Becoming a band in London (8/12): Recording, mixing, mastering
The Comedy Pub gig put things into perspective. We were the type of band that wasn’t taken seriously, a band that didn’t have a professional aura even after tightening our set and performance chops. Something was missing. We started looking at other groups, the kind that made it big without being backed up by the ‘industry’. What did they have that we lacked? The answer we found back then was twofold: stellar recordings and eye-catching imagery. Branding became something we started paying attention to, although not at the level we should have. Nonetheless, we decided to step up our game.
We started with sonics. Our demos were decent and people could get an idea of what the song was about, but the tracks were nowhere near radio-ready. We had to have the songs professionally recorded. However, while there were always costs involved in Electric Tuxedo’s maintenance, this would be a much bigger investment. Asking left and right about offers, we realized there was no chance of recording, mixing, and mastering a full album with our budgetary constraints. We selected what we thought were the best five tracks and opted for releasing an EP. Too put things into perspective, the entire process cost us roughly £1,500, which seems insignificant on the grand scale, given that some studios charge more (sometimes much more) for a single day of recording alone. For us, on the other hand, it meant a lot, so we had to make every pence act like a pound.
To the studio!
After many searches and listening-to-showacase-reels session, we decided Univibe Studios in Birmingham was where the Circus EP would be recorded and mixed. We set up camp at Cat’s house (who, if you recall, lived in Birmingham) and went to a rehearsal studio to make sure the parts were set in stone and as tight as possible. We don’t want to waste time in the studio and polished everything from drum parts to lyrics. Happy with rehearsals, we confidently stepped into the studio in March 2016.
Univibe’s in-house engineer was a guy called Dan Willet, who was not only a fantastic recordist and mixer, but also a very cool guy. He resonated with our style and was a huge part of creating a great studio atmosphere where we felt creative and excited for every part of the process. He was as much of a producer of the record as any of us. He knew how to achieve a particular sound and was essential to the sonic cohesiveness of the record. We had tracked instruments and vocals in the past, but had no idea how to do it properly. Guitars and bass were recorded through multiple amps and DIs, drums were also in a pristine condition and tracked in a fantastic room, the same that was used for capturing the vocals. It was the first time we were exposed to such a professional environment, and Dan made the entire process that much more fun and educational.
We had five days to record five songs. Instead of tracking all the drums, then all the bass tracks and so on, we recorded a song as a full band. We had the demos and a click track as a guide, so we didn’t need to play along to the drums while Cat was recording his parts. We had stems that we used for the process and once the drums were done we did the bass. Dan’s also a bassist, so the bass sound was particularly round and meaty, which worked really well in the context of our music, which sqewed to the heavier side of the musical spectrum. The snappy snare and thumping kick that Dan achieved also helped create a solid groove for all five songs. The guitars were recorded through high-end amps and through what was for many months Andrei’s favorite pedal, an Electro Harmonix POG, which made for a thick, heavy tone that complemented the drum and bass. Additional synth tracks were programmed in on a case by case basis, and the instrumentals were done! The vocals were also tracked every day, with Andrei constantly switching from mic to hot drinks, fingers crossed that his voice lasts until the end of the sessions (alas, such is the life of a vocalist-by-necessity!). Thankfully, no voice-cracks, drum skin ruptures or string breaks occurred, and before we knew it our work on the EP was done.
Finishing touches
Dan worked on the mix for a few days (on and off), and soon we had the mixes in our eager hands. We were extremely happy with the mixes and were advised to master them at a different studio, with a professional mastering engineer that can bring both expertise and ‘fresh ears’ to this final process. We went for Parr Street Studios in Liverpool, sent the tracks, and in a few days we had the masters back. We were so excited about the entire recording journey and happy with how the tracks turned out!
We realized that we had to have artwork that reflected the quality of the recording and the overall vibe of the suite of songs. We knew exactly who we wanted to work on the cover: a painter friend whose work had been dropping our jaws for years, Victor Fota. We didn’t really give him any directions, so we didn’t know what to expect in terms of themes and compositions, but not even in our wildest dreams did we expect the artistic perfection of the image below. The cover features many references to the EP’s song titles and lyrics, so it wasn’t only a pretty picture. Victor gave us exactly what we were looking for, even though we never articulated it. The fact that it’s an actual physical painting makes it even better (Horia owns the original). We were on top of the world. We had everything we felt was lacking before. It was time to present it to the world. Almost.
To be continued next Saturday. In the meantime, you can follow our journey on Instagram and Twitter @electrictuxedo. Thanks for reading!
