The Cast

I decided that maybe I should introduce y'all to our cast on this curious spectacle we're taking part in.

The orchestra we have the pleasure to work with, from left to right:
Peb (vocs, guitar), Chuck (bass), Tro (guitar, vocs) and Aqui (drums).

Or as sometimes known as:
Perttu, Toni, Tero and Aki.

And then the production team of two. The mystische Samsara (Well, he's not actually that mystic when you meet him. The name is Sami Sarhamaa and he does have those silent "looking to the future and visualizing" -moments, but I still wouldn't go as far as calling it expecially mysterious, he just pauses to think, I'm guessing.) and then Your's truly, me (name in the passport says Jani Rämö, and people even tend to use that one, except for maybe M. Kervinen and the Hateform -suckers who just call me darling.).



So that's what we have to go on with. 6 smucks how might or might not make this farce a spectacle or the other way around. I have strong faith in the project, Sami has the needed professional touch, and the band has the songs that can make the difference and the will to leap into the unknown - or so I'm hoping. I'll inform you when the needed paperwork is done and we know for sure they're ready for the fall. And after all, it's only rock'n'roll.

Pre-productions on stage III

We engaged warp3 from Turku at around 9'o'clock in the morning of Saturday the 12th. Starting of cool and easy, the trip got the normal salty undertone as we picked up Chuck on the last stop before hitting the highway. Politics and fisting we're discussed.

At Pink Noise, Tikkurila, Vantaa, Sami had already setup mics for the whole band as we arrived. Setting up drums and amps took a small while, but Indigoflood was on their way and playing by thirteen hundred hours.

The plan for the day was to record the final pre-production versions of the songs, with every instrument on their own track, so Sami could try out some tricks of the trade and we could do final adjustements for the fine tuning of the arrangements, throw out some ideas at the band and so on.

By around five p.m. the whole thing was a wrap and we had 10 songs recorded with ok sound and ok playing. It went down easy, as everyone seems to be a professional except for maybe yours truly. Future matters were gone through and the band headed home, as I stayed behind with Sami to have a meet and greet with M. Kervinen the third party of our collective production house called Perfect Sound. No further Indigomatters we're addressed, just overall business and a few beers that night.

Next morning Sami started with the mixing of the pre-prods done on Saturday. Basic sounds were picked as he worked his way through the one called Thisttle Pillow pt.2. I'm not much of help when it comes to mixing so I just listened. After the basics were there, we went through the song with a tighter comb and did a second version with some new ideas on the arrangement. We did a couple of experimentations that might or might not lead somewhere, but as even the band hasn't heard them yet, I won't go to details.

Sami promised to do the same to all of the tracks and we decided that on the 26th he'd come over to Turku and we'd go through the songs for the final time before we start the official recordings. I'll be telling you how that goes when we get there.

The beginning of the end

I don't even remember when the first drunken blabber about this album came out of our collective mouths. I've talked it through with Perttu (and Chuck) in such various conditions of mental handicapment, that I won't even try to remember all of them. Good times, no question about that though.

Almost certain the whole thing has been for over half a year now, if you ask me atleast (no official deal still inked, so we'll see if the band agrees). And the music's been there for the good part of a decade, so this is finally time to take everything of it, record it, mix, master, cover and finally wrap in a nice container called a CD.

For me the turning point was of course when 7:45 Records was officially founded at the end of 2007. I knew I wanted to get on with the Indigoflood debut, and just hoped that all the people around me, mostly the band and Sami Sarhamaa who'd be the man most likely to do the production would get along. As has been later proven, absolutely no problem there.

First of we started with a pre-production demo that was created just to present all the tunes the band had to offer. 19 of them to be exact. 13 songs were already on previous demos, and 6 more were recorded at the end of 2007. Then I hauled the band to Helsinki for a gig, so that Sami could get his first live listening experience of the band, and a first meeting with them. No problems there, except for maybe the horrible sounds at the gig joint, due to the lack of soundcheck among other things outside of our juristiction. But a solid gig and a good first meeting, all in all.

Later on, we picked approx. 10 songs to do further pre-prod. sessions on. Sami came over to Turku, did a setup of two mics at the bands second home in Pansio and we sat down as the boys played through the 10 songs we had talked about. We dicussed everyone of them further and Sami laid down some pointer which way to take the tunes. We though of productional solutions how to take the bands sound one step further from their basic live setting. Some chopping of solos and shortening of riffs was considered appropriate, as this far the guys had been playing just for their own amusement, which is of course justified and fun for the band, but might tune out the listener.

The songs to be recorded is still an open question dangling in the air. We've decided on maybe 6 certain and then 4 that might just get done, but propably only 2 of those will reach the album. It's all about what fits the big picture, so no rush there. Anyhow, with all that done we've reached the present times. One more pre-production session took place last weekend, but more on that on my next post.