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Barbebreaks

16:58 / 27.04.02

Anyone in need of beats?

I'm going to be recording drums for a friend's project in a few weeks. We'll be spending maybe a couple of days just recording the drums, so I thought it'd be a perfect opportunity to put together the breaks CD that I've been promising Grant and Saveloy for so long. I thought I'd throw it out to all of you who want a copy, in case you can make use of it. If you do, e-mail or PM your address. I think I'll be able to burn it to CD, although I can also provide on minidisc.

So... what would people like on there? I'm not the world's greatest, but I can make a fair stab at something if you give me suggestions. Any breaks that you always wished were clean enough to rip? Any rhythms that you have in mind but can't program for fear of losing the feel? Now's your chance. Give me ideas, e-mail me links to MP3s that have what you're after, that kinda thing. I'll try to accomodate all your ideas within reason. I'll also take on board any recording tips/mic placement stuff you can suggest (although I may have to be harsh on sounds and set-ups if time is short: my mate's project gets priority).

Matthew Fluxington

19:07 / 27.04.02

hey!

I could use some drum samples, it would help me a LOT right now, cos the biggest part of my writer's block has been coming up with decent backbeats. Me, I'd like some nice lazy beats, kinda on the sloppy side. That, and some relatively straight foward fast rock/motown beats - nice simple danceable beats. It'd also be cool to get something along the lines of Clinic's "Equaliser"...

I'll PM you...

00:39 / 28.04.02

Have Pm'd... but what Flux says - sounds most good to me.

08:20 / 29.04.02

Hoorah!

I would be overjoyed to receive anything you fancy doing, but if it's requests you want:

A long, frenetic, free-jazz type solo with lots of off-beat crashes coming in at unexpected angles, but with a regular motorik beat holding it together (hi-hat or kick) would rule.

Clear recordings of single hits are always handy for sequencing.

I'll second (third?) the request for something lazy and sloppy but, again, not so regular. Lazy mucking about - imagine a regular jazzy drum solo played by someone only semi-conscious, slowed down to 5 bpm or summat.

18:52 / 29.04.02

I'll do my best, boyze. I just hope you're not overestimating my humble talent.

Still: even if it's shite, it's free shite.

22:45 / 29.04.02

Single hits would be SUPERB - I'm always on the look out for live kits. And I too like the lazy/sloppy idea. Relatively tight, but just have fun.

05:54 / 30.04.02

Single hits, you got 'em.

I've been thinking about the best way to get that lazyish jazz feel. I'm thinking of not playing to a click (you guys can all quantize, I'm sure) and going for some improvisational pieces with my mate on keyboard (only with the keyboards not recorded). I think that may be the best way to capture the right feel.

08:59 / 30.04.02

expressionless:

"I've been thinking about the best way to get that lazyish jazz feel. I'm thinking of not playing to a click (you guys can all quantize, I'm sure) and going for some improvisational pieces with my mate on keyboard"

Sounds good to me, especially 'not using a click'. For my own evil purposes I'd like something as loose and un-machinelike as possible, that can be added to directly in an editor or played against on a 4-track.

And don't worry about your skill factor, you can't be worse than me.

13:13 / 30.04.02

Absolutely, no click - I've got enough rock solid breaks already. Besides, it makes the chopping and changing process... all the more fun (where fun = me crippling my wrists due to unergonomic Akai designs)...

Matthew Fluxington

14:29 / 30.04.02

Expressionless - basically, I want you to play as amateurish as you can while retaining a solid beat. I don't want slick sounding drums that will make my own playing sound worse!

14:52 / 30.04.02

Sounds like we're all thinking along similar lines (though I'd like the quickety-quick thing too if you've got the time and inclination, exp).

Flux, if it's really dire drumming you want, I could send you some extracts from the mighty Les Waters sessions...

15:18 / 30.04.02

Oh, dude, I just realized - it's like nearly impossible for me to find a decent *surf beat*. I've pulled the intro to "Walk Don't Run" off an old Ventures album, but any variations on that beat - TWO-AND..FOUR......TWO-AND..FOUR... would be nice.

I've also had a hankering for drums in that loose & dirty style of G-Love & Special Sauce, as far as sound goes. Dry and juicy, untightened snares.

And I have an abiding love for the tom-heavy "jungle beat" stuff from 50s-style rockabilly. Much the same as a surf beat, only with deeper drums. The Cramps used these sounds a lot. (the songs "Primitive" and "Rockin' Bones" both have something of this to 'em - sparse sounds, but omnipresent feel).

17:16 / 01.05.02

Drum recording should be all go for this Monday. We may need to go back for a second session, but I'll do all I can.

I'm a bit short on home addresses, though! Even if you think I've got it, assume I haven't and send me a PM or e-mail. At the moment only grant's gonna get one!

21:37 / 01.05.02

Oh, and if you can decipher the beat from that book used to open the way for Eleggua/Papa LaBas, I'd love to hear that one, too.

16:38 / 04.05.02

I'd love to hear anything you come up with, exp.

(fyi, folks, I had him in my studio for four days and the boy's rhythm sense rules. And the mixes are neeeearly done now, honest.)

18:58 / 07.05.02

This is taking longer than anticipated. We recorded three songs on Monday, but didn't get time for any breakage. However, we plan to go back and finish the job this Saturday.

Sorry, grant, but there's no hope of me learning any of "The Drums of Vodou" by the time we get to record again - I don't think the lovely Christian band I'm currently helping out will help me with the score

. However, there is one Church-goer who's offered to help, and we'll try to hammer something out as soon as he'd rematerialised in Southampton with his new-found Pro Tools. Maybe there's mileage in a Barbebreaks II?

On the positive side, the drums sound FUCKING AMAZING. We spent half a day screwing with mic placement and working on tuning, and they sound really BIG. Which is no help if that's not the sound you want, but then I'd simply respond with, "You fucking wet behind the ears little numpty! Have you ever heard a drum kit before? Fucking big and loud, wasn't it?" Seriously: with just the ambient mics alone it's verging on Flaming Lips territory. There can be no higher drum sound accolade.

19:05 / 07.05.02

Some finished mixes would be nice, Flame. I'm getting to the stage where I imagined the whole thing. The thought of finally having one of my songs exist outside of my own head was a bit too frightening.

22:14 / 10.05.02

I'm now thinking of opening this up even more and including some drums on intended for shamanic journeying. Anyone who wants a separate disc let me know. As time will be short in the recording sessions I'll probably take sections for this and loop them when I get access to my mate's project studio (shouldn't make any difference to the usefulness of the loops).

22:21 / 10.05.02

Shamanic? Oooo!

22:42 / 10.05.02

I'll count you in, dude. My experience of this kinda thing is pretty limited, so it may be bog standard and generic. My main aim is to have something personal that I can use for my own journeying, but I'm more than happy to pass it on if people are interested.