Zen Leper
Winter Avenue
© 2008 Zen Leper (634479874307)
Post pop punk, deliciously imperfect cheese tinged with pessimism, dashed with optimism, and drenched in whimsy, Eno meets the Velvet Underground.
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Recording - Zen Leper style
To say our music is different is an understatement. First, we cut the grain by looking at so-called mistakes as 'variations' that we can choose to use to add to the music. We think the push for perfection leads to conformity, so making your music fit into nice little boxes that people can consume means you can easily do the same to people. So, we choose to listen to variations, and some of them we embrace intentionally, and then there are some we randomly say, "Leave it in." We think it makes the music more interesting because variation cuts directly against the perfect expectation and ...conformity.
Second, we do not follow so-called standard recording methods. The standard method is to record the drums and bass first and then add guitars and vocals. In standard methods, a computer click track tells everyone what real time is and what the beat is. In standard methods, you record your part and then you do over dubs to "repair" mistakes and use studio gear, mixing, and studio tricks to make everything sound perfect so the public will "accept" it as "normal."
Zen Leper never uses a click track. We tell ourselves what real time is and our hearts tell us when the beat is.
We record the lead vocal or lead instrument first, and then we lay other tracks around it. It depends on the song. Some people consider this crazy and radical, so at sometime in their career they record one song or an album this way. We record this way all the time.
We do not do overdubs. If a variation is made during a track we record an entire new track and choose between the takes. Usually.
Sean only sings when he wants to sing which is rather unpredictable. Likewise for Jason.
Our process on songs: Whoever thinks up a song or an idea pitches it. Then each person make suggestions, additions, and changes to the music and lyrics. When we record, each person decides what they will do. Example: On Fascist SUV's, Jason decided he only wanted to do a bass vocal on the chorus, and that it really didn't help the verses, so he refused to sing bass parts during the verses.
INDIVIDUAL SONG NOTES
WALKING WITH THE WIND was intentionally recorded on analog tape to use recording "hot" distortion to mimic wind distortion on microphones. All the vocals are real vocals. We recorded and layered vocal upon vocals by bouncing tracks on the multi-track reel to reel analog machine. The string instrument was run through multiple processors to make it sound like a cross between a toy piano and a kyoto. The synthesizer on this song is a vintage synth with analog filters.
FASCIST SUVs was recorded digitally using three different multitrack recording software programs. Each multitrack program had specific advantages we wanted for controlling the sound, so we went with three basic programs rather than purchasing one expensive program that would still have not had the features of all three. First, we laid down the vocals, which wasn't easy because they are not the lead in. We ran the drums through unconventional mics most studios would never even think of let alone use, and we ran the audio signal through unconventional processing, so you will never hear drums like this on another song. The result is a very unique sound. Peace.