RECORDING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: Eluvium On … Warped Memories, His Book Addiction and the Bearable Lightness of Being
Posted on March 12, 2010
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[Photo by Noel Javier]
Recording Under the Influence is a recurring self-titled feature where we ask artists to ignore their musical inspirations for a minute and share what really went into the making of a particular record. Eluvium’s always been one of our favorite ambient artists, so we were as surprised as anyone to hear Matthew Cooper actually sing on his new Similes album. Well, sing his way. Meaning: barely-there melodies, swept up in the currents of Coopers minor-keyed soundscapes like any other instrument. Read more
RECORDING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: Dinosaur Feathers Take Us Where No Man Has Gone Before On Their New Album, ‘Fantasy Memorial’
Posted on March 8, 2010
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By Arye Dworken
Recording Under the Influence is a recurring self-titled feature where we ask artists to ignore their musical inspirations for a minute and share what really went into the making of a particular record. In this installment, Brooklyn’s very own Dinosaur Feathers guide us through the trio’s magical self-released debut record Fantasy Memorial.
While the band lists Ruby Suns, Os Mutantes, Animal Collective, M.I.A. and the Beach Boys as their sonic influences on Facebook (and for once, we commend a band for listing its inspirations non-ironically), it would seem that, well, Star Trek and Errol Flynn informed the band’s exotic Caribbean-flavored pop equally. But frontman Greg Sullo, ever the overachiever, went one step further and linked each outside influence with a matching sound. And who can argue with the supposition that pepperoni pizza is the food equivalent of Billy Joel’s The Stranger? Not us. Read more
RECORDING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: From the Creepy Films of John Carpenter to Emmet Otter’s Jugband, RJD2 Chips Away At ‘The Colossus’
Posted on February 9, 2010
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[Photo by Dan McMahon]
Recording Under the Influence is a recurring self-titled feature where we ask artists to ignore their musical inspirations for a minute and share what really went into the making of a particular record. In this particular installment, RJD2 steps away from his ceiling-high stacks of records and chomps on croissants and the stone-cold classics of John Carpenter. So if you’re wondering why the producer/multi-instrumentalist/singer keeps changing his game with every record (The Colossus being RJ’s latest collection of postmodern cuts), here’s a good start… Read more
RECORDING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: From the Classic Comic Book Panels of Jack Kirby to the Craziest Sean Connery Movie Ever Made, Pink Skull Let the Skeletons Out of ‘Endless Bummer’
Posted on January 12, 2010
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[Photo by Jody Rogac]
Recording Under the Influence is a recurring self-titled feature where we ask artists to ignore their musical inspirations for a minute and share what really went into the making of a particular record. In this week’s installment, Pink Skull’s Julian Grefe reveals his double life as a sci-fi nerd and the kooky second coming of LCD Soundsystem. That’s at least what we took away from the psychedelic dance tracks on Endless Bummer, the first proper LP from one of our favorite underground labels, RVNG. Read more
RECORDING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: From the Field Paintings of Samuel Palmer to the Earth-Body Art of Ana Mendieta, The Clientele Breaks Down the ‘Blair Witch’ Bent of Bonfires on the Heath
Posted on November 18, 2009
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[Photo by Andy Willsher]
Recording Under the Influence is a recurring self-titled feature where we ask artists to ignore their musical inspirations for a minute and share what really went into the making of a particular record. In this week’s installment, The Clientele’s frontman, Alasdair MacLean, reveals the rather haunting roots of their fifth full-length record, Bonfires on the Heath (Merge). And what do you know? All of the album’s woozy nature walk imagery suddenly makes sense. Read more
RECORDING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: From the Great Outdoors to a Damn Good Mint Julep Mix, Le Loup Explains the Making of Their Fantastic Family LP
Posted on November 2, 2009
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[Photo by Jim Thomson]
Recording Under the Influence is a recurring self-titled feature where we ask artists to ignore what inspires them musically for a minute and share what really went into the making of a particular record. In this post, Le Loup founder/frontman Sam Simkoff makes sense of their new Family LP, a spooky middle-of-the-woods meeting between Animal Collective and Akron/Family. Read more
RECORDING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: From Sushi to The Seventh Seal, Soulsavers’ Rich Machin Talks About What Went Into the Making of Broken
Posted on September 16, 2009
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[Photo by Steve Gullick]
Some serious guests—from Mike Patton and Jason Pierce to Richard Hawley and Gibby Haynes—make special appearances on the third Soulsavers album (Broken, out now via iTunes and Rhapsody), but you’re bound to miss their backup vocals if you’re not listening really closely. That’s because Mark Lanegan steals the show once again; towering over the dimly-lit noirscapes of Rich Machin and Ian Glover, and reminding us why he’s one of today’s most haunting storytellers/singers.
We asked Machin to set off a new recurring feature for self-titled: Recording Under the Influence, which explores the non-musical necessities behind the making of an album. He was also willing to share a free MP3 version of the group’s limited “Sunrise/You Will Miss Me When I Burn” 7-inch. Read more
