mixing | MetaQuorum

0 November’s track of the month is AUTUMN GROOVE

November’s track of the month is AUTUMN GROOVE from our second album Witchcraft Jazz (2018). It started as a spontaneous drum and key-bass improvisation jam session at Koos ‘ place in Friesland November 2014 (hence the track’s name) after we’d finished re-recording drums for Clodhopping and Midnight Sun, two tracks for MetaQuorum’s first album Midnight Sun (2015). When Koos moved to UK later in 2015-16, we reworked this raw material several times: re-recorded drums, added percussion, plus many layers of synths and arranged it a bit etc. Then, by chance, we met Andrew Guerin at one of the improvisation sessions Newcastle upon Tyne’s The Jazz Cafe . We invited Andrew for a recording session at our Low Bishopley Recording Studio one Sunday in autumn in 2015, and recorded several trumpet takes. It took us three more attempts to mix the track because we couldn’t quite balance the synths and the trumpet and then… along came NATIVE INSTRUMENTS’ Komplete Kontrol! Dmitry revisited the composition and arrangement in the light of the seriously expanded synth and sound processing capabilities, adding some brass as well, so Koos and Dmitry had another go at the mix and got it right – at least in our opinion)) Then Christopher Longwood applied his superb mastering skills and voilà! Check it out 😉

AUTUMN GROOVE

Credits:
Dmitry Ermakov – composition, arrangement, keyboards, key-bass, synth-brass, synth programming, tambourine, recording, producing, mixing, cover art.

Koos van der Velde – composition, #drums, #jembe, recording, producing, mixing.

Andrew Guerin – #trumpet.

Christopher Longwood – #mastering.

Photos by Carol Ermakova

0 New Singles Unveiled

Hi folks!

It’s been a while… Dmitry and Koos have finally emerged from their winter hibernation mixing in the Market Place home studio, so we can at last unveil the titles of 6 new singles due to be released over the coming weeks and months. Exciting stuff!

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1 – Jonathan Livingston – with star guests the Northumbrian seagulls
2 – Migration – our first song, with Dmitry and Carol on vocals
3 – The Piper and the Frog – featuring Markus Bluesharp on, yes, you guessed it, the blues harp
4 – Cyber Funk – exactly what it says on the label
5 – Chicken and Egg – featuring no chickens
6 – City Folk – with a soundscape from Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Mixing is a complicated, delicate and time-consuming business,

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But when you get it right, you know you’ve hit the spot!

Chris Longwood of SugarHill Recording Studios, Houston, mastered the tracks, and we’re all really pleased with the big sound he’s produced. When we found out Chris works on George Clinton’s tracks, we knew he’d be the guy for us!

So – watch this space for more clips, videos and stories, we’re delighted to share this exciting time with you!

Cheers!

0 MetaQuorum’s first song!

We’re delighted to announce that the demo of our first song – Migration – is now ready!!!

Written by Dmitry, with Koos on drums and Carol as second vocalist, its our longest track yet, with lots of unusual sound effects, a rippling composition and a great dance rhythm.

Koos and Dmitry spent hours in the North Pennines home studio perfecting the mixing and mastering, and we’re all pretty pleased with the result. – Watch this space for a sneak preview!