Gil Markle (producer)
What is your name and band/label/etc?
Gil Markle, former owner of the Long View Farm recording studio
What are your top five albums that were released in 2012? (In order 1-5)
- ZONKARAZ "Zonkaraz at the Hanover Theatre" Double DVD set. Desert Dreams Records. Edited and produced by Studiowner.com.
- DICK WAGNER "Full Meltdown" CD. Desert Dreams Records. Mastered by Studiowner.com.
- PRIVATE LIGHTNING "Physical Speed" and "Song of the Kite". The two 1978 regional hits by the popular Boston-based band, mastered by Studiowner.com. Release not anticipated.
What band did you discover in 2012 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
STUFF "STUFF: Live at Mikell's" CD. A 1978 archival recording made at the famous New York City nightclub. Restored and mastered by Studiowner.com. Release pending in Japan. The first, eponymously entitled STUFF LP was recorded at Long View Farm in 1976, and mixed by Gil Markle.
How will you remember 2012? (In terms of music)
The loudness war. Artists and labels alike are increasingly eager to sacrifice dynamic range and clarity in mastered recordings in exchange for apparent volume. This is an unsettling development for the audio purist.
What can we look forward to from you in 2013?
THE MUGSHOTS "Love Lust and Revenge" CD. Italy's Number One horror punk rock band, recently recorded and produced by Dick Wagner, and mastered by Studiowner.com. TATTOO ME Print release of excerpts from Markle's book about The Rolling Stones, edited by Sean Egan and appearing in the Chicago Review Press volume "Keith Richards on Keith Richards".
What records are you looking forward to most in 2013?
WALTER CROCKETT Release: late September, early October 2013 Tentative title: This Old Heart Band: Walter Crockett and the Wannabee Wabbits [note the spelling "Wannabee"] Type of music: Americana Background: Valerie & Walter Crockett and the Oxymorons performed for 13 years in New England coffeehouses and concert halls, including three appearances at the Boston Folk Festival. After Valerie Crockett's death in 2009, Walter has reformed and expanded the band. The CD will include Walter's new and previously unrecorded songs. Personnel: Walter Crockett, lead acoustic guitar; Duke Levine, electric guitar; Dave Dick, banjo and electric guitar; Bob Dick, acoustic bass, Fran McConville, mandolin; Mark Manuel, keyboards; Bill MacGillivray, drums; Matt Cassell, percussion.
Fundraising sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have made a strong impact on the ability of artists to release music. Do you think this approach is a trend, or will it continue to shape how artists produce their material?
A trend it is, allowing music to be recorded that would not have been recorded otherwise. However, with all production decisions in the hands of the artists themselves, often unaided by professionals, the system lacks the rigor of the conventional record label selection process, which is not all bad. Also, insufficient thought is often given to the eventual distribution of the recorded material, either in CD or internet file sharing format, with the result that the music gets recorded, but not heard.
