Richard O’Flynn
Mixing Richard O’Flynn’s Debut Record
The record was a great pleasure to mix and I was given the time to fully delve into extending the sounds and creating rich and dense sound stages.
Richard originally planned to release another EP, but soon realised that he had plenty of material to fill albums and so he went off to Wales with producer Snorre Bergerud to track 11 songs. The diary of the sessions you can follow here.
Snorre’s work on the album let to colourful arrangements of Richard’s songwriting, which includes pop-rock and singer-songwriter aspects and a track inspired by electronic artist Fennesz.
Lightly played cymbal patters and exploding drums, lyrical and scratchy acoustic guitars and muted and distorted bass lines build the backing to Richard’s main vocals and harmonies. All harmonic sounds of the album are recorded using guitar sounds, largely extending the range of the ‘typical’ electric guitar sounds used in production.
I found myself creating sounds out of the source material, which would push the individual parts of a song further into their intended direction and see Snorre’s production vision to the end. By reamping nearly everything I was able to introduce a nice depth and harmonic ‘gel’ to the mix. I also continued with my new passion for reverbs, which already emerged when mixing the Alice Klar album.
Hopefully I will be able to put a few sounds of the record into this post very soon. Once again, I have been at Whitewood Recording Studio to mix the record, where I have setup all of my mixing and recording equipment as a residency for the foreseeable future.
Alice Klar
Mixing AK’s Record
The question of how and where to mix Alice Klar’s Record comprising 12 songs was more difficult to ask then what may usually be the case.
A vast range of ideas from different periods of songwriting was to be put together and the responsibilities of family life had to also take priority. It so proved as an advantage to some that the producer’s family got stuck in holidays because of an erupting volcano!
Alice Klar performing Lykke Li’s Possibility
AK Live with Orchestra
“Breathtaking and moving” … The Youtube community feels this version of the New Moon Film Theme by Alexadre Desplat, combined with Lykke Li’s song ‘Possibility’. Interpreted by Alice Klar during a recording session for their debut album. We are delighted with the large response and comments from all over the world.
Rineke Dijkstra’s Videography – Part 1
‘I Can See A Woman Crying’ Video Installation
Click to zoom
The new series of work by photographer Rineke Dijkstra resulting from her time in Liverpool in 2009 is part entitled ‘I Can See A Woman Crying’, a three-channel HD video installation. I was appointed Rineke’s editor and camera operator, being closely involved in many of her ideas. A still of the video is shown above.
When filming ‘The Krazyhouse‘, also part of the new series of work, Dijkstra got presented with the opportunity to work with the TATE Liverpool and bring an idea to life that she has had for some time.
Dijkstra wanted to portrait a group of children and study their individual personalities, their character within a group as well as the group’s overall dynamic. For the first time, she also introduces speech (including subtitles) into her work, which adds tremendous depth to the image and allows even more insight into the group’s behaviour. Shy remarks mix with a crescendo of a conversation and the three channel camera setup captures the moments in great detail.
The children are discussing the artwork ‘The Weeping Woman” by Picasso, which is in the TATE Collection. TATE Liverpool chose to exhibit Dijkstra’s work in the ground floor room as an introductory piece to their Picasso exhibition in 2010.
Having been premiered at the Max Hetzler Gallery in Berlin, the work continues to be on show around the globe, including the Marian Goodman Gallery in New York and Paris.
Follow the gallery links above to see an excerpt of the video and installation views.
Exhibitions and Reviews
Der Tagesspiegel Review.
(in German language)
Rineke Dijkstra’s Videography – Part 2
‘The Krazyhouse’ Video Installation
Click to zoom
The new series of work by photographer Rineke Dijkstra resulting from her time in Liverpool in 2009 is part entitled ‘The Krazyhouse’, a five-channel HD video installation. Other videos have been released including ‘I Can See A Woman Crying‘.
Her successful video installation ‘The Buzz Club’, filmed in 1996 in Liverpool/UK and Zaandam/Netherlands, inspired her to return to Liverpool and invite teenagers to perform to their favorite songs in front of her eye and lens.
I was Rineke’s editor and camera operator for the duration, being closely involved in many of her ideas (read more). Two stills of the videos entitled ‘Phil’ and ‘Nicki’ are shown below (click to zoom).
A series of five videos, portraying five subjects in sequence, make ‘The Krazyhouse’ complete. Having been premiered at the Max Hetzler Gallery in Berlin, the work continues to be on show around the globe, including the Marian Goodman Gallery in New York and Paris. Follow the gallery links to see all video stills and installation views.
Reviews
Leslie Camhi appositely writes: “The work represents something of a departure for Dijkstra. [...] Yet it’s also a continuation of her great themes: the ungainly grace of youth, shadowed with doubt and in the first tentative flush of self-assertion. Dance, she finds, releases something in her subjects, and the moving portrait allows her to capture a more intimate reality.” (for NY Times Mag)
Follow these links to read the full reviews:
New York Times Magazine Review. Frieze Art Magazine Review.
Der Tagesspiegel Review.
(in German language)
Introduction to working with Rineke Dijkstra
From Sound Engineering to Videography
Four video stills: The Buzz Club
Liverpool, UK/Mysteryworld, Zaandam, NL 1996-1997
© Rineke Dijkstra
I started working with renowned dutch photographer Rineke Dijkstra in November 2008. Dijkstra was initially looking for a sound recordist at the time, to be working on her new video installation, but following my experience in video production I was soon joining the project as video editor and camera operator.
A working relationship developed spanning much further than capturing the sound or image and a friendship emerged, that would have me involved at the deep end of many of her ideas.
Can’t Start The Machine – Gorbachov Debut Album
Listen to the full album
Irish rock band Gorbachov has finally unleashed the debut album “Can’t start the Machine” onto the net-world stage. It can be listen to in full using the Soundcloud player above.
I’m really into all the sounds and ideas we’ve put onto the record. Keeping it straight forward, but every song has its nuances. My favorites are Friends, Mr Fahrenheit and People Skills, they make such a great middle section of the album. But the more you listen to the album the better all the tracks get. I also really like Brandan’s lyrics, which are all about places, people and situations.
Liverpool Session Orchestra with DC Fontana at Parr Street
Recording ‘Six Against Eight’
DC Fontana’s ‘Six Against Eight’ Music Video
DC Fontana nurture their passion for classic psychedelic rock. The band asked Christian Badzura and the Liverpool Session Orchestra to arrange and record four tracks, one of which – the very tricky and demanding arrangement for the song Six Against Eight – is presented in the LiSO Vlog above and a music video has been released featuring the track.
