Another year down

Beefheart - I'm done with my work on this project and it is so killer. There are some cuts on the 5 CD set that are my favorite Beefheart cuts yet. I'm still giddy with all the rare Beefheart I was able to consume while working on this project. It was a real pleasure to lend my expertise.

In media news, I've been told that my interview is going to be in the next issue of Tape Op. I really don't know when it's supposed to come out but I suspect it will be March or April.

In the February issue of Mix you will find two reviews I did for the Shure KSM32 microphone and the Antares Auto-Tune Pitch corrector. The Shure mic is brilliant it offers an accurate picture of the sound source and can handle a variety of applications. The Antares is also neat box but horrifying because it worked so well. It seems that no one _really_ needs to know how to sing anymore.

The studio just got a face lift with the addition of a spinet piano from 1954. It has a few broken keys right now, but I'm on the hunt for someone that can fix it. We also hung some forest green velvet or velour drapes along one side of the studio to help with acoustics but also so make the space seem more comfortable.

The First Hand CD (male/female harmony vocals with guitar and percussion in in the mix stage right now but has been put on hold so that Kim can have her baby! This is a good thing. I played some of the mixes for friends and was told they sort of sounded like acoustic Dead/Hot Tuna/Neil Young. That pretty much sums it up.

Solar Federation are still tracking on their next CD. This new material has a bit more of a Zappa influence then the last. Dwayne is funny because he always has some new effect for his guitar. Have you seen these new Dan Electro pedals. They look retro but sounds great. We used the chorus on the vocals last CD

I tested the KSM32's on the Young Composers Collective. We put up two in a stereo pair and ran it to DAT. We discovered several things. One was that their rehersal space sounds really good, so do the mics and we will have to continue the experiements. When was the last time a 12 piece orchestra shared studio space with you?

Climax Golden Twins are sequencing their CD for Meme, doing a 10" collaboration thingy that I don't know too much about, rehersing for live shows and rocking pretty damn hard. there is nothing like a good loud backyard party band session to ease the stress of an electronic phenomenon which is their new CD. There is static, sqeacks, drone, clicks, drums, pops, washes, dialog, birds, synths, guitars, samples, lions and tigers and bears. Oh My!

A duo of Bill Dickerson and Eva Tree came by for a test session. I saw these two play at the Healy Gallery a couple months ago and really liked their stuff. It's a interesting blend of fabulous vocals and precise guitar playing. Our test song is very nice despite the hurriedness of the session. They play around Seattle regularly, check them out.

Kenui Ullin stooped by to master a benifit CD for the Prick Decay/ Chocolate Monk revue tour that will happen later this year. Interesting compilation from some groups you've heard of and soem that you haven't.

Brent Arnold was in one day to do a qucik sountrack recording for a film that will be in the Seattle Film Festival. As always, Brent's compositions are unique yet familiar. The description I got of the scene in which the music will appear fit together so well that I wanted to see the film.

OK, stand back! things are really starting to roll.