MELD: prog, funk, jazz, grunge, electronica – fusion
1-2-3… celebrating 1st anniversary of the 2nd album – gearing up for Number 3!
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6oeC0Cjkvo3YnPB5on1Mkh
Bandcamp: https://metaquorum.bandcamp.com/album/witchcraft-jazz
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/metaquorum/sets/witchcraft-jazz
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/album/56017492
and everywhere else 😉
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 😉
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.
© & ℗ Dmitry Ermakov & Koos van der Velde, 2017
Photos by Carol Ermakova
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!
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,
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!
As well as recording a couple of new funky instrumental tracks, Koos and Dmitry are laying down the parts for a new song, Migration. It will be the title track for a new album, a mix of songs and instrumentals. We’re currently honing the sounds and finalizing the arrangement.
Drummer Koos is back!
Drummer Koos is back in the North Pennines, the Home Studio now includes his Roland V-Drums, and a whole load more cables 😉
Pre-production on a couple of new tracks is underway, with more to follow – watch this space!
But it’s not all work…
