We find out what it takes to cut your own music album. Meet Parachute XVI, who launch their first album later this week
We find out what it takes to cut your own music album. Meet Parachute XVI, who launch their first album later this week
Being a part of a band and making music, be it old or new, is something that everyone dreams of doing at one point or another. It's every kid's fantasy. To be a rockstar. Not everybody makes it though. Some, however, with the help of a lot of persistence and a little bit of the lady luck to go with it, end up making music, and those with a lot of this luck on their side, would probably go on to be seen and heard.
Parachute XVI, an emerging blues band is all set to release its first EP album Sodium Trail, which is their hard work of last two years.
The obvious question that comes to mind is why Parachute XVI. What could it possibly mean? While bassist Ganesh says it's just a name, vocalist/guitarist Ananth thinks it sounded something like what they're trying to do with their music. "It's just a word, Parachute XVI. We probably just wanted journalists like you to ask us," Ganesh quips.
What really goes into making an album? We track Parachute XVI's journey. All three of them, Ganesh K (bass), Ananth Menon (vocals, guitar) and Sachin Moogi (drums) agree that one of the most important factors that go into recording is the sound engineer. "You really have to be careful with a sound engineer. He has to know what you want exactly and be able to work with you. Obviously stuff like mixing and equalizing are important.
Mastering your tune, fine-tuning it is where the trick lies. If not for anything, you will have to invest in a good sound engineer," feels Ananth Menon who is also part of Galeej Gurus.
Recording becomes facile if you know your songs inside out. Rehearsal is the key, they said. "It helps a great deal when you practice with a Metronome," adds Ganesh. "To spend less money, you need to spend lesser time at the studio and if the band is a new and upcoming one, monetary funds are obviously low," exclaims Menon.
All of them, including long time friend and bassist for Thermal And A Quarter, David Rzhude conceded that recording an album was one of the easiest things to do these days. "You can record at home if you like, all you need is a computer and a good sound card," says Moogi. "If you want to record your tracks in a studio, there are various options available for different budgets. You've just got to decide how to make the best out of what you have." Parachute XVI recorded their album at Rzhude's home studio, Acoustic Garden where Thermal And A Quarter recorded their single 'Shut Up and Vote'. "It was easier for us because Rzhude was a good friend and we got a good deal. The post production scenario also went smoothly as we had a friend from UK look into it," confesses Sachin. What if you don't know people in the business? Ganesh says, "You just have to go about talking to a lot of people. Go to different studios. Check out the acoustics. Check out the sound engineer. At the end of the day, it's the comfort factor that plays a big role." "Put together a demo CD so that your sound engineer will know what to expect and work along with you. A good place to start is to get your live gigs recorded off the live mixer, if you have the chance," David advises.
"Back when we recorded our first album, it was a huge deal, but now there's greater accessibility to studios and technology and probably a lot more talent than before," feels David Rzhude. Let's see if this brings out some hope for that musician living in all of us.
What: Parachute XVI will launch Sodium Trail on August 27 at Tavern Inn. Once they launch the album, their tracks will be available as a download on a 'pay as you wish per download' basis.
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