recording studio | MetaQuorum

0 Master in Kathmandu Valley

MetaQuorum is a truly international gig. Take this track, Simple Minds, for example. Lyrics written in Moscow, drums & percussion recorded in Friesland, keys etc. in the North Pennines, and mastering in Houston. And first listening in faraway Kathmandu!

On a sunny August day, our dear friend KC Sherstha kindly drove us through the sweltering monsoon heat to a surprisingly cosmopolitan district of Patan in Lalitpur, nestled in the Himalayan foothills. In an oasis of greenery and hip cafes, we made our way to the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatoire where we were greeted by some of the very efficient and friendly staff there, and ushered into a well-equipped studio. It was great to listen to the first master with a few of the technicians/musicians and get their feedback, too.

Huge thanks to Eric C. Shrestha for arranging with Abhisek Pun for some studio time.

We were impressed with the setup – thanks guys! Look forward to a jam session next time we’re in Nepal 😉

Listening to the first master at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatoire Recording Studio

0 SIMPLE MINDS: History in the making – First drum takes, 2016

We’re getting some thumbs ups for our new track Simple Minds, released 9 October on Bandcamp & YouTube and going global on all major streaming platforms 4 November. Many of you guys are telling us you get the message it’s putting out, so we thought we’d let you into a little secret: it was written back in 2003! In Moscow. But sad to say humanity is still sleepwalking around today, 20 years on.

But back to the music. The first draft was recorded in Bath, UK, in 2005 and then when drummer Koos joined Dmitry in 2016, they discussed the track. Koos even laid down some impromptu drums. But then the song got put on a back burner to make way for the instrumental album Witchcraft Jazz (2018).

So here’s a little video from that early session, 2016. History in the making!

0 Interview with MetaQuorum on Progarchy

Interview with METAQUORUM

A UK based progressive rock project by Dmitri Ermakov and Koos van der Velde recently put out two new songs: “Jonathan Livingston” and “Migration.” The band that grabs inspiration from plenty of different genres talked with Progarchy about their creative chemistry.

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 VINTAGE IS BACK!

Koos shared his treasure trove of vintage microphones – great collection, including a Tesla AMK 102 and an Astatic Model K-2.

Here’s Dmitry checking out a Krundaal Dynamic Cardioid Microphone Mod. 607. We used it for the low frequencies in a recent session to record percussion for a new track.

For the top side of the drum we used a Samson Q4. Quite a cheap mic, but stuck into a convenient hole in a chair back, it did the job. In fact, the whole set-up was pretty makeshift, as you can see! Improvisation? We love it! 😉

Koos playing his vegan Djembe – custom built by his Dad! @ Market Place Studio, North Pennines, UK.

1 MetaQuorum are back in town!

Koos and Dmitry are finally back on the same side of the Channel, happily reunited with their gear in the Low Bishopley home studio 🙂 Watch this page for the coming videos of the latest jam.

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0 JAMMING :)

Although we have a quite tough recording/mixing/mastering schedule, we also find time for some live play here and there – here’s Koos trying out the Steven Slate Drums VST plug-in, metal style!

And another video of a sound check before a recording session.

0 NOW SINGING WITH METAQUORUM

Dmitry’s wife, Carol, joins MetaQuorum as a second vocalist on the new track Migration.

0 NEW ALBUMS UNDERWAY!

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.

Migration-Recording_INSTA — Working on Migration.