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Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Recording on Lake Hartwell
Over the weekend we moved my entire studio and all of our gear into Tyler's lake house. His parents had gone out of town for 5 days so we jumped at the opportunity to record in some good ol' air conditioning...not to mention the fact of being in a different environment all together. During our time at the house I had limited access to the internet (and I mean, who would want to be writing a blog when you're jamming out in a lake house right?) So, I'm going to list day by day what when on in the house to the best of my knowledge. We did take photos as well as videos to go with our spare of the moment idea to make a horror film/documentary about ourselves..(Believe it or not, you can STILL get some what bored at a lake house after a while). Below is the teaser trailer to the film that we are now calling "Planets vs Crocodiles"
Now then, here's what went down....
Day One - Thursday
My original plans were to be awake around 10am and be all loaded up and at Tyler's house by Noon. Well, I've been on a really fucked up sleep schedule lately and on top of that, my super expensive alarm clock ($2) failed to go off. So after waking up at 2:30pm, I got everything I could together really quickly and jumped in the shower. Tyler was already calling asking where I was. I had a few more things to take care of around the house as well as packing before I could leave. I arrived at the lake house around 6 that evening and we then unloaded the cargo and distributed it through out the house..(Thanks for doing 90% of the unloading Kyle!). We turned the living room into the live room with our mass amounts of musical junk...the computer room / office became the control room, the living room, because the live room and the guest bed room became my room (that i slept in for only 1 night).
We spend the rest of the evening plugging cables up, getting a feel for the room and enjoying some of the 57 roast beef sandwiches that Tyler slung up. I remember sleeping on the floor that night (beside a pallet of pillows) with Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the background.
Day Two - Friday
Woke up around 2:30pm again..Tyler was still in School so I sat around the house, got some more things in order and grabbed a shower. Soon after, Tyler was home and had brought over our good friend Stephen who was there for moral support and verbal solutions. Around 5pm, Bleech arrived at the house and sat up his drums so we could have a quick practice of a few songs, because we were STILL trying to feel out the room and the sounds it made. A few things vibrated but nothing really bad. We spent the rest of the evening free styling and jamming around on ideas...oh and Bleech really loved the Roast Beef Sandwiches as well....we discovered that when a little spicy mustard was added, they really came to life.
So lunch was over and I sat down and recorded the guitar tracks to "Sex Sex Sex" and Tyler attempted to do his bass lines but the session ended soon due to us all feeling shitty for some unknown reason. After jamming, we took the boat out on the lake to cool off and relax. I remember I was the only one awake on the boat after about half an hour...apparently I had serenaded them all to a slumber with my guitar pickin' skills. Once I woke everyone up, we returned to the house where Bleech and I were the only ones to stay up till dawn, filming for our documentary and doing other random shit. This was the only night I slept in the guest bed.
Day 3 - Saturday
I awoke 3 times this day. Once to an amplifier in my face blasting the Techno hit: "Screwing You on the Beach at Night" by the Bloodhound Gang, the second time to Tyler using one of Bleech's cymbals as a gong and lastly when they pored ice water down my crotch. I realized it was 5pm... "Christ!" I thought to myself. After grabbing a quick shower, I stepped out on the deck to have a smoke, where Tyler was getting ready to go into work for a few hours. After he left, I set up some mics around the kit and let Bleech knock out the drums to "Sex Sex Sex" along with my guitar tracks that had been done the night before. After he had completed those, I began work on the guitar parts for "Jupiter" which when through in one take..I was very pleased. Right after the recording had stopped, Tyler walked in with some "to-go" food from the restaurant where he works. It was very good, and Bleech's Chicken sandwhich was very good as well. (I dont think you noticed Bleech but when your back was turned, i took a bite out of your sandwhich, i'll owe ya one). After choking down the meal, Bleech knocked out his tracks as well as Tyler Finishing up his bass lines to both songs. Afterwords, we had another boat ride out on Lake Hartwell around 2am where we had very random conversations including topics such as "Black Comedy". After getting back to the house, we all laid down on the living room floor and watched "Fight Club" until 7am and which by then after seeing the movie, wanted to throw myself off a building. Not because the movie was bad, it was really great actually...but because it had left a very odd taste in my brain. I found comfort on a couch surrounded by other furniture and various wicker chairs in what had became "The Storage...Sun Room".
Bleech was also the Coffee man of the night as well as Tyler making his fine Iced Mocha Drinks.
Day 4 - Sunday
I wake up around 2:30pm once again to Tyler explaining to me how he had looked all over the house for me and had just found me hidden in the mountain of wicker. Bleech was gone and so were his drums. He had said something the night before about him and his special someone having a dinner date that evening, so i guess he had to head out early to make it home in time. Tyler and I once AGAIN took the boat out after listening/mixing the tracks from the last two nights...and this time the Sun was out and glaring down on us, so we cut this trip short. Once home again, I started breaking down gear and getting it ready to be packed away while Tyler took a nap in his room for about 45 minutes. When the gear was all squared away, we moved a couch into the living room and watched a "Myth-Busters Marathon" where they proved that it was impossible in all cases to walk on water, much to mine and Tyler's debate. The door bell rang and it was the Pizza guy with one of those new Grilled pizzas which i highly recommend. After all of that, we did what neither of us wanted to do....load the trailer. It did however, go a lot faster than I had expected. After briefly packing my cloths and random socks (I'm not sure if they are mine?) I found my keys and made the 20 drive home. What a relief to be back in my own home again...even though it was only 4 days. I had a smoke, got into my favorite sleep pants and didn't leave the couch until 6am when i passed out. It was some good sleep.
And that was the probably not so interesting story of The Humms recording at Lake Hartwell...or "Hummwell" as a few of us have deemed it. Now with all my gear back at the Farmhouse, I'll be mixing and overdubbing for the next few nights to come. Stay tuned!
- Zeke
Now then, here's what went down....
Day One - Thursday
My original plans were to be awake around 10am and be all loaded up and at Tyler's house by Noon. Well, I've been on a really fucked up sleep schedule lately and on top of that, my super expensive alarm clock ($2) failed to go off. So after waking up at 2:30pm, I got everything I could together really quickly and jumped in the shower. Tyler was already calling asking where I was. I had a few more things to take care of around the house as well as packing before I could leave. I arrived at the lake house around 6 that evening and we then unloaded the cargo and distributed it through out the house..(Thanks for doing 90% of the unloading Kyle!). We turned the living room into the live room with our mass amounts of musical junk...the computer room / office became the control room, the living room, because the live room and the guest bed room became my room (that i slept in for only 1 night).
We spend the rest of the evening plugging cables up, getting a feel for the room and enjoying some of the 57 roast beef sandwiches that Tyler slung up. I remember sleeping on the floor that night (beside a pallet of pillows) with Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the background.
Day Two - Friday
Woke up around 2:30pm again..Tyler was still in School so I sat around the house, got some more things in order and grabbed a shower. Soon after, Tyler was home and had brought over our good friend Stephen who was there for moral support and verbal solutions. Around 5pm, Bleech arrived at the house and sat up his drums so we could have a quick practice of a few songs, because we were STILL trying to feel out the room and the sounds it made. A few things vibrated but nothing really bad. We spent the rest of the evening free styling and jamming around on ideas...oh and Bleech really loved the Roast Beef Sandwiches as well....we discovered that when a little spicy mustard was added, they really came to life.
So lunch was over and I sat down and recorded the guitar tracks to "Sex Sex Sex" and Tyler attempted to do his bass lines but the session ended soon due to us all feeling shitty for some unknown reason. After jamming, we took the boat out on the lake to cool off and relax. I remember I was the only one awake on the boat after about half an hour...apparently I had serenaded them all to a slumber with my guitar pickin' skills. Once I woke everyone up, we returned to the house where Bleech and I were the only ones to stay up till dawn, filming for our documentary and doing other random shit. This was the only night I slept in the guest bed.
Day 3 - Saturday
I awoke 3 times this day. Once to an amplifier in my face blasting the Techno hit: "Screwing You on the Beach at Night" by the Bloodhound Gang, the second time to Tyler using one of Bleech's cymbals as a gong and lastly when they pored ice water down my crotch. I realized it was 5pm... "Christ!" I thought to myself. After grabbing a quick shower, I stepped out on the deck to have a smoke, where Tyler was getting ready to go into work for a few hours. After he left, I set up some mics around the kit and let Bleech knock out the drums to "Sex Sex Sex" along with my guitar tracks that had been done the night before. After he had completed those, I began work on the guitar parts for "Jupiter" which when through in one take..I was very pleased. Right after the recording had stopped, Tyler walked in with some "to-go" food from the restaurant where he works. It was very good, and Bleech's Chicken sandwhich was very good as well. (I dont think you noticed Bleech but when your back was turned, i took a bite out of your sandwhich, i'll owe ya one). After choking down the meal, Bleech knocked out his tracks as well as Tyler Finishing up his bass lines to both songs. Afterwords, we had another boat ride out on Lake Hartwell around 2am where we had very random conversations including topics such as "Black Comedy". After getting back to the house, we all laid down on the living room floor and watched "Fight Club" until 7am and which by then after seeing the movie, wanted to throw myself off a building. Not because the movie was bad, it was really great actually...but because it had left a very odd taste in my brain. I found comfort on a couch surrounded by other furniture and various wicker chairs in what had became "The Storage...Sun Room".
Bleech was also the Coffee man of the night as well as Tyler making his fine Iced Mocha Drinks.
Day 4 - Sunday
I wake up around 2:30pm once again to Tyler explaining to me how he had looked all over the house for me and had just found me hidden in the mountain of wicker. Bleech was gone and so were his drums. He had said something the night before about him and his special someone having a dinner date that evening, so i guess he had to head out early to make it home in time. Tyler and I once AGAIN took the boat out after listening/mixing the tracks from the last two nights...and this time the Sun was out and glaring down on us, so we cut this trip short. Once home again, I started breaking down gear and getting it ready to be packed away while Tyler took a nap in his room for about 45 minutes. When the gear was all squared away, we moved a couch into the living room and watched a "Myth-Busters Marathon" where they proved that it was impossible in all cases to walk on water, much to mine and Tyler's debate. The door bell rang and it was the Pizza guy with one of those new Grilled pizzas which i highly recommend. After all of that, we did what neither of us wanted to do....load the trailer. It did however, go a lot faster than I had expected. After briefly packing my cloths and random socks (I'm not sure if they are mine?) I found my keys and made the 20 drive home. What a relief to be back in my own home again...even though it was only 4 days. I had a smoke, got into my favorite sleep pants and didn't leave the couch until 6am when i passed out. It was some good sleep.
And that was the probably not so interesting story of The Humms recording at Lake Hartwell...or "Hummwell" as a few of us have deemed it. Now with all my gear back at the Farmhouse, I'll be mixing and overdubbing for the next few nights to come. Stay tuned!
- Zeke
Monday, August 11, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Recording Sessions Number 3
Finally! Last night Bleech and I headed into the studio to get some things worked out. While he was busy changing his drum heads and checking out his brand spankin' new, super sweet tambourine, I was busy picking a 3" X 1/2" splinter out of my foot. Maybe that's a sign that it's time to clean up the studio floor once again. I would have snapped a picture for you all to see, but I was too busy wrapping a towel around my foot to stop the bleeding. Who says studio work isn't dangerous?
Finally! Last night Bleech and I headed into the studio to get some things worked out. While he was busy changing his drum heads and checking out his brand spankin' new, super sweet tambourine, I was busy picking a 3" X 1/2" splinter out of my foot. Maybe that's a sign that it's time to clean up the studio floor once again. I would have snapped a picture for you all to see, but I was too busy wrapping a towel around my foot to stop the bleeding. Who says studio work isn't dangerous?
Later on after my foot had drained out, we began work on "Strawberry Glue" The guitars/bass tracks had been done about a week or so ago and Bleech was throwin' down his tracks. It took him at least 35 takes to get this right...not because he's not a good drummer..it was mainly due to the fact that it was hard to get a good headphone mix where the click track could be heard clearly. Simple problem. After we fixed that, he nailed it with in the next couple of takes. Next up was "Pretty Green Leaves". We got some what experimental with the drum beat on this one, breaking it down into a complex, thought out......"thing"....and I'm sure he started to get a little mad when I would stop the recording because he missed an accent or crash. But hey, you want to be at your best right?
After laying down the root beat, he overdubbed his sweet new tambourine (ha) and then an auxiliary beat in the back ground. This was actually really fun to record. I got an old Radio Shack Microphone that I've had since i was 10 or 11 (?) set up in the middle of the live room...about 10 feet in front of the Kit...that then was ran into an MXR guitar distortion pedal and then ran (via 1/4" cable) into the console. The result was a lo-fi, dirty old skool type of sound. Very Pleased.
I'm really excited to see what song we churn out next. Be on the look out for these mixes to be on the Myspace sometime maybe before the fall. Stay in touch.
- Zeke
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Studio Sessions 2
So tonight we went back to the studio to begin work on "Pretty Green Leaves" We got the Electric Piano, Guitar, Bass and scratch vocal down, although it was quite a task fighting off our new found company in the studio. We've recently discovered that parts of our studio has been infested with Ants. I hate those bastards. One came up out of a key as i was playing the Piano part and nearly cost the take. I recovered quick though...using my pinky to squash him as i played on.
Bleech should be back home from the beach today as well, although he wont be coming to the studio until this Thursday to do his drum tracks. I'm really stoked to piece all these tracks together and see what happens. Until then, i shall return to the studio to get rid of our little friends. This isn't over...
Bleech should be back home from the beach today as well, although he wont be coming to the studio until this Thursday to do his drum tracks. I'm really stoked to piece all these tracks together and see what happens. Until then, i shall return to the studio to get rid of our little friends. This isn't over...
Friday, July 25, 2008
Oh yeah, we started recording last nite..
Here you see our producer, Yoshemee chilling beside my guitar rig in the studio.
Yes, that's a real Xylophone
TV-head Mahican #2 standing guard over the console.
Some of My (and Tylers) toys on the floor
Sorry for not posting this last night...but...Tyler and I went out to the studio last evening to begin work on our "release"...whatever that means. Bleech was absent for this session because he is away at the beach. Bleech is at the Beach...cool deal.We started on "Strawberry Glue", a tune you may remember from our myspace page. One thing i can say about the recording so far, is it's nothing like the demo, but just like the demo. If that makes sense. Then later on (tonight), I couldn't sleep so i put on a coat and returned to the studio to overdub my guitar parts (didn't like the sound of the first ones.) For this, I pulled out my Epiphone Dot guitar (modeled after a 335), definitely not the "Crin-da-la-crim" of guitars, but i like it and it got the job done. First time i had recorded that guitar in over a Year.
I can't wait for all of you to hear what we've been creating...even just last night. The beginning to "Strawberry Glue" almost brought tears, and most likely will before we are done with it...not because I'm some terrific writer..far from it. I just know the story behind this song and it really hits home..and I'm hoping it does the same for you, whatever you story may be. Above are some pics from the recording session tonight.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Questions about our name.
If you've ever wondered how we got our name or what it means, just check this video out. It's about 11 minutes long but it will explain everything, just keep an open mind. ha.
The Humms
The Humms
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Whoo recording.
We'll be going into my project studio (Farmhouse) sometime soon over this Summer to record our debut EP. We have no idea what it will come out like or if it will even be worth a shit, but we are def going to put our all into it. Stay tuned..
- Zeke
- Zeke
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