Supporting Evidence

Below is a list of selected premieres, features, write ups, and reviews by notable magazines and online publications regarding content (albums, singles, music videos, etc.)  which I released under Ecstatic Union during my capstone phase. 

Content Workshop - Recording on Tape

Two weeks spread over the end of September 2017 - October 2017

80 hrs

Background

I spent summer 2017 touring the pacific northwest with my band Ecstatic Union. The core members of the band consist of myself (guitar/writer/producer/vocals), Solange Kupersmid (bass), Oliver Hart (2nd guitar), and Bradley Cluff (Organ/synth). All members sing harmony vocals as well. After returning home and spending some downtime back in southern California we reunited for a few local Los Angeles shows and by September it was time to begin recording our third album, “Neurons”. 

Though my previous recording ventures were tracked digitally along with analog outboard pre-amps and compressors, for this album we decided it was time to go tape and record all-analog at an out-of-house studio rather than the home studio route which I had become accustomed to during my previous projects. As for analog recording, this means that rather than recording sound into a digital interface and working with it through a computer, we would be recording directly onto analog tape. This was a process with which I had been fascinated since I was a teenager but had never actually experienced with my own music. There’s an unending debate in the field of professional sound engineering which pits analog and digital against each other to proclaim which method is truly superior and now I was to be the judge for myself based on why own firsthand experience. This would also be the my first time working outside of my own home studio as well as collaborating with the rest of the band to record their parts as well. Im mostly used to recording everything myself and brining in other musicians to fill the gaps and add other instruments or harmonies wherever needed. Since Ecstatic Union toured as this outfit and we had naturally began to collaborate as a band in the development of songs, I felt it was time to let the arrangement and live sound be properly represented by having the whole group be involved with the recording process. 

(Thomas at the helm)

What Happened

I teamed up with my friend Thomas Dolas who runs a humble all analog studio on the east side of Los Angeles in Highland Park called, “Studio 22”. I worked out a deal with him where I would trade one of my pieces of recording equipment (a Highland Dynamics BG2 Compressor) for him to engineer the album in seven all-day sessions. I worked out scheduling through the month of September with Thomas and the rest of the band and we began our first week of sessions in the studio.

The Process

For each day of studio sessions we’d wake up around 9am, eat breakfast, and be at the studio by 11am. Bradley, Oliver, and I were the primary crew (along with Thomas as engineer) for tracking instruments while Sol came in only to record vocals and one bass track which we knocked out in two separate sessions. Though Sol is the bass player when EU performs live, she learned bass for the band (she had experience with guitar so general playing translates well) and so her overall technique and dexterity still require refinement. Plus I wrote the bass parts for all the songs we’d be recording so it made sense I would record them. 

We’d start off by unloading equipment, Thomas would turn on the gear so it could warm up as well as clean the tape heads, we’d fast forward or reverse through the tape reel listening to where we wanted to start, discus an action plan and begin recording. Id start either by recording the drums or a guitar track to a click (metronome) and then the rest of the instruments would be layered on top. Regardless of what instrument, the process for set up on Thomas’ end in the control room from song to song was relatively the same. After amp levels were set he would set input levels on the mixing board to get maximum sound level without distorting. Then, depending on what instrument was to be recorded (guitar, bass, organ, keyboard, synth) he would adjust the compression levels along with any other outboard gear that was used in the control room. For vocals we would ‘print’ the effects we wanted on the vocals directly to the tape rather than recording them dry and manipulate them later which is common in digital recording. Though we’d still add slight flavors such as extra reverb or delay in post we primarily committed to the style and settings for the song or specified section and recorded accordingly. 

(Bradley in the zone)

What I Learned

My relationship with recording was completely revolutionized by this experience. The most apparent learning experience for me was centralized around what any great tape recording requires which is a commitment to performance. Even if there are what seem like small mistakes within the given take, chances are that if the performer is committed, focused, and present the section of material will still sound great because its alive with energy. Today with the endless potentials to cut, paste, re-track, splice up, and move around any piece of recording anywhere at will with digital, its incredibly refreshing to record to tape because you either commit to the take or re-track it, those are your options. Sometimes one of us would attempt a take 20 times before it was right and other times the first take was perfect. My performance abilities grew tremendously over the course of our sessions and also approved my confidence and state of presence within the act of recording and performing in general. 

In other areas I learned about the technicalities of tape recording such as up keep, maintenance, and operation. Once again the difference in engagement between digital in tape are vast in that before recording (on tape) it is important to clean the tape heads using q-tips and tissues so the machine can run optimally. Tape machines use magnetic currents to absorb sound and so it is also imperative to ‘de-magnetize’ the tape heads from time to time to reduce the built up magnetism which accumulates on parts of the machine and keep everything running smoothly. I preparation for digital recording, all that is required is for the computer, interface, and program to be operational. The attention to up-keep of the equipment required to record on tape is crucial and adds more involvement with the art form itself which I believe creates a more integrated end product overall, at least when it comes to most musical genres other than electronic. I also learned the basic functions of how to operate the tape machine such as threading the tape, reverse, fast-forward, record, etc. The tactile relationship to analog recording, from the tape machine, to the mixing board and outboard gear creates a more intimate dynamic with the sound itself, enabling for what I feel is a deeper relationship with the recorded material to unfold. The field emanated from the tape reels while listening to a track is palpable and creates a kind of magical atmosphere which invigorates the recording process. I also learned the value of having a team i.e. the band and Thomas who could provide immediate feedback while recording can effectively streamline the process. Sometimes I wouldn’t think a given take was good while the rest of the group would unanimously vote to keep the take. After reviewing it myself I would 95% of the time agree, which made the whole recording process move a lot quicker than if I was working alone.

Outcomes

Personally, I feel like in terms of sound and feel, after this experience, the debate between analog and digital recording is settled. I am officially in love with recording to tape. Even in raw form the sound feels immediately alive, clean, and present. Other than using midi or other electronic forms of recorded music which I feel has an advantage through a digital medium, for most other avenues, I feel that recording to tape is superior in terms of the overall quality, clarity, presence, and energetic feel. We finished the album in around 11 sessions and it took just under three weeks (spanned over the course of two months) to complete making it the quickest recording venture I have accomplished so far in my musical career. I attribute this largely to Thomas’ engineering skills and the efforts put forth by the rest of the band to work in a timely and professional manner. I now have a tape machine and mixing board of my own and can’t wait to dive into it and record more music. I feel like I have now joined the legacy of recording to tape and can’t turn back. Its a craft I have been fascinated with for years and after my experience with recording this EP, I am more than excited to begin my personal learning journey with it.

Content Workshop - Mixing with Jules

December 12 - 17 2017

40 hrs

Background

My band (Ecstatic Union) and I recorded our third album, entitled “Neurons”, through the months of September and October 2017. Though we recorded it all onto analog Tape with my friend and fellow producer/engineer, Thomas Dolas after attempting to mix the album ‘in the board’ it was clear that going the digital route for mixing was the best option. This wasn’t because it sounded bad mixed through the board but the process for getting the songs where we really wanted them would take at least another 2 to 4 weeks of sessions which our schedules would not allow. So, for time’s sake, practicality, ease of execution, and a fresh perspective I decided to team up with a mix engineer, Jules De Gasperis, who expressed interest in working with Ecstatic Union in the past. 

What Happened

In early December 2017, after returning from an excellent adventure in Japan with my girlfriend, I had a week of mixing sessions scheduled with Jules in Los Angeles before heading to New York for the rest of the month of December. Our schedules ended up working out perfectly for the time period Id be home so the project felt serendipitously aligned. Our goal was to fully mix the 6 tracks of our EP so they’d be ready to be mastered during my stay in New York. We had 7 days scheduled so we planned to get a song a day done while have a day left over to go over anything that needed attention. 

(Mixing w/ the Master - Jules doing what he does best)

The Process

We started each session at Jules’ home studio between 12:00pm and 2:00pm as Jules would usually begin the initial diagnostics on a given track at 11:00am. While working on the first half of songs our sessions lasted until around 10 or 11pm but as we eventually developed a formula and feel for the album our process became quicker, eventually wrapping up sessions around 7:00pm. We’d start by listening to what Jules had done before my arrival. The overall facelift he would have already given the mix by just making a few adjustments was very apparent. He’d go over the technicalities of what he did which usually consisted of cosmetic arrangement (organizing the session for ease of use), along with phase correction, drum triggers, and EQ. From there we’d mix each track individually, beginning with the drums, then moving to bass, guitars, keyboards/synths, and finally vocals. Other than an hour long lunch break, we were totally absorbed in the mixing process, sometimes working on a single section of a song for hours on end. By the end of the week we had successfully mixed 5 of the 6 tracks as we ended up taking one day off for Jules to take an extra job. While I was in New York he mixed the final song with just a few notes left for him. It turned out great and Jules had become familiar enough with the feel of the album by then that it was easy for him to intuit what I would want the track to sound like.  

What I Learned

My previous experience with intensive mixing (working on a whole album) was after I had finished my second record and teamed up with a close friend, Paul Olsen, who helped me learn the ins and outs of the process. Though I came away with a lot of new tools and knowledge from those sessions, working with Jules was a huge level up. Jules is a professional mix engineer and lightyears beyond my experience with the craft so witnessing his workflow was super inspiring and stimulating. My role in the process was mostly just to listen and give feedback. Unless there was something very pressing that I wanted addressed or to sound a certain way, I mostly just observed and absorbed the process as I trusted his abilities and felt that he had a good sense of how I wanted the songs to sound. 

First of all, the clearest thing I learned is that digitally mixing tracks that are recorded on tape and then dumped into a digital session, at least for rock music, is definitely superior to recording the tracks digitally. The raw sound of the tracks had such clarity, presence, and a natural sense of EQ so there weren’t half as many harsh frequencies which needed to be reeled in as I have found with mixing digitally recorded sound. Jules is a great teacher and was very attentive to whatever questions I had about what his process was and why he chose to make certain decisions. Sometimes a question Id have would evolve into a 10 or 20 minute lesson on the subject, which I was usually enthralled by. He taught me how to use drum triggers to make drums sound more powerful and present without completely relying on EQ and compression. I learned about triggered EQ which allows one to dip, boost, or cut specific frequencies during specific sections on a given track instead of applying that EQ setting to the take as a whole. He also taught me more effective ways of editing sections on a given take using automation settings where in the past I may have just created a duplicate of the track in order to manipulate that specific section. I learned a lot more about how to use the basic functions of compression and EQ and how to work with them in my own sessions. Another key lesson for me here was a personal realization that recording on tape while mixing digitally is an incredibly effective, efficient, and ultimately intelligent process because you get all the natural feel from the tracks on tape while also the ability to exercise virtually limitless editing and creative decisions within the digital software. Mixing with tape naturally takes longer because the song must be printed/played from start to finish every time a mix is settled on, there are limited channels you are working with (usually 4 - 24 depending on what mixer one is using), and if there are any specific board interventions (leveling, muting, panning, etc.) that must be made in a specific section they must be performed ‘live’ which the mix is bouncing down. Simply put theres much more time, energy, and pressure involved with mixing on tape. I think its still a very valuable process and one that Id like to commit to one day for a given project but for this EP, for time’s sake and personal experience, mixing digitally was definitely the way to go. 

Outcomes

Mixing the EP with Jules was a super valuable experience. It thoroughly enhanced my understanding of the mixing process as a whole while also improving my technical skills and overall way I interpret sound in a mix. By integrating the knowledge and tools I gained from this experience I also feel like I have a better understanding of how I can set up and streamline my own mixing process in the future. The way the songs sound after mixing with Jules in reflection of how they sounded before in terms of volume, clarity, presence, dynamic, and atmosphere is like night and day. I really couldn’t have done it without his expertise and am very excited to work with him on future projects. 

The making and sharing of music is as old as humanity and today finds itself within a vast array of expressions and mediums in the world from religion and communal celebration to film and television, advertising, healing therapies, tribal traditions, as well as cultural phenomenas and movements organized around genres and styles like rock, jazz, rap, punk, electronic, indie and so on. The field of music is continuously evolving, both through the engagement of its participants, creators and appreciators alike as well as from emerging technologies which create new and innovative ways to produce, listen, and share the gift of music. 

Today, due largely to the internet, music from all over the world can be accessed, heard, shared, and catalogued in seconds. Albums released from virtually any time period (after recording technology was invented) can be heard on the internet. This has allowed the stylistic expression of modern music to evolve and diversify at the fastest rate in history.

From a philosophical/psychoacoustic perspective, because music is a form of communication based on listening and feeling, it essentially transcends language. Because creating music requires the body and brain to work synergistically, which in turn can entrain its listener into a like state, if there are multiple musicians playing together, they are naturally synchronized in harmony, thus creating a form of unity through sound and again creating an energetic ripple which can bring its listeners into a similarly unified state. This 'sonic unity' can be seen as a display of the unity created in our own bodies as our atoms sing in harmony to create the coherency and structure of a living breathing organism, or how the planets and galaxies 'dance' in harmonic proportion to one another. With this awareness we can see from another perspective why music has such a prominent place in so many cultures along with the world at large.  

In regards to the professional field of music, my place in it, and its relation to world change, I will focus on a few key elements related to my experience. Firstly, because the field of music encompasses such a vast array of subjects, genres, classifications, cultures, mediums, and identities, I will speak simply from my personal perspective where I stand within the present "indie music scene". Due to the vast music access the internet now provides, the present culture finds its sonic influences melded from various styles and genres spanning from the 1950's all the way up to the 1990's and early 2000s, dividing itself into differing scenes and subsets of musicians who then fall into similar categories sonically. My band, Ecstatic Union would fall into a kind of psychedelic rock/folk/indie/punk category. I don't know how Im directly effecting world change other than the fact that my intention is make music which transmits the experience and feeling of being fully alive. One of the easiest ways to provide this experience is through performing live. This is the most direct way to affect the world with music because there is an audience participating in the experience and transmission of the music in real time. Even if someone isn't consciously impacted by the music, the sounds and messages are perceived by the subconscious of those present. This communal experience of gathering to listen and dance to music is as old as humanity as we know it. These experiences give people a chance to access a timeless part of themselves with others and potentially experience a sense of unity and fulfillment. Regardless of how temporary a given performance is, the impact of it can last a lifetime. On a larger scale, music festivals are another area where the field of music is having a greater impact on world change. Some of the most transformational experiences of my life have occurred at music festivals, the same is true for many of my fiends and fellow musicians. They are essentially collective celebrations of life which take place on the earth, under the open sky, and before altars of sound (stages) where artists perform and act as catalysts for dance, shared feeling, and collective catharsis. They provide experiences for people from every walk of life to gather together on common ground and enjoy the simple joy of life through music. The final element I'll touch on here is on the subject of collaboration and empowerment. I'd say the main challenge for my band and many others in our position basically building our audience. Though major labels are not in control the same way they were in the past, many of the bigger indie labels have risen to a similar status of power and influence. Its difficult to gain recognition or even good performance opportunities as an up and coming band unless you are apart of a network. My focus in this area the past couple years has been around building my own network and collaborating with other artists in order to encourage and empower one another through recording projects and show booking. Using social media as a way to link up and share info has been a great tool and ally for many in the community of developing artists. After our following grows through more tours and releases, my plan is to eventually leverage my own platform in order to produce other artists as well as educate the youth who are interested in learning to play themselves. I feel that music can be an incredibly powerful tool of cultural transformation and like may other artists today, my goal is to be a catalyst for this process to unfold, positively impacting my community and world as a whole.

For a more in depth analysis on the current music industry and my place in it please check out the critical evaluation section from on capstone OP4. 

I am graduating from Gaia University with a Bachelors of Science in Integrative Eco-Social Design with a specialization in music production and creative facilitation. I designed the title of my specialization around the two major points of study and focus which I engaged in over the course of my Gaia project pathway which spanned from between 2012-2017. 

The field of music production is vast in that it encompasses a multitude of modalities from digital and analog recording, to movie scoring, sound design, writing & creative curation, live sound, performance, production engineering and so on. My chosen niche and most rigorous area of study and practice within this field lands in the areas of digital/analog engineering & production as well as writing, band management and live performance.   

Through my engagement with this field and its community for the past several years I’ve come to find that the defining characteristics of one who has earned the title of ‘music producer & creative facilitator’ is one who actively writes and records music, seeks to constantly refine their craft through experimentation, self-reflection and critical analysis, as well is able to share their knowledge and understanding with fellow artists to expand, develop, and diversify the field at large.  

During my pathway I recorded three albums of my own music (Ecstatic Union) as well as engineered and produced two full length records for fellow artists Shamnkha (Hannah Adams) and Coyote Run (Kasie Shahbaz). My studies and project engagement followed an action learning approach of goal design, active experimentation, and reflective analysis. Essentially my process consisted of conceiving a project (i.e. an album), designing an action plan, evaluating and gathering resources (tools, equipment, information, mentors, etc), experimenting to hone the aesthetic and context for said album or written song, and implementing my energies through following best practices along with personal intuition and systematic evaluation. I’d then work to share the harvest of my creations with the larger community through professionally releasing the music, reflecting on outcomes, and refining where necessary in order to design an even better product for the future. Alongside engineering and production I also simultaneously facilitated the design, leadership, and management of my band, Ecstatic Union, which continues to create, share, and grow to this day.

Along with producing others’ music, curating and managing Ecstatic Union is where the majority of my creative facilitation efforts have been made. Throughout my pathway I have taught the primarily self-composed songs of Ecstatic Union to 18 different people on various instruments (guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, vocals) as multiple members have cycled in and out of the band for the past 6 years. This has consisted of 8 different drummers, 5 bass players, 2 guitarists, and 3 keyboardists, as well as others who accompanied vocally for various performances and band incarnations. The last element related to creative facilitation which I have engaged in over the course of my pathway is music video direction and production. I have co-directed 3 full length music videos for Ecstatic Union working with small crews to create colorfully rich, thematically diverse, thoroughly enjoyable cinematic sound experiences which capture and share the heart-centered and joyful vibrations which Ecstatic Union emanates.  

My intention is to continue developing and expanding my skills as a music producer and creative facilitator through remaining diligent in my efforts to record and release my own music as well as others while also expanding into the field of music and production education where I am able to share what I have learned through facilitating others’ personal processes of musical expression and creative expansion. 

OP1b (LIPD)

Output Packet References

Simha Bode's Capstone LIPD

http://icaafs.earth/view/view.php?id=6036&showmore=1

Nicole Vosper's MSc LIPD

http://icaafs.earth/view/view.php?id=2883

OP2

Paititi Info & Media