Category Archives: Produced
Spring 2013 Palms and studio updates
The Palms record is finished and I couldn’t be happier with both the experience of creating this album and how it turned out.
In early March, I met up with Deftones on the East Coast leg of their tour so that Chino and I could wrap up some vocals for the record. We turned hotel rooms and backstage areas into temporary recording studios, which you can see a bit of in the photo gallery above. It was also fun to travel with the Deftones guys and crew for a few days; thanks to them for making me feel welcome and for being such great people.
We’ve now officially handed the record off to the label. No more tweaking things. No more adding or subtracting. It’s nerve-wracking, but it’s also an enormous relief. Now I get to listen to it like a “regular person” instead of scrutinizing every part. The other day I listened to the whole record during a run and it was indescribably satisfying. I hope you guys enjoy the record as much as we enjoyed creating it. It comes out June, 25, 2013 on Ipecac Recordings.
With Palms complete, I’m currently mixing a record for the Serbian band Consecration. They recorded it live in their studio, the way records used to be made. I like their sound — the songs are long with psychedelic dynamics and heavily effected vocals. You can check out a few of their previous records on Bandcamp.
I also have some openings for recording, mixing, and producing projects in the coming months, so please get in touch if you’d like to work together. You can check out my audio reel for some examples of records that I’ve mixed and my FAQ page for any questions about how I work. Or you can contact me directly at aaron@aaronharris-audio [dot] com and I’d be happy to discuss any inquiries you might have.
And for fellow audio nerds: There are a few McDSP audio plugins that I’ve really been enjoying. I’d specifically recommend checking Channel G, Futz Box, Compressor Bank and Filter Bank. Another company I like is Kush Audio. Check out their Clariphonic DSP and UBK-1.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT …
Zozobra’s ‘Bird of Prey’ now on Bandcamp
“Bird of Prey,” the first record I ever recorded and mixed, is now on Bandcamp. I also played drums on this record. It’s fun to think back about making this record — and how much I’ve learned since.
I recorded “Bird of Prey” on my old Apple G4 laptop, which now sits lonely in my closet, needs to be plugged in at all times to run, and won’t even connect to the Internet anymore! The entire record was recorded in the ISIS rehearsal space in downtown Los Angeles. That room was about 10 feet wide, and 25 feet long. It didn’t matter to us though. Caleb Scofield (guitar, bass, vocals) and I had a vision and that was the most important part.
I had a handful of microphones, a Digi 002R, an API 3124+, Pro Tools 7 and an Apple G4 laptop. I even tracked drums for some of those songs on my own with nothing more than the guitar riffs in my head. (I didn’t have enough equipment and inputs at the time to track with Caleb.)
I mixed the record at Redroom studios in Seattle, which at the time was owned by my friends Matt Bayles and Chris Common. I was so nervous about mixing my first record in a studio that I overlooked one very basic mixing practice. I didn’t pan the rack and floor toms, and if you listen, you will hear that they’re both panned up the middle. It’s a small detail that most people probably never noticed, but looking back, I know it was such an amateur mistake.
Anyway, it’s fun to think back about making that record, and how primitive it was by today’s standards. Still, I’m proud of this record. It sounds corny, but it’s true that where there’s a will there’s a way. “Bird of Prey” is proof of that for me, and I think Caleb too. Sometimes the best thing you can do is say yes, and then figure it out as you go.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT …
Some kind words from Sleep Lady
I wanted to share a recent interview that Ech(((o)))es and Dust did with Mike Hayden of the San Diego band Sleep Lady. I co-produced and mixed their new record “So Long Lonely Ghost.”
The post-production phase was pretty great because we got to work with Aaron (Harris). We’ve never brought in outside ears on a project before and I was a bit nervous but it was a really easy process and he was really great to work with. I found it really interesting what he would focus on in the creative process.
Thanks for the kind words guys.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
New Sleep Lady Record
A record I mixed and co-produced by the San Diego band Sleep Lady is out today. I really like the diversity of this record. It reminds me of some of the records I discovered as a kid and became obsessed with. One of those discoveries where you say “why haven’t I heard of these guys?” I had a lot of fun working on this one. I hope peeps enjoy it!
You may also like:
The Art Of Mastering
I often get asked if I do mastering. I don’t, although it’s a skill I am really interested in learning.
Mastering is much more than just making your mixes loud. It’s an art, one that requires a special ear. I like to think of mastering like a coat of lacquer on a finished project. Mastering adds that last touch that makes all of your work a little more appealing. Things pop out, there’s a sense of completion, and yes, it’s louder. (Of course, louder does not always mean better, but I’m not going to rant about how I feel we’ve forgotten what a volume knob is, and the “volume wars.” We all hear differently.)
For anyone looking for mastering I recommend, James Plotkin, who I use for a lot of my mixes. He does great work, and his rates are unbelievably artist friendly.
Also:
Tracks I’ve mixed and/or produced from my audio archive
On tour with Melvins and Deftones
I’m always looking for new records to work on. Feel free to contact me for producing, recording, or mixing rates. Aaron[@]aaronharris-audio[dot]com
ISIS’ “Temporal” and more
Just a quick update and two dates I wanted to put on your radar.
I recently finished mixing two records I’m really excited about. The first record is by the Russian band Weary Eyes, which is a bit reminiscent of Sonic Youth. The second is from San Diego’s Sleep Lady; their music reminds me of Hum and Portishead (among other things). If you’re in L.A. on October 29, Sleep Lady is playing a show at the Silverlake Lounge. You should come hear a few of the new tracks live. They’re pretty great.
Great combo. API 5500 and 2500. (Thanks Cliff and Mario.)
This week, I’m in the studio with Chino working on vocals for our debut Palms record. It’s sounding really great and we’re all psycehd. I’m just going to leave it at that and stay focused. Sorry to tease.
U47 FET (Thanks Chris Common.)
My talk back mic. Love this little thing.
On November 6 — yes, voting day — ISIS will release “Temporal.” It contains some unreleased tracks, hard-to-find songs, demos, and even an unreleased video for “Pliable Foe” from the “Wavering Radiant” sessions. I have multiple recording and mixing credits on “Temporal” and am looking forward to it coming out. Here’s a peek at the cover art by Aaron Turner.
Also, on a side note: I was sad to learn yesterday that Hydra Head Records would be closing shop in December. I watched as Hydra Head evolved from a small operation in Aaron Turner’s Boston apartment in 1997 to an internationally-recognized indie label. Aaron and his partner Mark Thompson built something special to a lot of people. ISIS, of course, was a big supporter of Hydra Head and we must have listened to the label’s entire catalog on our tours throughout the years. I wish all the bands and employees at Hydra Head the best.
That’s all for now. If you’d like to work together, or inquire about my mixing/producing rates, here’s my contact info. Thanks!
Palms, Melvins, Deftones, and more
Melvins made good use of this club’s lighting system.
I just returned from a tour doing live sound for Melvins Lite. The Lite version of the Melvins (although it’s just as loud and heavy) consists of Buzz Osborne, Dale Crover and Trevor Dunn on upright bass. The Melvins have long been one of my favorite bands. I respect their approach to things. It reminded me a lot of how ISIS operated; very hands on. I enjoy doing live sound, especially the challenge of a new environment everyday and learning how other people approach sound. Some of the house sound guys have good tricks to share. (But others are completely apathetic and unhelpful.) And I appreciate that my collection of Heil microphones always get compliments.
Next week I’ll be joining Deftones on their tour with System Of A Down to drum tech for Abe Cunningham. I’m excited to go out and tour with those guys again. Such a great group of people. I’ve heard some of their new record as well. They’ve worked really hard on it, and from what I’ve heard, it’s easily my favorite record of theirs to date. Thanks to Sean Bates (Abe’s full-time tech) for having me fill in. I’ll be on the tour from Boston onward.
In the studio, I’m finishing up mixing the debut record for the Russian band Weary Eyes; it will be out later this year. Next I’m mixing a record for the San Diego-Based band Sleep Lady. I really like their sound. It’s pretty unique. Check out some of their previous works. I think you’ll like it.
Palms with Bane.
I’m also finishing up the debut from my new band along with Chino Moreno, Jeff Caxide, and Bryant Meyer. The band is called Palms. Here’s the press release if you missed the initial announcement. All the music is finished and we’re now focusing on vocals. We’ve seen some of the album artwork created by artist Chuck Anderson and it’s beautiful. We’re all very excited about this record. It’s coming together nicely.
Also, here’s a video for a song that I mixed for the New Zealand band Mothra. It came out great.
Last, here are a few more photos from the Melvins Lite tour.
Drive day dinner stop.
Dale needed some supplies.
Sound board from one of the clubs
Cliff guitar teching.
Update: Jezabels and Mental Architects
Hello. I just wanted to share a few things that have been going on. The new Mental Architects “Celebrations” record is now available. I produced and mixed this record. I’m really happy with how it came out, and the process was something I’ve always wanted to try. Here’s my favorite track from the record:
Also a preview for the new Ancestors record is available for listening. I drum teched this session at Infrasonic Sound, one of my favorite studios. To hear a sample, go to this LA Weekly page.
I’m going out with the Jezabels in a few days to do live sound for their upcoming U.S./Canada tour. We’re hitting some of my favorite spots. If you’re free, come see these guys. They’re great live. Tour dates can be found HERE.
Some of you may have seen the drum tracking pictures I posted on my Facebook page a few weeks ago. The photos were taken at Joe Barresi’s studio, where we tracked drums for my new band. We used some unconventional gear that I can’t wait to talk about. The record is coming along great, and we will be announcing more exciting details in the near future. Here’s a couple pics from the drum tracking:
Thanks for reading.
Aaron
Mental Architects Release “Launch The Avalanche.”
The Mental Architects have released a video for Launch The Avalanche, the first single from their new record “Celebrations” out 04/2/12. The record was produced and mixed by me. You can also read more about the making of the record HERE. Can’t wait for people to hear it.
Listen To New Pelican
Pelican released a track from their forthcoming EP “Ataraxia/Taraxis.” You can hear the song, “Lathe Biosas,” on Soundcloud. I tracked Larry Herweg’s drums for “Ataraxia/Taraxis,” which I wrote about here.
(I did not mix this track, only recorded the drums)
Aaron Harris Audio 