A couple of years ago I mastered the super dope Smith & The Honey Badgers 7": The Honey Badger Strut / Let's Pretend. And I still think it's super cool - click the link above, go listen, buy (digi and/or vinyl), and support these funkateers in their crusade. I got my copy!
P.S. Unless we're actually talking about funk music can we please stop using the word 'funky'? Thx.
A photo posted by Eddie Al-Shakarchi (@dr_ed_boogie) on
These guys are friends. Zervas & Pepper have a beautiful Californian, folk/country sound. To get it out of the way, yes, she (Kathryn Pepper) looks like a young Joni Mitchell and he (Paul Zervas) looks like a young James Taylor (read: with hair).
I'd seen them around for a while but met them properly when they were also nominated for a Welsh Music Prize back in 2013. If were being lazy, I could say they sound like The Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Fleetwood Mac, and... yes, James Taylor. If... I were being lazy. Lots of beautiful harmonies and great musicianship.
I haven't worked with them, so this isn't some kind of advert; I might be wrong, but I believe they've worked with Ed Lewis (producer/engineer/studio owner from Giant Wafer Studios in mid-Wales), as well as Llion Robertson and Cotton Wolf. From the results, they clearly have some great partnerships.
To be honest, I'm confused as to why they aren't much bigger than they are. Sure, they've been played on Radio 2 (Mark Radcliffe), Radio 6Music (Lauren Lavern loves them) and are always writing, recording or touring (supporting Deacon Blue etc). Nevertheless, I think they deserve even more love and success.
Anyway, don't take my word for it, check out the music below. I hope you like it*.
You can grab their latest album 'Abstract Heart' on iTunes or buy the CD/vinyl from their store: http://zervaspepper.bigcartel.com/
You can follow them on the social media, too:
* Hoping aside, I don't think I've ever actually told them I like their music. Because, I mean, that might make them feel good, and artists don't need that kind of aggravation in their lives.
Here's the second Boy Azooga 'teaser' track - Face Behind Her Cigarette. I'm just wrapping up the album, so these are the pre-final mixes and master. Basically what I'm saying is there'll probably be a couple of little changes here and there. I do hope that you enjoy it.
When in Rome/State Of The Ark...
Obligatory #vintage EMI fader porn 🌝🌚 #gearporn #studioporn
A photo posted by Eddie Al-Shakarchi (@dr_ed_boogie) on
Pretty simple concept really: these are songs I wish I had written. This is the first. Siouxsie & The Banshees: Spellbound. I mean, come on.
There will be more. They will be most excellent works of art.
Was working in State of the Ark Studios in Richmond a short while ago and noticed this hanging... above the toilet. Terry Britten is the owner of the studio (and grammies). Quincy is that guy that worked with that one dude.
Not a bad message for ol' Terry to receive from @quincydjones
A photo posted by Eddie Al-Shakarchi (@dr_ed_boogie) on
This is the first glimpse of a project that I'm producing/mixing/mastering for Boy Azooga - one of the most talented and humble guys I know. It's a near complete mix, enjoy! More to come soon 🤘🏻🤘🏼🤘🏽🤘🏾🤘🏿
I thought it would be cool to document some of the sessions I do - and what better time to do one, after the recent release of the Palomino Party EP II (iTunes / Spotify / SoundCloud)? We recorded all the drums, bass and some of the guitars at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales. We were in the smaller of the two spaces at Rockfield, the Coach House (vs the Quadrangle), which has a pretty cool/tight sounding room, with some extra mics sprawled out into the corridor and a nearby marble room for differing levels ambience. This room was used to record the Oasis' What's the Story Morning Glory, and like, a bunch of other stuff.
The main desk was a Neve 8128 (which likely had a dodgy channel buggering up one of the overhead mics - noticed only once the session was over, of course), not a whole bunch of outboard gear, but some nice EQs. We were lucky to find a decent/tatty old AC30 there so took advantage of that, and used an old Marshall Lead-Bass through a vintage 4x12 for some bass, plus the amps we took.
I get asked about different mic setups, so here they are. The vocals and more guitars were done at my studio, but I'll give the vocal chain too:
Drums:
Overheads: 2 x B&K 4011 (or DPA if you’re fussy)
Kick In: Sennheiser 421
Kick Out: Neumann FET 47 & Yamaha NS10 Sub
Snare Top: Sennheiser 441
Snare Bottom: AKG 414
Toms: Sennheiser 2 x 421
Hi-Hat: AKG C451
Corridor Mics: 2 x AKG 414
Marble Room Smash Mics: 2 x Sennheiser e606
Bass:
1) DI via 1176
2) Sansamp DI
3) Marshall Lead & Bass 1964 though Marshall 4x12 -> Neumann FET 47
Guitars:
Vox AC30: Shure SM57 + Neumann U67
Marshall JTM30 and Fender Hot Rod Deluxe: Shure SM57 + Neumann U87
Vocals:
Shure SM7 -> Great River ME-1NV -> 1176
A few weeks ago I wrapped up an 4-track EP for Palomino Party - and this is the lead single. I recorded the drums, bass and basic guitars at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, and tracked the rest at my own studio. I produced, recorded, mixed and mastered the tracks, and played a bunch of guitar too. Even a tambourine was shaken.
I've got some pictures of the drum set up so might do a post about the mics used at some point in the near future...
There's actually a fifth track - another single (not featured on the EP) that's coming soon with a video, too!
Mainly just to document and publish what I've been up to without shouting about it too much over social media. I'll share stuff I've been working on and possibly some cool stuff I see. I just wanted one place to call home, and hopefully in time, I'll expand the website a little bit. This seems like a nice way to get started.
I'm a musician, song writer, music producer and mixer. Here is photographic evidence.
