Archives for category: Mastering

CULT VALUES st

Mastering Cult Values “s/t” on Sabotage Records and Static Age Records (Europe) and Deranged Records (North America).

Recorded and mixed by Tobias Lil.

“Cult Values was formed in October 2014 in Berlin as an international collaboration between people from the USA, New Zealand, Austria and Germany. After recording a much acclaimed demo in 2015 (out on Berlin’s own Static Age Rec.) and a line up change on drums right after, CV started playing tons of shows in Germany and the periphery as well as writing songs for an LP. Said record was finally recorded in December 2015 by Tobias Lill. Musically, there is something very early American hardcore meets moody punk about their sound, defined by fast, melodic, and confident guitar play reminiscent of Articles of Faith and more recently Criminal Code. Cult Values deliver 10 tracks of potent dark hardcore that will surely leave those hungry for a solid contemporary take on a classic sound quite satisfied.”

Buy it here!

 

Arcane

Mastering Arcane “Whispers” on Last Hour Records.

Recorded by Stan Wright at Buzz or Howl Studios
Lacquer Cut by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering

Taken from Screaming for Years:

“TEARS OF A MOTHER” is the blistering lead single from ARCANE’s debut album ‘Whispers.’

I don’t have too much information on the Seattle based trio (other than Craig, Allen & Ben), but what I do know is that they’re gloom merchants who deal in scorched deathrock. Taking the basis of the trad goth rock of So Cal and combining it with PNW anarcho peace punk, and doing it oh so well.

“Tears Of A Mother” starts off raucously tribal with drums fills and shouted sprints, before quickly morphing into a scratchy & measured goth-rock ode, then once again turning the screw towards catharsis. Arcane are a fiercely raw lot, taking all those echoes of the past and channeling them into the modern dichotomy. 

Press play and get fucked…”

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Shifters

Mastering The Shifters “Creggan Shops” on It Takes Two Records.

One of my favourite records to have worked on in 2016!

“There’s more than a few moments on the debut single from Melbourne, Australia’s the Shifters that suggest, at least as far as I can tell, that they might be more than a little familiar with the work of Mark E. Smith and company. The deadpan male/female vocal pairing and minimalist rhythmic repetition, repetition, repetition worked into “Creggan Shops” and “Captain Hindsight” sound like they’ve been lovingly traced from the blueprints of the Fall’s’ early, scrappy glory days (Live at the Witch Trials through Hex Enduction Hour, if you’re keeping score), with all of that band’s tightly-wound paranoia, if slightly less of a sense of imminent and inevitable volatile self-destruction. But the Shifters are equally capable of twisting their sound into a fractured, low-fidelity pop sprawl that takes some further cues from the scrappy, rough and tumble sounds of the early-to-mid ‘80s Flying Nun Records catalog, with that particular synthesis of inspirations serving as an implicit reminder that the Fall had, in their heyday, conquered the Top 20 charts in New Zealand. After this record, the Shifters really deserve no less for themselves. 
-Erika Elizabeth (Maximum Rock’n’Roll, Futures and Pasts radio)”

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Suicidas

Mastering Suicidas “Baile de Mascaras” on Sabotage Records.

“Suicidas are back with two new super catchy songs.

SUICIDAS involves the voice of RUIDOSA INMUNDICIA and shares or shared members with DEMENZIA KOLEKTIVA, BARCELONA DESTINO FINAL and a bunch of others. Driving fast forward Punkrock from somewhere between Barcelona and Vienna.”

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Pessimists

Mastering The Pessimists “Six Songs” on Nada Nada Discos.

“Kinda punk, kinda post-punk, kinda garagey stuff from members if RAKTA, FUTURO, and GARAGE FUZZ. Dunno what else to say other than listen to it below.”

Buy it here!

 

 

CBH - Get Me Fired

Mastering CBH “Get Me Fired” on 4490 Records.

“From the same crew that brought you LifeLock and Snaggletooth (aka most of your favorite Singapore bands) comes their newest badass rock’n’roll output: Charged CBH.
You can probably guess, based on the name and cover art, that this is classic UK82 style. And like their other bands, this shit rocks HARD, complete with catchy powerhouse riffing, high charge drumming, and a total badass swagger that can’t be learned, you either got it or you don’t. GREAT RECORD!!!!!”

 

Futuro Terror Su Nombre

Mastering Futuro Terror “Su Nombre Real es Otro” on B-Core Disc.

Futuro Terror se unen a la casa, y lo hace para editar su segundo álbum, lo que los anglosajones llaman el “sophomore album”, el álbum de revalida secuela de un más que soberbio y potente debut con el que los alicantinos ya se pusieron por sí mismos el listón muy alto, lo cual sólo ha servido para espolear aún más al siempre solvente trió alicantino, que parece haber encontrado esa ansiada e inusual formula magistral que combina calidad, buen hacer y una capacidad asombrosa de crear temas que embaucan, seducen y crean adicción casi instantáneamente.

“Su Nombre Real es Otro”, jeroglífico nombre han elegido para esta nueva colección de 13 temas en los que la banda tenía claro que, sin perder su concentrada y conseguida receta que los ha llevado por el buen camino desde sus inicios, debían ir un paso mas allá usando los ingredientes principales que ellos siempre han sabido mezclar con singular destreza en precisas combinaciones que les ha hecho crear un estilo propio y contagioso basado, por un lado en una precipitada cadencia que los lleva a crear temas cortos y concisos en los que nunca falta ni sobra nada, y por otro una siempre presencia de persistente base melódica que ellos son capaces de resolver con destreza a pesar de la energía y tajante resolución de sus temas.

En esta ocasión han pretendido, con un más que exitoso resultado, ser aún más directos, más precisos, más descarnados, ir todavía más al grano, lo que les sigue confiriendo esa imponente actitud y aptitud punk, a pesar de presentar un nuevo disco donde el pop está más presente que nunca, lo que les ha hecho crear temas de fulminante pegada pero de asequible y brillante manejabilidad, para lo cual tenían claro que necesitaban sentirse como en casa, y por ello han vuelto a repetir en el estudio de Marco Velasco en Alhama de Murcia, Miradoor Studios, donde estos temas han encontrado su hábitat natural para ser grabados de un tirón, todos a la vez, en directo, consiguiendo plasmarlos en el vinilo tal y como ellos pretendían, con un sonido más crudo, apenas vuelta y vuelta, pero sin ampararse tan solo en la tralla y reivindicando aún mas la melodía siempre presente en sus temas.

El diseño de la portada ha corrido a cargo del ilustrador y dibujante de cómics Adrían Bago, que apoyándose en el impactante nombre del grupo y en el particular nombre del álbum ha creado una fantástica historia que ha obtenido el efecto pretendido por la banda, algo que fuera mas allá de la mera e insustanciosa estética, y es que este disco estaá pensado en todo detalle y en todo momento, para dejar claro que Futuro Terror es más que nunca y en tiempo record uno de los bastiones más importantes e imponentes de la siempre afinada costa levantina.”

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Black Halos

Mastering The Black Halos “Fossil Fuel”.

“2 brand-new songs, the first new Black Halos music in 8 years and the first collaborations from founding members Rich Jones & Billy Hopeless in 15 years!”

 

Nembutal

Mastering Nembutal “Pay to Die”.

“When bands put out releases like this I always get tempted to just write, “FUCK” and leave it at that. Nembutal’s follow-up to their 2014 demo is about as no-nonsense as hardcore punk records come. The goal of every song on Pay to Die is to play as loud and fast as possible and it just so happens that Nembutal are bloody excellent at doing both. Nembutal’s music has about as much depth as a roadside puddle, but if you enjoy your hardcore punk being played with as much energy as the human body can muster then you absolutely have to listen to Pay to Die.”

 

Ganser Audrey

Mastering Ganser “Audrey”.

“Part space odyssey, part Ghost World, Ganser is a Chicago-based group that embrace post-punk, early synth music, and weird vacuum noises. Formed as a DIY duo in 2014, they incorporate driving bass and drums with anxious guitars and swelling synths, making bright black music for deep space transmissions and panic attacks.”

Buy it here!