Live Recording

Last weekend, Gojogo recorded our first live album.  Saturday night we invited twenty friends and loved ones, most of whom have supported Gojogo since its humble beginning, to a small recording studio in Berkeley.  The band was nestled in the corner amidst a few well placed microphones and softly glowing lamps.  Audience members lounged on pillows and sofas just feet from the musicians, sipping beers and bubbly water.  All cell phones were turned off.  At the helm of his laptop sat recording engineer Myles Boisen, a fixture of the Bay Area music scene highly respected for his skill and artistry.

Nothing about this recording project has been typical.  Unlike our past two albums, the compositions on this album were written as a set with a common concept as opposed to being a collection of individual pieces written over several years.  The theme that unites the pieces is unique in that we were inspired by abandoned military bunkers and batteries whose concrete remains are slowly being reclaimed by earth and plant.  These odd landscapes are weird, evocative, and beautiful - architectural blueprints for music.  

Unconventional inspiration leads to unconventional recording.  The decision to record our album in the presence of a living breathing audience partly stemmed from the fact that we had simply never tried this before.  Like any new experience, recording live provided its share of risks and thrills.  We also wanted to capture the emotional high that accompanies live performance - the focus and camaraderie amongst  musicians and the profound connection with listeners.  This spirit cannot be simulated in a conventional studio recording.

At points in our live recording, we played the same song twice.  Unexpectedly, our audience eagerly voiced opinions on favorite solos, introductions, and endings.  This unusual recording process was also unlike any concert we have given.  Between songs, audience members offered jokes and suggestions.  The living-room atmosphere quickly eased our nerves.  In fact, we soon felt that Gojogo had twenty five band members instead of only four. 

Most pieces went fairly smoothly but there was this one..... The Nike, as in Nike missile.  Well, it has a lot of notes.  Fast notes and we had never completely nailed it in a performance.  After several false starts and one unusable pass, we decided to leave it until the end and try one last time.  By ten o'clock, several audience members went home leaving a smaller group of listeners.  With fatigued muscles and over-extended minds, we decided to give The Nike one final go.  By this point, everyone in that room wanted it as much as we did.  Our friends called out words of encouragement and support, and every note fell into place.

Thanks to our wonderful friends and family for helping us capture more than notes on this very special album.

Photos by Steve Starkweather (stevedood) and Myles Boisen