[lhtd]

opposite field wrote:

The record is definitely like "on the grid" or whatever compared to them doing it together but I really have a hard time believing anyone on here could listen and immediately know they recorded it remotely without having known going in.

I'm sorry to hear that you're having a hard time

(In all honesty its less about the timing––although that it in fact noticeable––but the isolation each sound has. It was mixed in such a way that kept the isolation present; the mix didn't solve for it)

[foxtrot]

I don't hear it. I mean, it sounds clean and distinct but I don't think it sounds sterile or lifeless.

[dio]

yeah I mean surely this is clear to you too lhtd but yeah I can't "hear" the isolation. But mostly its like, I would never be listening for it if I didn't know, nothing sounds off about it to me, in fact is far and away the best sounding LP of theirs since at least MPP in terms of the mix/production if not just flat out one of my favorites from them in terms of sound/recording quality/mix etc

I mean if anything it almost has me wishing their other recent ones were recorded same way just cuz of how good it sounds. I do recall CHZ sounding maybe a lil different to me once I heard they tried (and mostly did?) track it all live together, but did in fact need overdubs. I mean I like CHZ but it does not really sound more "live" to me than this album does.

Idk i love how much this sounds like the live era, its just the live and studio versions of these songs are closer in synch than other imo and i love that

[Hellomark]

kafkaesque wrote:

i just keep coming back to cherokee. inching up my overall anco song rankings. that "stoop that you love" refrain is just so powerful to me. and i love the slinky vibe of the verses and overall structure. that "drop" is not quite "in the flowers" or level but is a top 5 anco drop (i initially put top 3 but then realized they have quite a few amazing song shifts that you could term "drops"). even if it's not, like, heavy on the percussion and more of a build - it feels like a drop and hits emotively like one.

Agree 100% with all of this. The boys should be proud of Cherokee, it's just a really wonderfully crafted song. Strung is really the only thing on TS that comes close.

[opposite field]

lhtd wrote:

I'm sorry to hear that you're having a hard time

(In all honesty its less about the timing––although that it in fact noticeable––but the isolation each sound has. It was mixed in such a way that kept the isolation present; the mix didn't solve for it)

I get what you're saying but I don't hear it. In my personal recording experience this reason is why I like to record stuff live because I've definitely tracked things and been like "this sounds like everyone is playing 5 rooms apart" but TS doesn't have that at all to me(and it shouldn't these people are pros). It's clean and crisp yeah but it's a studio recording not a live show. Like Dio said above I don't think this sounds any less live than any of their other records. I do think the live shows give these songs more energy but I feel like that kind of thing could happen in any studio environment remote or not.

[wilandhugs]

opposite field wrote:

lhtd wrote:

I'm sorry to hear that you're having a hard time

(In all honesty its less about the timing––although that it in fact noticeable––but the isolation each sound has. It was mixed in such a way that kept the isolation present; the mix didn't solve for it)

I get what you're saying but I don't hear it. In my personal recording experience this reason is why I like to record stuff live because I've definitely tracked things and been like "this sounds like everyone is playing 5 rooms apart" but TS doesn't have that at all to me(and it shouldn't these people are pros). It's clean and crisp yeah but it's a studio recording not a live show. Like Dio said above I don't think this sounds any less live than any of their other records. I do think the live shows give these songs more energy but I feel like that kind of thing could happen in any studio environment remote or not.

Yeah this is pretty much exactly what I wanted to say, and also to add that like at least for me, I've never really had issues mixing things recorded separately, so I'd hope that professionals would have no issue... also I haven't looked into it, but I'd imagine a lot of their stuff wasn't recorded simultaneously in the past either just for pragmatism's sake.

[Fovrodi]

They definitely made the most of the situation, cool that they read books on mind reading to help the process, and we finally got Geo on acoustic instruments!

[Tikwid]

One year ago to this day, I think almost to this hour, we got our first taste of the studio-recorded Skiffs with the official release of Prester John. Remembering the preceding hype cycle still gives me chills - all those months of speculation and rumours, the drip-fed teasers (which still remind me of those old Team Fortress 2 ARGs), the big announcement itself with everyone rushing to post the video - and I really hope that the immediate runup for Skiffs 2 is just as exciting. These final few songs from the past five (five!) years of AC music have a special importance and grandeur to them, and they deserve an equally impressive reveal.

[Jam]

I can still remember my unbridled joy and excitement when Prester John dropped. Leaves changing indeed. I was two months into my clinical internship at a non-residential hospice provider and I would blast this in between my house visits, warm myself up. Amazing feeling at the time, being on the cusp of this great release (in both senses)

[lhtd]

Realizing today that Time Skiffs would remain ‘truer’ to its aesthetic if they elected to release it as a proper Dolby Atmos mix (not the Atmos that you hear some song converted into but instead mixed for Atmos).

[mlohned]

lhtd wrote:

Realizing today that Time Skiffs would remain ‘truer’ to its aesthetic if they elected to release it as a proper Dolby Atmos mix (not the Atmos that you hear some song converted into but instead mixed for Atmos).

That would have been amazing, I hope true atmos mixes start becoming more common. Not sure if you caught it in the Reset thread, but sonic boom seemed to allude to a surround mix of that being made. I could have read too much into that, but when I commented about it being a good idea, he responded and didn't deny it...

[Stan]

In My Body in Atmos. Fucking hell.

[lhtd]

Funny enough i just re-checked Reset on Apple Music and holy shit. I had previously jammed the Atmos mix while wearing AirPods, which made the mix sound stuffy and unlistenable. I’m listening now though with regular Apple earbuds and wow… it sounds like a whole new record. Very elevated. Sounds like they remixed the entire record for Atmos. Surprised there hasn’t been more of an announcement about this. And I wonder if there’s a way to download the Atmos mix or if it can only play through Apple Music…

[mlohned]

lhtd wrote:

Funny enough i just re-checked Reset on Apple Music and holy shit. I had previously jammed the Atmos mix while wearing AirPods, which made the mix sound stuffy and unlistenable. I’m listening now though with regular Apple earbuds and wow… it sounds like a whole new record. Very elevated. Sounds like they remixed the entire record for Atmos. Surprised there hasn’t been more of an announcement about this. And I wonder if there’s a way to download the Atmos mix or if it can only play through Apple Music…

Oooh interesting! I don't have apple music and can't seem to find much info. Is there any way to tell if it's a real mix or if it's just the stereo mix run through an atmos effect?
I've never listened to an atmos mix on headphones either, but I feel like it would be tough to tell the difference unless you were listening on a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker set up

[Stan]

It will definitely sound different to a stereo mix because the separation and levels of various elements will sound unusual if you're familiar with the stereo. Beyond that, maybe some odd panning effects.

Most of all, I didn't know that this thing even existed! Very exciting prospect.

Pete, I don't know if you're still around at the moment but could you share if this is something you were involved with or is it perhaps automated by Apple Music? Cheers, and hope the live shows are going well for you guys.

[lhtd]

mlohned wrote:

lhtd wrote:

Funny enough i just re-checked Reset on Apple Music and holy shit. I had previously jammed the Atmos mix while wearing AirPods, which made the mix sound stuffy and unlistenable. I’m listening now though with regular Apple earbuds and wow… it sounds like a whole new record. Very elevated. Sounds like they remixed the entire record for Atmos. Surprised there hasn’t been more of an announcement about this. And I wonder if there’s a way to download the Atmos mix or if it can only play through Apple Music…

Oooh interesting! I don't have apple music and can't seem to find much info. Is there any way to tell if it's a real mix or if it's just the stereo mix run through an atmos effect?
I've never listened to an atmos mix on headphones either, but I feel like it would be tough to tell the difference unless you were listening on a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker set up

Echoing Stan, you can hear the difference between a stereo mix. My only critiques of Atmos mixes is that they tend to be quieter and self-contained or fenced-in to a near fault. But, the benefits faaaar outweigh those aspects. I find it very easy to 'get lost' in a finely made Atmos mix. Despite being an annoying point of reference for some, Atmos mixes allow me to experience music in a way that only psychedelics used to be able to allow me to. I recommend subscribing to Apple Music for now as I think Atmos transcends the gimmick aspect and will stick around. They just gotta find a way to bake-in the algorithm into the music file, if I'm putting that correctly.

[roopn]

lhtd wrote:

It was mixed in such a way that kept the isolation present; the mix didn't solve for it

Hit the nail on the head. I think the mix is mostly good. The weird thing about it is that it sounds best played loud, but then when you actually crank it a lot of parts become overwhelming

[Fovrodi]

Is there any reason they couldn't do Gem & I? Strictly a sense it doesn't belong with TS1? Strung seems harder to figure out remotely is all

[captainlunatic]

the way avey gently sings "enemies change their miiiiiiind..." on the studio dragon slayer keeps popping up in my head. he usually adds some zest to it in the live versions but there's something really sweet about his delivery on the album, it's like a lullaby

[ingenue]

captainlunatic wrote:

the way avey gently sings "enemies change their miiiiiiind..." on the studio dragon slayer keeps popping up in my head. he usually adds some zest to it in the live versions but there's something really sweet about his delivery on the album, it's like a lullaby

Cool take. Far and away my favorite song on the record. “Focusing on design / from learning stairs.” Is that right? Makes me think Avey’s commenting on our upside down cultural priorities…? What the hell is this song about?

[captainlunatic]

ingenue wrote:

captainlunatic wrote:

the way avey gently sings "enemies change their miiiiiiind..." on the studio dragon slayer keeps popping up in my head. he usually adds some zest to it in the live versions but there's something really sweet about his delivery on the album, it's like a lullaby

Cool take. Far and away my favorite song on the record. “Focusing on design / from learning stairs.” Is that right? Makes me think Avey’s commenting on our upside down cultural priorities…? What the hell is this song about?

it's "burning stairs"... i think the title is a big hint as to what the song's about, but it's probably got some personal meaning for avey too

[toad]

https://ibb.co/Ry7nPjx

just noticed this while checking out new psychoactives (had never heard until two days ago ... volume i is incredible) ... jus wondering if there's any info about this image that was uploaded for the TS cover lol. seems like a really wild way to recontextualize the music if this was, possibly, a cover at one point.

[Fovrodi]

Is it from the We Go Back music video?

[toad]

oo that's a good guess!
i didn't see it in there (but there's a lot to see!) ... what an awesome video.
is deak in there somewhere? i see the other 3 but haven't spotted him yet. such a (truly) trippy ride
ty for the ~excuse to watch it again

[Dudders]

Reverse image searched, it's the artwork for EA Monster by Young Nudy. So yeah it's an uploader error. Cool pic though

[trillstone]

toad wrote:

oo that's a good guess!
i didn't see it in there (but there's a lot to see!) ... what an awesome video.
is deak in there somewhere? i see the other 3 but haven't spotted him yet. such a (truly) trippy ride
ty for the ~excuse to watch it again

Eye spy a Deak at 1:30?

[andthephantom]

Coming in at #31 on Paste's end-of-year list:
https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/bes ... s-of-2022/

[MFpotus]

These lists make me sad when theyre filled with artists that had their 'breakout' albums 5-20 years ago

[captainlunatic]

amazing album

[captainlunatic]

strung with everything is coming back for me in a big way

[captainlunatic]

cherokee... my god... how do they still do it

[rohcti]

captainlunatic wrote:

strung with everything is coming back for me in a big way

Your heart is open to it now!

[onn]

I don’t really buy any accusations of things sounding isolated due to remote recording. If you really think Skiffs suffers for it then you’d probably be surprised at how much was overdubbed on the classic era albums.

I can understand criticizing the mix though. Hard for me to say what it lacks. It’s very safe. They do something relatively surprising for the production on pretty much every major studio album and here it sounds like there’s a deliberate effort to sound old school and analog, jam-bandish maybe.

I’m hesitant to say moar windshield burrito just because that’s what Ye Old AC had but… yeah it possibly does sound too restrained.

[BORCHENKO??]

Dragon Slayer is the only track on here that I feel might be mixed weirdly to my ears. I'm no audio scientist but that song specifically just sounds a little... blurry? Rest of the album is golden though. Super crystal, even in the more chaotic moments of Strung and Cherokee.

[BORCHENKO??]

muddy is the word I was looking for

[meemo]

BORCHENKO?? wrote:

Dragon Slayer is the only track on here that I feel might be mixed weirdly to my ears. I'm no audio scientist but that song specifically just sounds a little... blurry? Rest of the album is golden though. Super crystal, even in the more chaotic moments of Strung and Cherokee.

I agree with this. Everything else sounds clean and full, but DS underwhelms me and doesn't have the punch you would expect from an album opener.

[Hellomark]

Yeah I truly don't know what they were thinking with studio Dragon Slayer... still kinda bums me out, cause it's such a great song live!

[blindmowing]

i can only listen to Time Skiffs at night

didn't realize it when it came out that it was gonna be a nighttime record for me, but that's what it's become

AC albums are split pretty evenly between daytime and nighttime listens for me


day:
ST
SJ
Feels
PW
CS

night:
STGSTV
Danse
Ark
MPP
CHz
TS

[opposite field]

Marta Salogni interview in the newest Tape Op. She says this about mixing Skiffs:

wrote:

Q:I also listened to Time Skiffs by Animal Collective. I imagine you had rough mixes that had that gauzy reverb presence on the vocals, where they are sort of separate from the music. Is that correct?

Marta: With that, I spoke mostly with Brian [Weitz, a.k.a. “Geologist”]. We were always in touch about how elements in the mix should sound, and what the intent with the music was. I’m a huge fan of their music, and so I felt I had these songs I used to dance to as a teenager ingrained in me. When I was mixing it, I felt, “It needs to feel like Animal Collective,” because they have such a huge span of work. But I would also think, “Maybe the bass could have a little bit more definition.” There are so many elements to their tracks. They’re so rich. I wanted everything to have its own space, and everything to be very defined. I wanted the group vocals to have that quality of feeling like one vocal.

Q:True, right.

Marta: Gel them together and have the percussion all around it. When I mix, I almost feel like I try and visualize it in a 3D depth and height. One of my favorite things I learned when I was studying sound was the phantom center of the two speakers. It truly feels like I can create these prisms of 3D moving within stereo. That’s how I see it in my head. I want the bass to be the foundation. Sometimes it can be mono and sometimes it can be stereo, as long as it feels good in mono. Then I can build upon that. Here’s where I put the beat: The kick drum, and then I put the snare across it, the vocals round it up, and the percussion is a little bit on top of the vocals. Everything needs to feel focused and cohesive. That’s how I approached that. I wanted the experience for the listeners and the band to be immersive and to tip the hat to all their previous records, but also to have mixes that would feel like a step forward.

Full interview here https://tapeop.com/interviews/153/marta-salogni/

[roopn]

Always enjoy reading what she has to say, glad to see she's a long time fan. thanks for the link