As 2019 comes to a close, we caught up with Bloodshot Records, a Chicago-based label that was founded in 1994. The label is celebrating 25 years in 2019. While an official compilation, Too Late to Pray: Defiant Chicago Roots marks that accomplishment (and we definitely think you should check it …
As the year ends, it's time once more for us to hand over to the artists and record labels that made some of our favorite music of 2019 and ask them about their year, the music they enjoyed, and what they're excited about for 2020. Here's the questions we're asking …
David Stickney (Pound – drums)
SPB: Walk our readers through your kit and offer insight as to how you arrived at your sizes (shells and cymbals)?
Stickney: The best way to think of my kit is actually as 2 separate kits. The main kit is a typical, traditional …
The end of a year and the end of a decade – 2019 is done and it's over to SPB to tell you about the best albums you heard (or didn't) over the past twelve months. Read on to discover the 25 records our staff collectively voted on as the …
It's the end of a decade, and what a final year it's been. In this last piece of our 2019 feature series, we look back on the previous twelve months to explore the best TV shows we streamed, the coolest album artwork, weirdest records, best non-punk/metal and a couple of …
Ian Cory (Lamniformes)
SPB: Did you experiment much with different drum sizes, cymbals, or drum heads in the studio when making Sisyphean, or did you have a set approach when you went in?
Cory: I experimented with the kit much less than I expected before going into …
Kevin (Sutekh Hexen)
SPB: Walk us through Sutekh Hexen’s setup.
[Here] is a sketch and quick video clip of the primary noise setup that I have used in Sutekh Hexen 2010-present.
This sketch represents the absolute base setup. Various distortions, delays, or reverbs are switched out …
Gnaw
SPB: Was the mic’ing of your diverse instrumentation fairly straightforward when you recorded the new EP, or were there some things you and the engineer did to find the right mics or experiment with sounds?
Brian Beatrice: The creative process behind Gnaw is always about trying to …
Bruno Dorella (OvO - drums,)
SPB: Walk our readers through your self-described “minimal drum kit.” How did you arrive at your sizes of what to include (or not include)? Dorella: There are different reasons why I choose to play without kick drum. First, when I started playing drums …
Vytautas Leistrumas (Solo Ansamblis)
SPB: Walk us through your gear setup from your last tour. How do you implement the mix of live and electronic elements?
Leistrumas: Let's start with a very important, beloved and sometimes hated Elektron Octatrack MK2, which serves as a midi host, effects machine …
Sebastian (Noisem)
SPB: From when you were starting out to now, what parts of your setup have really helped voice your sound over the years? Sebastian: I'd have to say the most important piece of gear to the Noisem sound has been my white Fender Stratocaster. In terms …
Francis (Hope Drone – drums)
SPB: Was the mic’ing of your kit in the studio fairly straight forward, or were there some things you and the engineer did to find the right mics or experiment with sounds?
Francis: Personally I wanted to go for a natural, organic Albini-esge …
Western Addiction
SPB: Was the mic’ing of your kit in the studio for Frail Bray fairly straight-forward, or were there some things you and the engineer did to find the right mics or experiment with sounds?
Jack Shirley (producer): The mic’ing was pretty straight forward. I have a …
Galen Baudhuin (Infera Bruo)
SPB: Were there any amps, cabs or anything else that stood out when you recorded Cerement at Studio G?
Baudhuin: Studio G is essentially a mobile recording unit, and kind of exists wherever I go. In this instance it was at our rehearsal space …
Ian Vanek (Howardian)
SPB: Walk our readers through your kit and offer insight as to how you arrived at your sizes (shells and cymbals).
Vanek: Howardian play on a 1963 Rogers "bread and butter" crushed oyster kit. It's stylized with the rack tom and cymbal stand coming off …
Andy (Thou)
SPB: Was the mic’ing in the studio when you recorded Magus fairly straight forward, or were there some things you and the engineer did to find the right mics or experiment with sounds?
Andy: The mic’ing was more or less the same as most of our …
As is SPB tradition, we've gotten together to compile a list of the albums our staff are enjoying most so far this year. Here are 55 records (with a little overlap – spoiler: turns out Run The Jewels just released a pretty good album) that you need to check out …
Lance (Caffiends – guitar)
SPB: From when you were starting out to now, what parts of your (gear) setup have really helped voice your sound over the years?
Lance: Wow, I would have to say all of our gear is really important for our sound. Haha, I mean …
Jem (DEAD - drums, WeEmptyRooms – label operator)
SPB: Walk us through your kit and offer insight as to how you arrived at your sizes (shells and cymbals)?
Jem: I have never owned a complete, matching kit and probably never will. I'm a tone chaser and I imagine …
Jim (Boilerman - guitar)
SPB: What's the most overrated guitar feature? eg. whammy bars, D-Tuna?
Jim: I don't know about overrated, but my most hated guitar feature is the floating bridge. The Dan Electro guitar I use for Boilerman doesn't have one, but the guitar I learned on …