Location: Ghost Town Studios with Ross Halden in Leeds
Reason: New track 15PETER2012 for 'Us and them' remix compilation album.
Rob: Guitar
Ok so the idea behind this new compilation is that bands take songs created by DJs and transform them into something of their own and vice versa. So Gavron (yes boss) is remixing 'I Hate this, do you like it?'
Mr. Gavron sent us excerpts of 4 of 5 of his songs to which we listened to and decide which parts of sections would work as a chickenhawk riff or as part of a song, we then created a song around these parts adding lots more riffs and sections. The final result being a million miles from the starting point we were given.
Having recorded with Ross before he knows how we work and vice versa and we know he does a fantastic job, the only problem is that he when we first recorded with him in 2005 he was clean cut, shaved hair hip hop beat making guru, now he resembles Mr. Grunge, this is what recording riffs does to you.............be warned...........
Day 1 is Matt Reid day, we arrive at the studios 6:30 on a tuesday, Ross has turned into Mr. DIY and really transformed his studios since we recorded 'Scorpieau' with him a matter of months ago. Matt sets up all his drums and Ross fiddles with microphones while i get down to more important business such as getting the coffee machine to work. Stick is out of it at home ill so we are already a man down.......
I have to say we (i say 'we' i really mean ross and we supervised) achieved an awesome drum sound very quickly, previous recording sessions we have fiddled with microphones and room positions for a long time before being happy......
I sit in with Matt and create a guide track for guitars whilst he smashes the s h i t out of his drums, again the track seems to come together very quickly as we only really run through the song 4 or 5 times. In the control room listening back to the drum track there is some pretty impressive stuff that Matt plays on this song, it might well even be my favourite Matt Reid drum track he has done with Chickenhawk yet........ Ill try not to ruin it tomorrow.......
Ryan: Bass
Day one
We turn up at ghosttown one man down, as Paul has succumbed to deadly Swine Flu, and haul all the gear up into Ross's attic studio and start setting Matt's drums up. The obligatory hour of tuning skins, hitting single drums and moving mic's is spent till Ross achieves that Eureka moment and finds the banging drum sound he is after. Bingo, time for drum tracking..... Rob sets up a basic tone for a guide and he and Mat run through the track 5 or 6 times till we have a few takes we are really happy with. Cue coffee break and some listening back followed by comping the best bits of Matt's achievements. The result of which sounds awesome. Dancing around the control room follows and somebody's trousers may have fell down. We pull the drum kit apart and go home happy with the evening's work.
Life Food Day two
Today we start on guitars properly, we are still a man down as Paul is holed up in his bed speaking in tongues, we decide it's probably best to leave him there and crack on with Rob's parts. We try a variety of cabs and dial settings with the Matamp beast, and inevitably end up with the first setup we tried. Ross then whips out his recording cape of power and daddy wizard staff and gets ready to press the big red button of riff capture (this may in fact be a lie) Rob lays down all his parts in a good amount of time, layering up basic rhythm tracks, and doing some wah of death overdubs. High fives all round. We then setup the bass rig and get a sexy, warm yet growling tone to underpin all the good work that has come before. I then start tracking and get halfway through before somebody notices it's 2 in the morning and brains are bleeding out of ears. Time to stop and reconvene the following evening.
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