SWITCHBLADE - "S/T 2009" Studio report, day 3

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10:13

Last day of basic tracks @ Gröndahl. Got to bed at 2am yesterday/today and the alarm clock went off at 8am. Metal.
Right now we're sipping the morning cup o' joe and gearing up to start tracking what will be the opening track on the album.
If time permits we'll also track a mostly guitar based interlude that'll tie together track #2 and #3. If not, we'll track the whole thing at Version Studio.

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11:27

After a slow start we've now started recording the albums opening track.

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21:52

We've now evacuated Studio Gröndahl. All basic tracks have been recorded. We resume recording this coming friday (in 5 days, that is) for guitar overdubs & vocals.

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SWITCHBLADE - "S/T 2009" Studio report, day 1-2

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14:28

Alright, a few quick words as we're right in the middle of recording. Got up at 6:30am yesterday (I seriously haven't been up that early since bebop was the latest craze) and jumped in the car and arrived at Studio Gröndahl at 8am. Started setting up and sometime around early evening the first takes dished out. We got to bed sometime around 1am so it was about a 17hr work day. Far out. Heavy. Intense. You get the idea.

For the gear nerd I can say that the studio has a real schmoergasboard of exotic/fabulous/vintage mics, mic pres, outboard. To get your saliva glands working overtime I can inform you that mics for drums include Neumann U47FET/M149 Tube, Coles 4038, Gefell UM70, Royer R121, RCA DX77 among the usual suspects such as Sennheiser MD421, Electro-Voice RE20, etc going into Neve 1081, API 3124, Chandler TG2, Trident & Spectra Sonics mic pres.
Guitars are rocking Royer R121's, MD421's, etc and bass is being picked up by SM7 and MD421.

So far the basic tracks for 1 of 3 tracks has been done (perhaps another one as this current take of track #2 is sounding pretty good so far).

Lunch break.

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20:21

Right now recording a section that, if it were any slower or heavier, it'd be standing still.

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01:43

...And we're done for the day. The basic tracks for 2 of 3 tracks are now completely done.

SWITCHBLADE recordings begin.

Oh yes, tomorrow me and the lads enter the fabulous Studio Gröndahl to record the fifth installment in the SWITCHBLADE album series. The first three days will be spent recording the basic tracks; drums, bass, guitar. On May 1st we'll enter Version Studio to record overdubs (more guitars, vocals and miscellaneous bells n' whistles). After that we'll take a week or two off to clear our heads and then it's back to Studio Gröndahl for the final mix. OOOOH YEAH.

KAUSAL - "In Dead Cities"

Oh yeah, I almost forgot: I recently (just last week) completed the mix of the upcoming debut album "In Dead Cities" by Stockholm post-rockers KAUSAL (featuring members of A SWARM OF THE SUN, COME SLEEP & LIBRAH). The album was recorded in Stockholm at Version Studio and I did the mix at my own Tri-Lamb Studios. The album will be out as a digital release on Version Studio Records within the next few months.

SWITCHBLADE - "S/T 2009"

Yes, here it is - the spectacular update I was promising.
I am very pleased to announce that I have been hired to record & mix the 5th album by Swedens premiere bitterness squadron; SWITCHBLADE.

Recordings will commence on April 24th at one of Swedens finest recording facilities; Studio Gröndahl.
The release date is set for September 9th, 2009 on Trust No One Recordings.

It is going to be one devastatingly bleak, bitter & heavy record.

Don't worry, it's coming

Updates have been few and far apart, but I promise you, there's an update of major sweetness on the way.
Stay tuned and stay in school.

Best albums of 2008

The moment you've all been waiting for is here.
In my humble opinion, here are the best releases of 2008:

01] Bohren & Der Club Of Gore - Dolores
02] Portishead - Third
03] Satyricon - The Age Of Nero
04] Melvins - Nude With Boots
05] Woven Hand - Ten Stones
06] I Are Droid - I Are Debut
07] Disfear - Live The Storm
08] Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV
09] Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull
10] Black Mountain - In The Future

Honorable mentions:
+ Torche - Meanderthal
+ Meshuggah - obZen
+ Opeth - Watershed
+ Zozobra - Bird Of Prey
+ The Haunted - Versus
+ Mike Patton - A Perfect Place [OST]


I know the blog's been pretty slow lately. I'm currently mixing an album of post-rock goodness featuring Erik of A Swarm Of The Sun and Anders of Come Sleep. Expect a summary of the recording & mix to appear within the next few weeks.


Erik laying down the mad guitarz.

Stay hard.