Corey Mwamba

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voice/forests

I am stood waiting in a recording session. One of the engineers approaches me. "I noticed there was a sound coming from somewhere on the instrument... I don't know if you wanted to fix it; I think it adds to things..."

It is now 2002 and I am creating a forest. The forest is a metaphor I use for the sounds that surround me as I layer and sample an instrument. The forest has tall trees; it is dark. I notice the rustling of a certain tree. I cannot see the trees, but I can hear them. I pay attention to this tree. I make it smaller, smell earth. On Sooperlooper, I reverse the sample; multiply it. The 701 is listing to the right; the tape used to hold it together is fraying. I push it, to re-align it; it creaks. A new plant emerges.

"No, that sound is just fine."

comments (2)

Han-earl Park

31st Mar 2017 | 12:09pm

I really dig these musings (can I call it that?).

Curious: what was the sound that that the engineer suggested ‘fixed’?

[aside] Reminded of things I say when I take my guitar to a tech (not my usual tech/luthier). e.g. that fret needs to be lower than the others so that it buzzes the pickup pole, and those irregular pickup pole heights are deliberate. [/aside]

Corey Mwamba

1st Apr 2017 | 5:10am | replying to Han-earl Park

Hello! It was the sound of the frame shaking; I was using heavier mallets. The engineer didn't have a problem with the sound, but wondered if I did...

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