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Dec 22, 2004 It is now 4:17AM and we very well may see the sun come up before we finally get to crash onto our twin sized mattresses that are just plopped on the floor at the house. We have been working 12 - 14 hour days, but are now quickly approaching today's 17th hour at the studio and Mark Schatz is charging right through, finishing up these very last bass arco parts so he can fly home and help with the last week of planning for his wedding. That's right ladies, he's been off the market for some time, but soon he will be officially hitched! There is an aquarium here at Barefoot Studio with a small Nurse shark and smaller Leopard shark. There used to also be another little Leopard shark, an eel and some fish along with a few other sea creatures in there, but ol' Nursey has not been a very hospitable roommate and as they've disappeared, one by one, she's gotten suspiciously larger. We're having so much fun recording much of this record onto analogue tape rather than exclusively using digital hard drive. Not only does it just sound better, but it puts us in a mindset that makes us play and approach things differently. This particular machine was invented by Mr. John Stevens. Stevens himself has stopped by the studio a time or two and we gotten to talk with him a bit. How many opportunities do you get to work directly with the actual inventor of something that is such a huge part of your project? He built only 500 machines and is the one true authority on how to maintain, upgrade and repair them. And he appears to have just as many eccentricities as you'd hope for in a true genius from the old school. And speaking of genius, why is it so difficult to pour coffee out of coffee pots without it running down the front of the glass and all over the counter and, in my case, the floor? Its purposes in existence are simple. All that we ask from it is to contain and keep the coffee hot until it is wanted, and then to deliver over a portion into my mug. I made a pot yesterday and knowing that I have something
of a tendency to be more prone to spills and such, I exercised what I
would consider to be an extreme amouns of care when I poured. I really
wanted to beat the coffee pot at its own game. But I swear, the coffee
ran right over the lip, and then straight down the front of the pot and
onto the counter...and barely any of it got into my cup. Usually, I have plenty of time to peruse the stores and
get my shopping done at a relaxed rate. But this year, our schedule has
been so dedicated to recording, we haven't had much time to think about
Christmas. So, tomorrow afternoon is the time Sean, Chris, Mr. Eric Valentine
and I have designated as our official Christmas shopping window of opportunity.
I will not have to merely observe all the other shoppers semi-frantic,
semi-romantic, hustle and bustle, but I will LIVE it! ... very excited
about this. |