Before the pandemic, back in 2019, I had an Idea for a new concept. Andreas and I was at the time (and still are) deeply committed to our more conventional funk/blues/happytimes band Shake, but I wanted to do something so far out, quiet and, well, different, that it could not be contained by the already successful concept that is Shake. Andreas was already playing his share of acoustic experimental music, so it was only natural to ask him first.
Besides being immediately positive to the Idea, Andreas had recently invested in a new digital interface system in his small studio, and was keen to try it out on something a bit different. So on January 23, 2020 we sat down in a renovated pigsty and just let it happen. We played for some hours, just recording as we went. It was all live, just the two of us.
This was never meant to be more than a technical test. We agreed it was fun, we packed our stuff, and I asked Andreas for a copy of the files.
So on January 23, 2020 we sat down in a renovated pigsty and just let it happen.
The result was beyond my wildest dreams. This was exactly what I was looking for, and I felt my life taking a new turn, my future branching out in ever new and unknown ways. Andreas was pleased, but unsure if this technical test was something worth preparing for a release in any format.
As the months passed, and covid was on everyone’s lips and every newspaper front for a couple of years, the material grew and matured in both Andreas and me. I wanted to release 90 minutes of uninterrupted live music, Andreas patiently told me this was not practical. Sometime this year, he sent me a batch of smaller clips, and I got his point. He ended up, through many long discussions, doing a light remix of the material as well as altering the finished sound rather much. The heavy saturated sound with a sometimes thick base layer of noise is, I think, a touch of genius. The sound now has more layers, and each layer is its own story.
When you get the chance, listen to the last track, “Tuning out”. The piano tells a story, but the background noise is not a byproduct. It is its own counterpoint and is vital to the narrative.
It has been a long trek from the relatively short recording session. I hope people will listen. We can make it quiet.
E
