Recording and Other Things

I listened to Candyaudioline's old recordings last night because I wanted to remember what the older songs sound like, the ones we don't play anymore due to lack of practice. While doing so, I made a few observations in general. The ones we recorded in November 2002 (the supposed "An Empty You" EP) do sound kind of two-dimensional compared to the newer versions we recorded in January 2004 for "Saved It For Torture Reference", so it's great that we grew in that aspect. When it came to other songs (the "Paint Your Silver Smile" album and the as-yet-I-can't-remember-what-it-was-supposed-to-be-called one), it was sort of a toss-up. Some elements in the old songs sounded better (cooler effects or chord placements, a better mix for the vocals, slightly better beats, etc.), but you could also notice the improvement in the recent versions (cooler effects or chord placements hehehe, a jauntier feel in certain songs, more layers, etc.). I think overall, though, we've improved a lot… of course, the songs still need a lot of tweaking.

That question Francis Reyes asked us long ago in our second (my first) In The Raw experience came to mind: Are you more comfortable in the studio or onstage? Back then, we sort of answered ambiguously, not really considering the question, but now, I think that we do better onstage even with all the little mishaps. There's just something about being in a studio that's unsettling. It's probably the pressure of getting it right or the weirdness of the environment. In Tracks (Ortigas), we felt like we were in some kind of holy place--- everything was dark and quiet and looked fragile. It felt like we were in a really old cathedral. And I think the other members had some kind of supernatural experience there (or maybe it was pseudo-supernatural… whatever, they were still freaked out!). At Pink Noise (Roces Ave.), we were much more at home, sleeping on the giant couches or watching reruns of "Alive" in the TV room, but we still weren't entirely comfortable. I think maybe the soundproofing of recording studios makes them seem ominously sterile, and that accounts for the odd feeling.

I went on listening to the songs and, as I reversed chronologically, I recognized some of the band's so-called influences in them. It was an epiphany of sorts. When I first joined the band, I didn't really know where to place it in the spectrum, but now, after having been exposed to a lot of music (at least, much more than I've ever been exposed to in my entire life), I'm finally recognizing its musical origins. It was like an aural history lesson. Hopefully, this will help me find my place in the band itself.

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Buzz Night is tomorrow! So is Allan's birthday. Candyaudioline is playing.