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MP3 Thrummers - side one
6 MP3 Songs in this album (23:09) !
Related styles: World: World Fusion, New Age: Progressive Alternative, Instrumental
People who are interested in King Crimson unplugged Ralph Towner Ry Cooder should consider this download.
Details:
Thrummers release debut EP side one
Take a couple of tech-savvy producers, equip them with loads of software and computing power, and what do you get? The answer is obvious: A completely acoustic album, recorded live with no overdubs and minimal editing. Wait…what?
But Thrummers—percussionist Jack Freudenheim and guitarist Emile Menasché—did just that on its debut release, side one, a collection of loosely composed, largely improvised pieces that explore many musical and sonic textures.
“We decided to keep electronics out of the way, and make something purely acoustic, really in the moment,” says Freudenheim, member of the electronic pop band 46bliss and creator of the ambient music generation program Sounder. “Overdubbing and digital editing can leave you ‘in your head’ and we wanted to break free from that, at least for a while.”
“It’s funny: I met Jack while interviewing him for an Electronic Musician article about 46 Bliss and we must have spent an hour talking about file-sharing in audio production,” adds Menasché, a solo artist and film composer (Overtones; Parallel Sons; American Farm), magazine editor, and author of three books on music technology. “We actually started working with software, delays, and loops and composed some interesting music that way. But after one particularly geeky session, Jack got out his cajon (box drum) and told me to grab the acoustic guitar to unwind with a little jamming.”
Something clicked, and as the acoustic jams unfolded, themes started to emerge; these ideas would form the nucleus of the songs on side one, a mash-up of Celtic, Middle Eastern, Indian, African, and American influences that intertwine and contrast—often within the confines of a single song. By focusing on a musical dialog and direct communication, the duo was able to integrate these styles naturally.
“Early on we agreed not to add any layers or overdubs,” Freudenheim explains. “We set strict rules for ourselves, resisting any impulse to add even a shaker or a second guitar. The ideas had to stand up as we played them live—if it felt like something was ‘missing’ when we played as a duo, we set that song aside.”
Freudenheim used the box drum as his only instrument; Menasché alternated between six- and 12-string guitars. By keeping things simple both players got a chance to find new sounds from their instruments and use techniques that would have been difficult in a more structured situation. “Jack created a lot of textures and notes on that one drum,” Menasché says. “I used odd tunings, picks, fingers—whatever worked. I even changed tunings in the middle of ‘May Fly’ as we recorded, and we kept it all.”
“Side one is just that—one side of what we do,” Freudenheim adds. “We still like electronics and sound design. Stay tuned for side two, and maybe side three.”
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