audio permanently closed for inri006.
==
the christmas of 1997 was a good one. in addition to getting a
four-track recorder to multitrack with, i also ended up with a jx-8p for
my birthday, which is in early january. now that i could use the
computer a little bit, i decided that i was finally ready to do some
serious recording.
i had committed myself to reapproaching the first demo tapes and
rerecording certain tracks to reflect the uplift that they got from the
drum machine; that is, i had already dramatically rewritten most of the
tracks around the drum machine, so i felt i should rerecord them. now, i
was going to need to uplift some of those tracks a second time with
synthesizer parts. i knew which tracks i wanted to approach and how, but
i wanted to ease myself in a little. so, i picked a new track as my
first synthesizer experiment.
that is a large part of what this track is. i had the lyrics
pre-written, actually, and knew that i wanted a spooky kind of
atmosphere to the track. so, i was approaching the synth with the
question of how to manipulate it into sounding "haunted". that may seem
trivial, but please realize that i had never seen an actual synthesizer
before - i'd just always used the presets on my sister's electronic
piano. it was a small victory to get the patch by increasing the sustain
on the preset, but it was a hard-fought battle.
after i got the track mixed down through the 4-track and mastered into
the pc by sending the signal into the back of the soundblaster, some
listening had me wishing that i had slowed the tape down a little. the
track is a kind of a child's understanding of the existential, which i
just felt would be more aesthetically in balance if i slowed the tape
down and made it seem a bit more mournful. so, i wanted to go back and
remaster it with the speed set a little slower.
i decided i should test it by slowing the track down digitally, first.
what i was trying to do was get an estimate to use to remaster it at a
different speed. i took a guess on half-speed to try and was going to
incrementally reduce the reduction through trial and error until i got
to a good point. then, i could set the tape speed by ear. i did not go
through that process; i stopped at half-speed. for several weeks in
1998, the half-speed version was the final product for the track. i
believe i even uploaded it to mp3.com slowed down this way.
i just instantly stopped at half-speed because, while the effect was
more exaggerated than intended, that exaggeration was to greater effect
than i imagined. i wasn't expecting the guitars to get that grungy, or
the vocals to get that deep. when i heard it, though, i knew that this
was the track.
in the end, i reverted back to the normal speed version, but this was
done with much internal division. the reason that this is the last track
on the demo is because i was holding out for space for the lengthier
version. it was only due to a combination of space requirements and pull
for conformity of sound through the demo that had me relent at the very
end.
in hindsight, i do think that the short version fits better on the flow
of the cd, and it will remain there - minus the vocals. yet, i also
think that this slowed down version deserves it's own document. i've
slowed down two other versions of the track, as well, to drag out the
fun. the album version closes this collection.
originally
created in 1998. a failed rescue was attempted in 2013. reconstructed
in the summer of 2015 and then manipulated further in the summer of
2016. released & finalized on july 7, 2016. as always, please use headphones.
this release is compiled on inriℵ0.
jasonparent.bandcamp.com/merch/inri-box-set
this release also includes a printable jewel case insert and will also
eventually include a comprehensive package of journal entries from all
phases of production (1997, 2013, 2016).
credits:
j - guitars, effects, bass, synths, drum programming, vocals, digital wave manipulation, production
released january 22, 1998
