Bompf Bompf Baby!

Date: Monday, March 19, 2007
To: All those reading
From: The Management
Re: New Feature

This is a quick announcement regarding the previously mentioned “Drummer of the Month” feature for bompfbompf.com.

The feature will be changed to the “Monthly Musician” feature, and will commence on the First Day of April. It will be open to all musicians that play great music. It could be an entire band, or an independent player within a band, or even not.

I look forward to sharing this with you as I hope you are looking forward to it as well.

So I know some of you are thinking “this guy doesn’t post enough”. I would though, if I thought that there was more for me to tell you or to say but since I haven’t even being keeping up with the current news, there isn’t really much that I could say that you don’t know already. However, at this moment I have a lot of updating to do so here goes.

Firstly, I have changed my operating system to a different distribution of Linux. Kubuntu was good and it was a great way of getting into Linux, however I found that it lacked some of the things that I was looking for in an operating system. It was much to basic for what I required out of a computer, so I am now running openSUSE 10.2 which instead of just one disk, took six to install and came with all the features that I wanted, such as GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), Firefox, more media software and then the other things that Linux needs to run other programs that I haven’t quite figured out yet. The other thing that I’m liking about Suse is that it recognizes my wireless card. Kubuntu did not, and although I haven’t been able to make a wireless connection as of yet, I’m sure that with some tinkering here, and the help of my father, I will be able to do this eventually.

And speaking of my father, this past week was my March Break from school and I have spent it here in Orangeville with my Dad. I’ve enjoyed my time here so far, and I will elaborate to that later. I’ve spent much of it however working on some simple stuff where what I would be being paid, is going straight to the drum-kit fund. We also went into Brampton to the Long & Mquade to check out a kit that they had in stock. Recently, I’ve been looking into a drum company called Pacific Drums & Percussion (PDP for short). Well, I found out that PDP is owned by the rather large drum company, DW. Although many of you may not know that you’ve heard or seen a DW kit, I can assure you that you have if you have listened to the great super-group Rush. Neil Peart is a DW endorser. After finding all this out, I decided to check out these PDP kits, to see if they lived up to and played like a DW kit. When I first saw the kit, my reaction was “WHOA! That bass drum is huge.” And it is. The kick drum is a massive 24″. Then I pulled the toms of the shelf and all it took was a tap of my finger on the heads to hear that this kit (100% maple) sounded great. Surprisingly as well, this kit is less than half the cost of the high end DW sets, which can cost upwards of $5000. Retail on the PDP kit: Approximately $1400. For the price there isn’t a better sounding kit. So I think that I’ve settled on my decision as far as the drum kit I plan to get. I’ll link to it here, and you can let me know what you think (although you’ll only be able to judge them on visual appearance for now, and on sound later).

On a completely different note, the weather has been awesome. With most of the days this past week above 0 degrees, the snow is melting and I just keep on getting more and more excited about summer time, and outdoor concerts, and running around with friends… the thought even makes me smile. It is very exciting and in many ways, refreshing.

I also sometimes wish that I could come up with clever ways to end my posts, as it seems to me they usually end up as “well, that’s all for now” and I’m bored of that so, BOMPF BOMPF BABY!

Jimmy King has returned from the west. The band had its first “full band” jam session since Jimmy left two months ago, on Thursday and it was to say the least; mindblowing. Therefore, the drive to make more music, and to finish the music we’ve started is even greater than ever. The new energy is exciting, and refreshing. Also, most of you know already (thanks to my Dad) that Wise, Young & King will be playing in Orangeville in July for the Founders Day weekend celebrations. More details like show times, dates and venues will be released once they are all worked out.

Regarding the bands studio work, we’ve had some rather large setbacks, as some of the drum tracks have been lost. So unfortunately we have to re-record the drum tracks unless they find them. This needs to be done for every song, and could take some time to do as well, since recording to a band is different than just playing out the song before the other tracks are laid down. I think that after we finish this demo, any future recordings will be done at a different studio, or we will learn how to do our own recordings. I’ve had some thoughts on the latter idea, and learning how to use recording software is something that I’ve wanted to do for a while. We would need to get a soundboard and microphones, and do some research into open source recording software for linux, as I would just use my laptop for recording and mixing. I think that in the long run, it would be much cheaper than constantly paying a studio to do the work. Something to look into though for sure.

I figure it’s about that time now, where people start to wonder where the band is at as far as the recording process is concerned. Here is a quick update. This is also the unveiling of the track names.

We had Steve send us all copies of the songs without any post production work done on them. We went over them, and decided that there were some key changes- no pun intended- that were required for the sound we want. For the first song, which happens to be Bompf Bompf, we are doing a music video for it, so it is the priority track right now. The biggest thing was that the vocals need to be redone. We went ahead and did that yesterday.

The three other songs we decided on were; Birds and the Bees, Sweet Inebriation and Freakish Benz. As of right now, we aren’t sure what we plan to do with Birds and the Bees, as it did not come out at all how we wanted it to. The first recorded version was much better than the recently recorded version. Sweet Inebriation is a great tune, but we think that at least the vocals have to be redone. Freakish Benz is my favourite track I think. The vocals haven’t even been put onto this song yet, and I think that it sounds amazing.

All the final post production work like mixing, compression and all the other fun things, still have yet to be done before we have a final product. We are also thinking of taking a few of the tracks we recorded live the first time we went into the studio, and remastering them, maybe redoing vocals, or parts that need to be fixed, and using those as well to add as songs that we have. Possible songs are; Placticina, Federales, Birds and the Bees and Under Mischief.

Yesterday we decided that we were long past due for jamming, so within 5 minutes of starting to play together again, we were off in a whole new world. We have the basis of what could be a few new songs that have potential to be amazing. It was nice to get back into a creative mode. For me, playing music really does set me free from anything else, and when there is a session like the one we had yesterday, it’s just so refreshing and motivating for the band. Like all teams, bands have the moments where everybody is annoyed with everybody, for everything. Therefore making those jams that much more important for getting everybody back to working together. It definitely was a good feeling.

Well, maybe I’ll have more details about a timeframe for the release of the songs in the near future, but at this point in time I’ve no idea when anything will be ready for the public to hear and enjoy. Until then, you’ll have to enjoy it vicariously through my posts.

After so much time in the studio, my brain is in music mode. I’ve been listening to a lot of recordings lately, some from all time great bands, some from some amazing bands that aren’t quite as known as of yet. I just thought that I would share a small few of them with you. Sort of like a mini-review of some different albums that have been playing over and over in my head lately.

The first band is a band called “Broken Social Scene”. I recently picked up their 2005 self-titled album, which happens to be the fourth release from the Toronto based band. They originally began in 1999 with only three members on the first CD, and touring. At this point the bands line-up is different for just about every album and tour, as most of the members play and tour with other bands or as solo artists. Their sound is an incredible mix of experimental-indie-pop, that really does include many other styles as well. This album has been great for me because it has pushed me to think about music with songs like “7/4 (Shoreline)” and at other times just listen to the sounds that couldn’t flow better like with “Our Faces Split The Coast In Half”. This band is a very creative one, that has inspired me to be more creative with what I play. Most of the artists I believe must have some classical and jazz training. The band usually includes a horn section, guitars, drums and whatever effects that they think should be included. I have heard previous recordings from the band, and hope to soon get my hands on them. Something that I would probably classify as “great night-time listening”.

Speaking of effects, most of you have probably heard of the band “Incubus”. Well, one thing that sets this band appart from most other alternative-rock bands is that they have a full time DJ, that plays live shows with them allowing them to play almost exactly what you would hear on the CD. The album in mention here is second latest album to be produced by the band entitled “Morning View”. Many of you have probably heard tracks such as “Wish You Were Here” and “11am” on the radio. If not, I’d advise you to check the band out. The vocalist has an excellent range, and can belt out those notes for the heavy songs, but then completely change dynamics for tunes like “Echo”. A great band with a great signature sound.

The last artist I’ll highlight tonight: Miles Davis. What else is there to say? Other than the album I’ve got here is called “Poetics of Sound” and was given to me by a great man. A man who has supported me no matter what I’ve chose, and I thank him for that, and for this CD. The man happens to be my father- and if you’re reading this, you probably at least know of him. Anyways, Miles Davis was pure genius in music. His perfectly placed notes and the unmistakable sound of his “cool” changed music, and the way we listen to it. A great any-time listener.

There is a minuscule sample of some of my influences as a musician- and for those who didn’t know, I also play trumpet, and have since grade seven. There are plenty more, and maybe someday when I get around to it, I’ll make a page and list some of the music I listen to. And yes, I realize that I still owe you the “Drummer of the Month” but I’m waiting for the right first drummer to hit me (Sunni’s advice). It’ll probably start in February. Hope you can all wait that long.

As most are aware, my band, Wise, Young and King, has been spending some time in the studio. We are creating a piece of work that we can be proud of, and that others can enjoy. At this point, we have now used 19 of our 25 hours, and have completed one track totally, and have yet to record the vocals for the three other tracks. We decided on four songs, focusing on quality as opposed to quantity. We divided our time up to this point, into four separate days. Enjoy!

Day 1 (Fri., Jan. 5): As usual, the band rushed around trying to get things ready for the last minute. We were booked at the studio for 7pm. By 5 that evening we were still moving stuff around (mainly returning a drum kit I had borrowed to rehearse with) and running out the door. After making a few stops on the way, we managed to arrive around 7:30. We had a quick discussion with Steve (our Engineer/Producer) about what we were going to do, and then it was set up time.

The drum set that I was using was a Sonor Force 3005. It is 100% maple, and is a very respectable kit. The shell sizes were; 20″x17.5″ Kick, 10″x9″ tom, 12″x10″ tom, 14″x12″ tom and 14″x5″ snare. We took the resonant head off of the bass drum (kick) so that it would have more attack. (In a live setting like a show, you would leave the “reso” head on in order for “low-end” and volume to prevail.) The cymbals that I used were all Sabian AA series, and although would not be the cymbals I use next time, they sound just fine. Again with the details; I used 14″ high-hats, 16″ and 18″ crashes, a 20″ ride and a 10″ splash. Every individual drum and cymbal had its own mic (not sure of the make or model of any of these) and then two overhead mics. Once everything was ready to go, including Jimmy’s bass, it was time to get down to business.

We started recording our first track (and I have decided that I will not release the names of the individual track, I will simply refer to them as “track 1″, “track 2″ etc.) and really found out the difference between “live off the floor” recording and “track recording”. At this point, the major stress began.

When you record live off the floor, you are all playing at the same time, and you all know where to go by reading the other musicians. When you are “tracking”, you record each individual instrument seperately. So knowing your songs, including lyrics, temo changes and everything else is key. Not to mention, your skills are tested when the click track is added in, which is basically just that. It’s a click that goes off on every beat, helping to keep the tempo of the song. If you go off, it will throw everybody off when they go to “dub” their parts over top of the drum track. When you are playing together, you can always see each other and you can feel if they are speeding up, or slowing down. I had never played with a click track previous to this, and lets say that I really wish I had lots and lots of experience with it, as it took me take after take to finally get one song with the click done. The drums and bass were recorded at the same time, so that added another dimention onto this type of recording. It’s hard enough to try alone, let alone keep another guy on time as well. With the bass and drums for track one out of the way, it was on to track two.

On this song, Doug played bass. We went without the click track from here on, and it took less time to get down. Lets just say if we were trying to use a click on all the rest of the tracks, then we’d still be on track two. After getting this song’s rythm section done, we decided to try one more track. However, after trying and trying to get the parts done, we scraped this tune, and decided that what we had was a good start on the cd. By this time it was around 1am, and I headed to Myles’ (guitarist) house for the night. 

Day 2 (Sat., Jan, 6): I woke up around 1 in the afternoon, and Myles was at work. So I just decided to watch some TV to pass the time. When Myles got home, we headed to Jimmy’s house for a quick gathering. Again, we were scheduled to be in the studio at 7pm again, and left Jimmy’s around 6:20.

Once in the studio, we listened to what we had accomplished yesterday, and I decided that as far as drums go, the first track was definately not up to par. So, back Jimmy and I went and re-recorded it. Again, after a few takes, I was quite happy with what had come out. For the second track, Doug thought that the bass line could have been better, so he just redid that, and left the drum track, as it was fine. Then we decided to get guitar tracks done for the two songs, and went on with that. The first track went over without a hitch. (Keeping in mind that these things take time. So as far as being quick is concerned, if you can get a part down in an hour and a half or less, you are doing alright.)

The second track took more time, as Jimmy was the lead guitarist for this song, and had to record the solo a few times in order for it to turn out the way he wanted. In the end he came up and proved himself worthy of the name, “Jimmy King” and recorded an amazing solo, that I think will make people really listen. From there it was time to lay down the rythm section for the third song.

This song was a new one to me. I had only played it a few times before, and always liked it, but didn’t really like all the drum parts that I thought of at the time. So, I decided to take some time to get something down that I thought did the song justice. In the end, what I came up with was something that I thuroughly enjoyed, and that I thought fit the song extrememly well. Once this was done, it was time to retire for the night. We stayed in the studio until aproximately 2am, so we were all very tired. Not to mention with time passing and getting used up, the pressure was begining to build and at points the frusteration level was quite high. Then next days break was being looked forward too.

Day 3 (Mon., Jan 8 ): With the bass and drum tracks needing to be done for only one song, the first order of business was to get them out of the way as it would be Jimmy’s last day with us.

This song was brand new material. Just two weeks before, we had begun writting it. Its got a great mix of different musical elements including the heavy sounds of rock, and some almost-funky grooves. Because of the more technical parts of this track, it did take a little bit more time to get it the way we wanted it, but the bass and drum parts sounded great after listening to them.

The second most important thing on the list was to make sure that anything that included Jimmy was done, so on to his vocal parts for one of the other tracks that already had all the instruments recorded. This would fill up the rest of the time we had booked at the studio for the day.

Day 4 (Tues., Jan 9): With all of the rythm parts completely finished, we needed to get the guitars done for the last two songs.

When you are in the studio, after the first day, it is basically a repetitive process. Rythm parts are done first, then guitars are added over top of that, and then vocals are dubbed in. When you get hungry, you walk across the road to the pizza shop. When you arent actually recording a part, you go out for a cigarette. Then you do it all over again. Then again. The most exciting day of being in the studio is definately the first day.

The other thing, is that it feels like you will never finish even one song, because even though your parts are “done”, when you listen to them played back with guitars over top, you start to hear things that could’ve been done better, so back you go to touch certain areas up. When you listen to it again, one of the other members gets an idea for a part they want to fix, and again the cycle goes on.

By the end of day 4, other than those little parts that require touch ups, all the instruments had been completely finished. All that was missing from the songs were vocals and the final mix down of all the songs. We scheduled Thursday, January 18th as the next day that we would be heading into the studio to finish up, but we may need to go in one more time after that. Or more even. We’ll have to see then.

So there you go. Sorry that it took so long, and I apologize if it is a little confusing to read, but I am not the greatest at writting. In the future I’ve decided that I’m going to need to explain more about technical terms as far as audio and drums go, so I was thinking of making up a “key terms” page on the site, that would be constantly updated, as I learn more as well.

And don’t worry, the Drummer of the Month feature is coming soon, but I was having some issues regarding my grandparents and their computer. However I now have my own computer, so I’ll be posting more frequently.

Ok, I lied… I did say that my next post was going to be the first of the ‘Drummer of the Month’ series, but that was before the insanity of recording came up from behind me and gave me a nice heavy whack on the head. Fortunately though, at this current moment I am riding on a cloud and basking in the glory of being in a studio, doing what I love to do and doing it pretty well (or at least so far, I’m liking what I hear). Therefore, I believe a post is in order.

I’m not going to give away too much, but like I previously stated, I do believe that things are coming together nicely. The band has started working together closely, and that has had quite a beneficial effect on our sound as a whole. It’s been a huge learning experience. I have been keeping a log of the days, and comparing the (drastic) differences between the last recording session, and the current multiple recording sessions. When I get more time, possibly tomorrow night, I’ll outline these and write something worth reading. For now though, this is all you get.

So, I was just listening to Chez 106 and thought I heard that B.B. King, was coming to town. At first I didn’t believe it, so I decided to check the internet. It’s true. B.B. King will be playing at the National Arts Centre, here in Ottawa on May 13. This is another one of those “once in a lifetime” opportunities for me, so I think I’ll be getting tickets for that as soon as they are on sale.

 Just recently, B.B. King was awarded the highest honour a civilian in the United States can recieve. The Presidential Medal of Freedom.

From the President:

“One of America’s unique gifts to the world is a music called the blues. And in that music two names are paramount — B.B. King, and his guitar, Lucille. (Laughter.) It has been said that when John Lennon was asked to name his great ambition, he said, “to play the guitar like B.B. King.” Many musicians have had that same goal, but nobody has ever been able to match the skill, or copy the sound of The King of the Blues.

He came up the hard way in the Deep South; living alone when he was nine years old; walking miles to school, and picking cotton for 35 cents a day. Barely out of his teens, he made his first trip to Memphis, Tennessee, with his guitar and $2.50 in his pocket. He made his name on Beale Street, and his studio recordings made him a national favorite. B.B. King has sold more than 40 million records. He won 14 Grammys. He has a place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He’s influenced generations of musicians from blues to rock, and he’s performed in venues from roadside nightclubs to Carnegie Hall. He’s still touring, and he’s still recording, and he’s still singing, and he’s still playing the blues better than anybody else. In other words: The thrill is not gone. (Laughter.)

America loves the music of B.B. King, and America loves the man, himself. Congratulations. (Applause.)”

You can read about the other Recipients of this award here. 

I am quite surprised and excited that B.B. King would be stopping here in Ottawa again. I’ve said this previously, but this probably will be the last time that he’ll play here. Other show dates can be found at this link.