealthy enough- they can’t be arsed- they aren’t academic types- and also maybe people move here for work- lots of banking/insurance type businesses- car factories. The rail industry that Swindon was built on has gone but there’s still plenty of work.

So there’s an atmosphere around Swindon that’s quite unique- I’ve lived in a few places and Swindon definitely has its own thing.-I’m not sure if it’s a disease- hahah- but its maybe a smell. Or an odour- or maybe a fragrance- naaaah- its definitely a smell.

Life in Swindon is quite simple I suppose- go to work- go to the pub- foppishness is generally frowned upon- it’s a down to earth kinda place- I moved here when I was 27 so I can see it probably differently than people who grew up here. Its definitely got an edge here- its quite a tough place.
Its not a pretty town- there are some beautiful parks and buildings but they are few and far between- it’s a funny ugly little place really- but its great – I love it here. Its regarded as pretty uncool by the rest of the country. In "The Office" the only town to be considered more depressing than Slough is yes- Swindon-hahahah.

But I don’t think there’s really a Swindon feeling in music- Andy (and Colin, Barry, Terry and Dave) created their own thing which stands head and shoulders above anything else created locally- they bestride the local music scene like some grotesque dissonant angular poptastic 5-headed monster-
“shit – we ve got to be better than XTC” that’s one hell of a weight to carry for a young band:)

But Swindons music scene is quite healthy at present – there’s some great young bands about- I’ve taught, recorded, produced, written and played with anyone who’ll let me for the last 18 years so I know most of ‘em and it s a pretty good place to be a musician. There;s all types of music going on here from blues to the most outrageous form of metal- to bhangra to dubstep.- whatever.

And with Lighterthief we just make records with who happens to be about- so sometimes you get blues harmonicas mixed with opera singers, Andy on guitar and samples sent back from street markets in Asia- choirs from the desert - etc etc - it just depends on who comes to the studio or has been in touch. Everyone adds their little bit to the soup. But i suppose it has a Swindon feel and rhythm if there is such a thing cos it was made here.



Sorry for the rant-but you did ask

[Per Aronsson]

Stuart, please feel free to rant how much you want. Great post that gave a lot of insight about Swindon and how things work there. I´ve only been to the place twice, but I could certanly feel that something Swindonian, whatever that is, is going on.

Hhm, at this point I usually have a question to fire off, but I spare you this time, ha ha! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Jeff Truzzi]

Hi, Stuart! Thanks for coming onto the APE forum to answer our questions!

As a fellow (but not as accomplished) engineer, I'm curious as to if you have a preferred recording system. I assume you started in the old analog 24-track days (as I did), but what do you prefer to use now? Logic? ProTools? (I know Andy uses Cubase, he's obviously figured out the updated version by now.) Do you send .wav files for your long distance collaborations, or what?

And what effects processors/plugins do you really like to use?

Thanks!

- Jeffy Truzzi

[Jeff Truzzi]

And another, if you don't mind.

Brian Eno once said that if you want to be experimental in the studio, it doesn't need to take a lot of time. In his opinion, using more studio time usually makes the product slicker as opposed to more experimental.

I'd appreciate hearing your comments.

[SDR]

Hi, Stuart! Thanks for coming onto the APE forum to answer our questions!

As a fellow (but not as accomplished) engineer, I'm curious as to if you have a preferred recording system. I assume you started in the old analog 24-track days (as I did), but what do you prefer to use now? Logic? ProTools? (I know Andy uses Cubase, he's obviously figured out the updated version by now.) Do you send .wav files for your long distance collaborations, or what?

And what effects processors/plugins do you really like to use?

Thanks!

- Jeffy Truzzi

Hi Jeff- thanks for the question-

this answer is going to be so incredibly boring to most people so please ignore if you know nothing about the recording process☺

Well- I currently use Logic- but my background in recording is unusual in that I never really learnt the traditional route at all- I ve only ever used computers for making records and if anyone sits me I front of a big mixing desk its akin to being asked to fly a 747 to New York.

So I know none of the traditional ways of making records- I ve just experimented with software. I ve worked with lots of people who understand hardware really well but I get in such a terrible mess with wires and cables that I prefer the virtual world. Andys got a fantastic knowledge of all the recording and production techniques from the 60s onwards so I ve tried to learn as much as I can from him about those methods and work out how to get software to do a similar job.

What I’ve done is to try and capture the feel of my favourite records but by only using software which obviously ends up sounding radically (and sometimes disasterously) different to what I intended and I suppose I ve got more and more into what can be done with plug ins and gone further away from the traditional route.

I started on Cubase and then moved to Logic about 7 years ago. I ve done a bit on Protools and I think the audio side is brilliant but I prefer Logic’s MIDI side. `I also use Ableton a bit—particularly for triggering stuff live. I developed a guitar a few years ago called The Cybercaster that enabled me to trigger samples from the guitar itself- I used it on a tour with The Future Sound Of London and at some Lighterthief gigs . It was built by a chap called Chris Bauder who invented a thing called The Midi Gun.

Yes - I use wavs or aiffs for any long distance collaborations- its worked really well- but there is something about being in the same room with someone that is always preferable.

ooooohhhhh plug ins I love….

I am a software queen- so…..

Well all the Logic stuff is superb I think- its an amazing package for making any type of music but I think its good to get your own unique sound so I try to experiment a lot with new software.

I like Waves stuff as well- its expensive and they have a cruel upgrade policy but I would really struggle without the L1 limiter. I ve just bought the Maserati collection which I’m loving.

I use a lot of unusual plugins- the Ohmforce family is great- particulary Ohmboyz- but my favourites are things called Supatrigga made by Smartelectronix and Buffer Override made by Destroy FX- they kind of mangle up stuff in a very pleasing way- to my ears anyway. Aptrigga is good for drum triggering. I love loads of em really.

However recently I ve been more and more using a very strange piece of equipment called a VST Partridge- its great – you throw a generic drumloop at it and hey presto –out pops a fully finished song with unusual chords and great lyrics- I'm just trying to find someone to market it☺

And this has come in handy a lot over the years;-


 turd_polisher_1.jpg ( 68.53K ) Number of downloads: 21



Cheers

Stu

[Jeff Truzzi]

Wow! What a great and detailed answer!

My background is going from hiss, consoles and razor blades to mixing in the box, so your comments are highly enlightening and extremely helpful. Thanks, Stu!

The Turd Polisher - that's not in my Waves bundle.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

VST Partridge, eh? Highly marketable. I've made a hobby out of trying to figure out (and name) those unusual chords.

[Honeycomb Jack]

Great answers Stu!

I've a question for you:

If someone came up to you with a big fat pay cheque and said 'Pick an album, any album; remix it, add samples, do what you will with it, and the money's yours', which album would you pick and what would you do with it? (the album, not the money).

Cheers!
Jack

This post has been edited by Honeycomb Jack: Jun 16 2009, 10:27 AM

[SDR]

And another, if you don't mind.

Brian Eno once said that if you want to be experimental in the studio, it doesn't need to take a lot of time. In his opinion, using more studio time usually makes the product slicker as opposed to more experimental.

I'd appreciate hearing your comments.

Hi again Jeff

Bloody hell- these are great questions- invitations to rant- i don't need to be asked twice- hahahah

Well I think he’s totally right. and Brian Eno is a master at knocking people out of their comfort zone and getting them to play outside themselves . Some of his techniques are brilliant- the oblique strategies are great fun to use if you are stuck.

And its also very easy to be experimental given the tools now available to a musician- there’s so much technology that will change any parameter of any aspect of the sound - that just by setting some parameters to randomize will create some pleasing results. And by changing any aspect of a performance- for example- I’ll play in D and you in B flat-the drummer plays in 5 and we ll have percussion in 3- that will give some interesting experimental results.

However the same techniques will also produce some scandalous results that are best left unheard - so I think the answer is to be creative and experimental really quickly- improvise – throw ideas down – anything goes- but then spend as long as is necessary organizing those ideas into a pleasing shape. It means you have a lot of weeding to do- but the gems are in there somewhere.- maybe☺

I don’t think experimental necessarily means good and also I dont think that slick necessarily means bad. In fact- slick experimental is pretty good to aim for I reckon- some of the best stuff ever made is probably both. They don t have to be mutually exclusive.

its a tricky one- because to be too experimental can be very dull for the listener- great for the musicians- hahah

what's everyone else think?