Up the Yin-Yang With Yianni
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In the Studio
“Nigel, can you hear me? Are the levels set?”
“Nigel?”
“Nigel!”
“Oh, fuck.”
Yes, it’s studio time! Stu-stu-stu-stu-studio time!
While there have been numerous locales used as recording studios over the years, recent times have found the Purple Puke Music label relying mainly on one. Namely, Electric Doktorland Studios, in New Hyde Park, N.Y.
The studio resides within the lair of Herr Doktor, nestled comfortably in the basement with its nearly three atomic tons of recording equipment, instruments, miles upon miles of cables, and countless empty cans of Arizona’s Green Tea (in the 23.5 oz. cans, mind you).
Since then, however, a second location has emerged: Vice Tot Studios in Copaigue, N.Y., right on the water!
This second studio is the home of our engineer Lars, as well as Lazy Bastard Ian and occasional PPM collaborator Clara, not to mention at least 400 cats.
There has been only one session thus far at Vice Tot, but man, it was a doozy. Read all about it below.
And while there has not yet been a session at either Yianni’s Dungeon Studio of Torture or the Sugar Rush Ballroom, time will surely steer our artists there at some point.
So, here are the sessions thus far seared onto the fleshy confines of our brains, onto the Tootsie Roll-colored spools of producer extraordinaire Yianni Plesspray’s recording tape, and into the tasty digital bits hidden deep within Lars’ magical array of computer equipment.
03.10.2001
The first session at Doktorland, even before it earned its moniker. Not an Abattoir Buggery (Ab) session per se, but Chris and Ian are the ones mainly making sounds. Except for the track “Martian Disco Slop,” which featured Yianni programming the drums. Also, Purple Puke Music engineer Lars makes a surprise appearance, and steps behind the mic! (Yes, I know, but see the picture for proof.)
The gems recorded:
“Stonehenge” — A funny little ditty that came together out of nothing. Though raw and oozing, it does have its merits.
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“Stain” (steel wool sonix version) — This one isn’t that bad; the music is kinda rockin’, but the lyrics are just... off. Granted, the words work well for the two other versions that exist of this song, but, as stated, the music deserves better.
“Stain” (ear turpentine version) — An a cappella version is suggested, but thank goodness someone had the right of mind to add percussion. It’s... interesting.
“Martian Disco Slop” — Wacky and really fun, believe it or not. Loads of effects and time changes, but it sounds really neat.
09.22.2001
The second session, which was far better and far, far more productive than the first. And this time around, the studio looked way cooler, too, courtesy of Doktorland’s lighting department.
The gems recorded:
“Laissez-Faire (Is Alright With Me)” — A milestone! Ab records its first official demo song: real recording equipment, acoustic drums, and immeasurable amounts of fun. Granted, this version has since been shelved for another, but this fantastic instrumental take aptly captures the buoyant vibe of the day.
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“All I Need” (coffeehouse version) — Slow and steady, like a ship pulling into port. This is one of many takes of “All I Need,” and yet, it’s hard to pick a favourite.
“All I Need” (honky-tonk version) — Ab added more groove and a quicker tempo to the previous take of this song (while Chris taped on a few more chords), and it sounds real good.
“Java” — A megaton version of Ab’s first non-official single, featuring Yianni pounding the living crap out of the skins.
“Utopia” — A major component (and title cut) of Ian’s most delightfully politically incorrect master work, “Utopia,” that he wrote for Föetal Demise. At some point, Ian and Chris, as Ab, decided to start laying down tracks for a proper version of the opera. Piece by piece, the work came together. But, sadly, part of the original version of “Utopia” was recorded over. So, the band had to redo this movement, and what better place than to lay it down at Doktorland?
11.03.2001
Rather than list what was recorded — although “rerecorded” would be more accurate — here’s a rundown of the day:
One observer noted that the session wasn’t as fulfilling as the previous get-together, his reasoning being that some of the rerecorded tracks weren’t as good as those from the September session. Perhaps...
There also was an air of uncertainty, seeing how the band decided (well, Chris mostly) that some of the drum tracks needed to be redone. Whence the uncertainty, you ask? Well, the new drum tracks (all courtesy of Ian this time) were stellar, but Chris was disappointed with his rerecorded guitar parts, mainly because it was difficult to recreate the tones and effects that he used during the previous session.
In addition to the rerecorded drum and guitar tracks, the band nailed down vocals, bass, and keyboard parts. So, although there weren’t any new songs recorded, the tracks that previously had been laid down were tweaked and fleshed out.
Finally — to end on a positive note — this session was a success and, more importantly, a lot of fun. The studio had a guest visit from one Richard Zampetti (aka the 10 O’Clock Mystery Caller), and the entire lot of them cranked out a version (a jerry-rigged version, mind you) of “Corazón.”
However, at the next session, the song would turn into something far more special after Chris wrote lyrics for the track and everyone involved (Ian, Chris, Yianni, and Herr Doktor) added some lively percussion, robust background vocals, and a wicked bassline.
04.06.2002
A full year of studio time (well, not literally) has passed. This was an imcomplete session, as Yianni had to leave midway through the proceedings because he was sick. But then Herr Doktor stepped in and proved to be a worthy successor.
The gems recorded:
“Head Cheese et al.” — Fun and lively.
“Indeed” — A long-desired-to-be-recorded track, “Indeed” captures a percolating bassline and some heartfelt lyrics about Chris and Ian’s glory days (as well as their propensity for constantly quipping a certain six-letter word).
“Corazón” — The first take was a good one, but this version soars. Quite possibly the best Ab track to date.
“Glorious Sunny Day” — The desire to write a happy-go-lucky pop song was the impetus for this track. The first take was a mess, but the emotion was there.
There were other tunes cut as well, such as the umpteenth version of “Java.”
04.20.2002
Since we’re a little sketchy as to what happened during this session, allow Herr Doktor to break it down for you:
That was the fateful day that Yianni had to be in New Hampshire and Herr Doktor was left at the controls
to do overdubs (mostly vocals). While the levels were ill-set by the “second engineer” for
most of the tracks, Yianni and his patented man yogurt managed to fix up the recordings quite
nicely.
This day also coined the classic B-side rarity “Where’s Yianni?”
07.27.2002
This session saw the inaugural jam of the latest Purple Puke Music act, the Lazy Bastards. The session featured Yianni on drums, guitar, and bass; Ian on Stick, bass, synth, and sax; Chris on guitar, bass, drums, and vocals; and Herr Doktor overseeing the proceedings, volume levels, and microwave.
An incredible amount of music was composed and recorded; there was so much that Yianni had to release two separate demo CDs of the proceedings titled Jams and Songs.
Song highlights of the session were “Hypnotized by the Glass” and a bunch of others that haven’t yet received titles.
12.14-15.2002
The most incredible session to date at Electric Doktorland studios, for it featured not only a sleepover but also copious amounts of red wine, hours of pantsless playing, and Herr Doktor having a baby girl.
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Still, a few new Lazy Bastards compositions were started, including “Boy Who Fell to Earth,” “Track 7,” and an alternate version of “My Chocolate Got Stuck in Your Peanut Butter” (which first appears on the aforementioned Songs demo).
07.26.2003
My, my — that was quite a break in the action, eh? Seven months between sessions... Yuck, that’s not healthy.
So, dig: We reconvened after a lengthy break, and the results are breathtaking. Seriously. The band (Ab) has never sounded so good!
Yianni had rethought the recording process, and with it came a set of Roland V-Club drums and the, uh, gasp... Well, let Yianni tell you:
It’s the Roland Virtual Guitar unit (VG8 EX, to be precise) along with a Fender
Roland-ready strat, which is basically a Mexican strat with Roland electronics — i.e., Roland
GK2 hexaphonic pickup and the electronics that go with it — built right into the guitar.
Squeal!
Goddamn, that thing kicked all kinds of ass!
Ergo, the demo might be done. Well, the music at least. Our next session (below) was dedicated to tracking the vocals.
09.01.2003
To celebrate the Labor Day holiday, our intrepid souls got together to lay down some vocal tracks to sit alongside the music they recorded at the previous session.
We recorded vox for “Java,” “Utopia,” “Laissez Faire (Is Alright With Me),” “Glorious Sunny Day” and “All I Need.”
And, at long last, Chris finally aligned the music that was first used for “No One Laughs at My Car Anymore,” then for “Power Pop Blues” with the lyrics to “(As Long As You’re) Interesting,” an old Abattoir Buggery track. But this version is much better.
Once the day’s business was complete, Yianni jumped behind the V-Club kit and off went the Lazy Bastards, into the hazy lands of the unknown improv.
A few choice sides were cut. But who knows if anyone will remember what they were. Time will tell.
But, as with your ersatz domestic feline, our string of lives — or rather sessions — at Electric Doktorland comes to a close with the ninth gathering of the usual suspects. The reason being, the house in which the studio sits is scheduled to undergo some major renovations.
So, everyone gathered up their respective gear, clearing the studio of all music-related stuffs, and headed home.
Perhaps one day we shall return to its now hallowed halls.
12.13.2003
The first Vice Tot Studios session.
As mentioned, it was quite the event. While the intent was to digitize selections from the Lazy Bastards’ recent work, as well as work on some songwriting, the end results of the day were far, far more precious.
02.21.2004
A return to Doktorland!
Yes, the aforementioned construction was held off for a bit, and while Herr Doktor was not pleased with such a turnabout of events, the possibility of creating new music was a calming, healing salve on the good Doktor’s already frayed nerves.
03.20.2004
Strike while the iron is hot, the saying goes. And the Lazy Bastards are doing just that.
Echoing a tactic that they first used to great avail in 2002, three-fourths of our favorite quartet converged on Doktorland to iron out and crease the finer parts of their previous gathering in February.
04.03.2004
The fur is flying fast and furiously now.
Never before have our intrepid souls gathered this often and with such productive, promising results.
05.29.2004
This session seems but a decent, foggy memory.
While the mood that settled in amongst our musical saviors was one of merriment, it felt as though the previous months’ work fell to the wayside. No regrets, of course.
10.02.2004
Wow, another long break between sessions.
It feels like grade school, taking the entire summer off (and then some). This time, Ian was the odd man out, leaving Allen, Bill and Chris (The ABCs?) to pick up and carry the weight. Instead, B and C merely jammed their asses off. Lots of potential lurking in the wings here...
10.30.2004
Guess who’s back? Back again? Krazy’s back. Tell a friend.
What happened at this session? All I can remember is Bill and his black hat, wearing it cos he was feeling ill.
12.11.2004
Are we not men? We are the Lazy Bastards!
Was it at this session that the new agenda was set? Namely, laying down a blueprint for the eventual Lazy Bastards record? I believe it was...
12.30.2004
Super Special Extended Bonus Extra Large Session!
Or something like that.
Bill did not show, cos he did not know, so the covers did flow: a little Lou Reed, some Floyd and that goddamn Lemonheads song.
02.19.2005
First session of the new year!
And Chris misses it. Ah, well.
04.02.2005
A chapter closes with the final (for a while) session at Doktorland.
Herr Doktor’s house is at long last undergoing renovations, forcing the closure of the studio. Here’s hoping the band makes it a memorable one.
02.04.2006
Our longest stretch of silence to date.
Sometime during the lull that followed last April’s session, it was decided that the band focus its energies on recording a full-length album. No more sessions dedicated to recording, then fine-tuning, then being distracted by the always rewarding jam session. No, no — no more of that! It was high time to get serious and make some real fucking music, man!
So, where to start? Why, with a brainstorming session!
And that’s just what happened on this day. The band, along with special guest Richard “Mousie” Zampetti, assembled in one of the bedrooms on Herr Doktor’s newly constructed second floor. They talked and pontificated and spewed forth countless words of utter brilliance. When all was said and done, they had finally decided what to have for lunch.
No, the band had drawn up a tight, kick-ass plan for the album.
Now it was time to practice and ready ourselves for the task at hand: recording.
03.04.2006
One month later, to the date, and we were back at Doktorland — congregating in yet another different room.
Yes, with Electric Doktorland still buried beneath 500 pairs of shoes, countless stacks of well-thumbed “Dr. Who” scripts and dozens of empty prescription bottles, the band convened in the next best place to summon the gods of music: the dining room.
Was it perfect? No, but it fit the bill, quite nicely in fact.
Everyone grabbed their piece of carpet-covered real estate (Chris having done so the day before), and we were off.
Four — count ’em, four tracks were put to digital tape during the course of the day.
It was a promising start.
04.02.2006
And then, less than a month later — and a year to the date of their assumed final session — the band members were back at Herr Doktor’s Dining Room Studios to take another whack at the new album beast.
This time around, however, was a little different: It was Sunday. We had dared to record our treatises of love on the Lord’s day. Yes, we were that full of ourselves.
Also, not only Chris but Bill as well set up their gear early on, stopping by on the Friday before to get situated and even bang out a little bit of practice racket on their own. We were mad! Mad with the need to make music!
But, sadly, not all things flowed as perfectly.
Sunday’s session was not as productive as the first session, nor was it as long (things wrapped up in early afternoon). But work was accomplished, and three songs were run through (and recorded).
02.17.2007
The band sets a new record for time spent apart. Nearly 11 months of silence. Gadzooks!
Was the wait worth it? Yes, to an extent. The day was spent running through a bunch of songs and getting reacquainted, not to mention snarfing some insanely kick-ass French toast doughnuts courtesy of Krazy Krem, and discussing Krem’s father’s Erectomax...
Nothing was recorded, but that’s OK. The pilot light was relit; you can’t expect to cook a nine-course meal the very next second.
03.31.2007
The tribe gathers again, but Chris is absent, no doubt due to the Fears gripping his fragile psyche for the umpteenth time. These things happen.
Again nothing was put to tape, as it were, but that’s OK (despite the band’s cover of “Livin’ After Midnight” — now that would have been nice to hear!).
A nice surprise was Yianni’s unearthing of some old solo shit from back in the day. It went over very well with the others in attendence, so much so that some new ideas are currently germinating in the Purple Puke hothouse.
Your Attention, Please!
In an effort to streamline Purple Puke Music’s many endeavors, PPM has decided to post all subsequent studio updates on the blog of label founder Jeremiade du Bois, which can be found here.
Thank you!