#7 High Rotation Playlist

#7 May / June 2022 High Rotation Playlist

These are the tunes that have been on high rotation inside and outside the ENCODER Sound Mastering Studio over the last few weeks. Available in playlist form at your preferred streaming service, follow the links: Spotify | Apple Music [If you really love an artist’s music, scoot over to Bandcamp to send them a few dollars more directly]

A Flock of Seagulls — I Ran (So far away), A Flock of Seagulls (1982) — There is vein of 80s music running through this playlist all connected to Web Rumors’ upcoming release. On ‘I ran (So far away)’ the indulgently long intro. is a nice way to settle into the track. The mix is on the lean side with not a lot of weight in the low end. But, this adds to a tight, light and nimble feel to the groove.

Thom Yorke — Twist, ANIMA (2019) — Moving 37 years into the future to one of Yorke’s newest works. I’m a big fan of his solo releases, The Eraser (2006) and Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes (2014), and ANIMA feels like a slicker, smoother, and deeper versions of the same thing. This track has nice dimension in the synthesised textures of the later part of the song. Also, some reverb artefacts nestled deep in the mix interact in an interesting way, perhaps sampled from other moments in the song.

The Human League — Don’t You Want Me, Dare (1981) — A classic of the genre, the light and shade of the harmony in the piece is quite dramatic. The drums sound great and it feels that just the necessary instrumentation have been included to fill the stereo image, a punchy but not fatiguing listen is the result.

Laurel Halo — Supine, Raw Silk Uncut Wood (2018) — Working on the debut from 504, Laurel Halo was a key reference. In this playlist this short piece kind of refreshed the ears washing away an emphasis on rhythm and turning the ear to texture and space.

Alex Em Klemm — The Luxury of Dirt, Any Shape You Take (2000) — Again, a 504 reference, the pace of ‘The Luxury of Dirt’ is very similar to that of the 504 record Salvage Rhythm (Tone List, 2022). I’m not sure but it sounds like Klemm is working with synthesis, or perhaps some samples. Whichever it is there is an intensionally in placing those sounds in the width and depth of field.

Regina Spector — Jessica, What we Saw From The Cheap Seats (2012) — Not a direct reference to a current project, but the ears needed a more main stream reference point to calibrate. Spector’s vocal is so unique and recognisable, and the audio production here presents it with a natural aesthetic. I like this approach, very smooth and natural but still with the presence of a well produced recording.

Native Instrument — Vögel Unsure Heimat, Camo (2017) — Use of white noise and electronic “static” sounds are pretty interesting in this piece, it highlighted the height dimension of the image in my space. Rhythmically speaking there is something shared with the Thom Yorke track above but the texture is very different. A few sounds, which almost sound like insects flying by, are very present in the speakers. An interesting presentation is achieved where some elements are in the artificial world of the music and some things jump out into the listening room.

The Smile — The Opposite, A Light for Attracting Attention (2022) — Another track from The Smile on high rotation here, because they are so great. The drum recording is really nice across this album, and on the ‘The Opposite’ the low room / reverb sound that fills the ensemble out adds a lot of weight to the trio.

The Superjesus — Holy Water, Jet Agent (2001) — I hadn’t heard any Superjesus for many years and they came to mind. The last time I listen was long before this studio, so it’s interesting to re-hear music you thought you knew very well. The band is super tight across the record and the guitar tones are really well captured.

The Verve — The Drugs Don’t Work, Urban Hymns (1997) — Working on the Sugar Wife record I was looking for some guitar references. For a lush, reverb-y, singer songwriter vibe The Verve works well. The acoustic guitars in this track are very smooth, kind of like a silken sheet draped across the mix, not really prominent, but still detailed and ever present.

Something for Kate— Déjà Vu, The Official Fiction (2003) — Both a reminiscence, and a Sugar Wife reference, this is the iconic Something for Kate track, and on re-listening it’s still great. Paul Dempsey’s voice floats so clearly in the mix throughout.

Robert Glasper Experiment — Afro Blue (feat. Erykah Badu), Black Radio (2012) — When this record dropped I was part way through jazz undergraduate studies and the cohort were all about the Glasper Experiment. The playing is obviously really good, and the low end is very robust. This track still feel like a “jazz future” despite being ten years old.

#6 High Rotation Playlist

#6 March / April 2022 High Rotation Playlist

These are the tunes that have been on high rotation inside and outside the ENCODER Sound Mastering Studio over the last few weeks. Available in playlist form at your preferred streaming service, follow the links: Spotify | Apple Music [If you really love an artist’s music, scoot over to Bandcamp to send them a few dollars more directly].

Snail Mail — Full Control, Lush (2018) — I enjoy the naturalness of the drum recording on this one and the whole tune feels the right amount of DIY. Warm and honest.

Big Thief — Not, Two Hands (2019) — Really love this track, it’s performed with a really “live” energy. The guitar tone choices are lovely, and the guitar solo is that really textural style of playing that explores more than just notes. It’s always awesome when tracks like this break through a little, bringing some grittier texture to the mainstream. The bass guitar occasionally reminds me of kicking a flat football, but in a good way.

oso oso — nothing to do, sore thumb (2022) — This tune really got under my skin, there’s an authentic-ness to the production, and the melody and harmony just seem to catch me off guard. The movement between sections also feels really organic.

Snail Mail — Valentine, Valentine (2021) — Another track from Snail Mail which was a prominent reference for a few projects. I like how the vocal melody hands off to other instruments, leading the listener. The snare sound is really nice here also, it really feels like the drummer is playing hard, not just heavy compression on the kit.

Indigo De Souza — Darker Than Death, Any Shape You Take (2021) — Really full sounding production with nice macrodynamics, the verses coming down enough for the choruses to erupt, all driven by a huge drum sound. Everything is really forward in the mix, it does make for an intense listen.

Ambrose Akinmusire — Henya, The Heart Emerges Glistening (2011) — This tune and the whole album has been a favourite since it’s release in 2011. It was not a direct reference for anything I was working on in the studio, but I threw it in the playlist to break up the indie guitar tracks. Harish Raghavan's double bass sounds huge throughout the record, but particularly on this track it shines. Overall the production on this record is really great, you feel like you are listening to a live band, but then listening closer you notice a few subtle production choice, like panning horns from side to side, layered keyboards, and hefty reverb in some sections. A touchstone for how 21st century jazz could sound.

alt-J — Chicago, The Dream (2022) — Nice blend of styles here. With this pounding club kick and a floating intimate vocal. Reminds me a bit of a Billie Eilish track with prominent bass meeting delicate vocal.

Methyl Ethyl — Neon Cheap, Are You Haunted (2022) — I love the tightness of this track, in songwriting, arrangement, and production. There’s like no dead-air, its filled with groove and melody.

Love to Love — Big Scary, Daisy (2021) — This tune has a lovely, bare-bones groove, with a memorable and interesting melody. It’s presented so warmly, with the vocals soft and upfront. The weight of the orchestral instruments filling in the backdrop into the chorus is so nice.

You Will Never Work In Television Again — The Smile, A Light For Attracting Attention (2022) — Guitar and rhythm driven music that just gets me. I really dig this whole album.

Lost it to Trying — Son Lux, Lanterns (2013) — The sounds are so well arranged and mixed, and the vibe is so deep and complex. Often with music that is this complex I’m a little overwhelmed, but there is this perfect balance here. It really creates a little world of its own.

#5 High Rotation Playlist

#5 January / February 2022 High Rotation Playlist

These are the tunes that have been on high rotation inside and outside the ENCODER Sound Mastering Studio over the last few weeks. Available in playlist form at your preferred streaming service, follow the links: Spotify | Apple Music [If you really love an artist’s music, scoot over to Bandcamp to send them a few dollars more directly]

beabadoobee — Sorry, Fake It Flowers (2020) — The melody in this tune really gets me and the song unfolds nicely irrupting into a huge drum and guitar section toward the end. The strings are really nice too, embellishing the melody.

Quadrant Six — Body Mechanic, Body Mechanic (1982) — I love the separation of all the elements in the mix. The soundstage is wide, but everything is right there in your face. It’s pretty hard to not move to this track.

Belong — October Language, October Language (2006) — Loving the artificial space in this one and some nice upper-mid ear candy, just flickering in and out occasionally. A really dense sound-field is presented — you can challenge yourself to peel apart the layers with your ears, or just settle back and let it wash over you.

Phoebe Bridgers — I Know the End, Punisher (2020) — Bridgers’ voice is certainly the highlight, and it’s beautifully placed, right up front for the whole tune. The subtle crumbling synthesised backdrop is really evocative and juxtaposes the clean vocal. Fun snare reverb and crackling guitars are a feature of the ending.

Boyd Jarvis — The Musics Got Me (Vocal Mix), Vintage Boyd Vol. 1 (2014) — Really wide synth bass fills the space well and the snare to kick balance is really nice. The beat is really prominent, of course, but the percussion instruments just sit a little back in the depth of field, it adds a lot to the sense of space.

Porcupine Tree — Hatesong, Lightbulb Sun (2000) — The drums really sound great on this recording and I enjoy the considered arrangement, layers coming and going, never a dull moment. The middle section is pretty cool, with the sparse riff and the soloistic elements so patiently placed.

Indigo De Souza — Kill Me, Any Shape You Take (2021) — Awesome balance of high fidelity and modern garage vibe on this track. Vocals and harmonies sit well thourghout and we get that authentic “band playing together” kind of feeling.

Sonic Youth — Dirty Boots, Goo (1990) — One of my all-time fave tunes. There’s some wild syncopated kick drum and it’s Sonic Youth, so of course great energy in the performance.

New Order — Blue Monday, Total (1983) — The “knock” of the percussion is really intense with this tune. As with Body Mechanic and The Musics Got Me, the crisply orchestrated approach makes this pop way more than having a ton of extra reverbs, or background elements. 

Suneater — Ashen, Absence (2021) — Heavy track from West Australian locals. The thickness and smoothness of the guitars almost contrasts their power, but the riffs are huge and the drumming is super solid.

Fennesz — Agora, Agora (2019) — A really deep listener, I enjoyed picking out some high frequency information and trying to hear further back into the reverb soaked space.

#4 High Rotation Playlist

These are the tunes that have been on high rotation inside and outside the ENCODER Sound Mastering Studio over the last few weeks. Available in playlist form at your preferred streaming service, follow the links: Spotify | Apple Music [If you really love an artist’s music, scoot over to Bandcamp to send them a few dollars more directly]

Ruby Fields — Airport Cafe, Been Doin’ It For a Bit (2021) — A magic vocal performance. And this style of intimate vocal moving to an explosion of polished garage guitars is lovely.

How to Destroy Angels — Parasite, Welcome Oblivion (2013) — The whispering vocals contrast the gritty distorted textures in an interesting way. Similar to Nine Inch Nails the hooky pop aesthetic is not lost in the sonic experiments. [Originally on the How to Destroy Angels EP (2010) release but exists in Apple Music as a bonus track on Welcome Oblivion]

Spoon — The Hardest Cut, Lucifer on the Sofa (2022) — I love Spoon’s stripped back orchestration. Just a nice hook, a catchy riff, and played with intent.

Gotye — Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra), Making Mirrors — Super big tune, really nice storytelling. The arrangement is beautiful in the way melodies are handed around between instruments and samples.

Lonesome Dove — Burning Bridges, Awwww EP (2021) — I’m finding this the catchiest tune on this playlist, leaving the studio with it circulating in my head. There’s a honest rawness to it.

Methyl Ethyl — Ubu, Everything is Forgotten (2017) — A West Australian classic tune. Nice, loosely layered vocals and some really cool ear candy in the upper mid-range, I think they are processed claps and percussion, which sounds awesome.

Beck — Diamond Bollocks, Mutations (1998) — I love the drum kit on this track, and the vocals sit really nicely. As is common on Beck’s best work there are some twists and turns that keep the track interesting.

alt-J — In Cold Blood, Relaxer (2007) — Nice chunky guitars on this track and the horns sit really well in the mix.

PJ Harvey — Big Exit, Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2020) — The chord progression moving into the chorus is awesome, low and powerful. Compression kinda clamps down on the chorus dynamics wise, but it’s a high energy vibe.

Holy Holy — True Lovers, Paint (2017) — I really like the vocal production on this, super transparent and subtle. It has a similar thickness to the production of Ubu, mentioned above. 

#3 High Rotation Playlist

These are the tunes that have been on high rotation inside and outside the ENCODER Sound Mastering Studio over the last few weeks. Available in playlist form at your preferred streaming service, follow the links: Spotify | Apple Music [If you really love an artist’s music, scoot over to Bandcamp to send them a few dollars more directly]

Beck — Colors, Colors (2017) — I love the blend of depth and punch in the master. Their’s also lovely sonic transitions from verse to chorus, and vice versa, subtle timbral shift that are very effective.

Death by Denim — Feels Like Fiction, Feels Like Fiction - Single (2021) — This mix feels so lush and full, but with clarity retained. I also dig the vocal delivery. 

Richard Dawson — Civil Servant, 2020 (2019) — The songwriting and lyricism is the thing here. Each section so logically moving into the next, it’s really masterful. Sonically, it’s all at once high fidelity and lo-fi/real.

Kurt Vile — Pretty Pimpin, b’lieve i’m goin down (1997) — For me, it’s the way the drums wrap around the outside of this tune, very natural sounding with a thick attack. The drums really drive the whole thing, but of course it’s a pretty nice vocal delivery. The lyrics are poignant but use an everyday vernacular, I like that kind of stuff.

Bjork — Army of Me, Post (1995) — The rumbling low end on this track is so thick, it gives that feeling of real depth. I like how the beat is pretty wide, and different elements in the production highlight smaller subdivisions, it reminds me of some Nine Inch Nails production for this reason.

Radiohead — Identikit, A Moon Shaped Pool (2016) — The Radiohead back catalogue hit Bandcamp a month or so ago, and this instigated a bit of re-listening. I’m loving the subtle reverb tails on the vocal, they dance just out of earshot giving the sense of a really activated space that this song is taking place in.

Widowspeak — The Good Ones, Plum (2015) — This kind of close, produced, tight, but kind of natural drum sound is really cool. The sparse instrumentation also opens up space for all elements to be really weighty and present.

King Britt & Tyshawn Sorey — Untitled Two, Tyshawn & King (2021) — I’m a big fan of improvised music. There is something special about the energy of records that capture artists inspiring their collaborators and in turn being inspired during the process of making the work. Tyshawn & King record has that feeling.