Discover Top Posts Tagged with #adrian benavides

Pat Mastelotto remix of Salvaging by Steven Wilson from the mini-album NSRGNTS RMXS

centrozoon - WWTY-Tour memories Pt.1: Adrian Benavides

[This is the first of two guest posts celebrating the release of the new centrozoon album "The Room of Plenty" by providing some context, stories and memories from where this music originated. Adrian Benavides, centrozoon friend and collaborator on various releases, is no stranger to long time readers of this blog. Used to much larger scale touring work, he travelled with us during much of the first leg of our little 2011 tour on which the album was recorded, and is now sharing some of his memories of the time. Pictures added by me. - Tobias] - Adrian at Theaterkapelle, Berlin

By a series of devastating events in my personal life intertwined with longstanding collaborations with centrozoon and related artists (the later of which, at the time, I held among the few motivating factors in moving forward at all), I found myself in the midst of a dreary German autumn in the small town of Gütersloh. In this small town I spent three months at Markus Reuter's old flat which had been Iapetus Media headquarters for several years with a considerable amount of help from Bernhard Wöstheinrich. To this point in the timeline of late 2011, I had become familiar with centrozoon back in 2009. While in mixing sessions in Austin with Markus on an unrelated album, he showed me some early rough ideas of a centrozoon album with the rough title of "the weird thing is that I get a boner from this". This record would receive a much shorter title over two years later and would eventually become the first incarnation of the band to feature Tobias Reber. Among a few odds and ends which were never released, I later mixed a much less publicized version of that record of the two which were released as well as the "Fire" sessions which where the first set of live compositions which the band performed as the centrozoon trio of Reuter, Wöstheinrich and Reber.

Boner (Adrian Benavides Version) by centrozoon

centrozoon "Boner (AB version)" Under Iapetus Media headquarters' slanted roof constructed with utilitarian windows cracked to fill the flat with the unmistakable crisp autumn chill of Germany, I had observed a small glimpse into Tobias' thorough and seemingly tireless work ethic in managing the small tour on which the band was about to embark in addition to compiling and refining the ideas the trio provided for the crowd funding campaign they later dubbed "Bonestarter". The group never lacked a sense of humor. I offered a few suggestions and words of encouragement here and there while they worked to set up the album release in conjunction with the small "We Will Tongue You" tour. My understanding was that the title came from one of the members' mispronunciation of the word "tongue". I hit the road with them in early November 2011 to offer some light roadie support for a series of performances in the home base of Gütersloh, the neighboring college town Bielefeld, Berlin and a radio appearance in Dortmund. As an added bonus, I got to observe these live performances. Markus had just hit his stride with Stick Men and The Crimson ProjeKct in months past and performed in these centrozoon live composition sessions as a musician often does from becoming something of a road dog. I had worked with Markus on several records in the couple of years prior and was as a result very familiar with his playing and performances. Bernhard had recently contributed some wonderfully textured synth performances to an album I was co-producing with Markus at the time for Specimen 13 which also featured some King Crimson members. I engineered these sessions with Bernhard so I was familiar with his brilliance firsthand going into these centrozoon shows. I had only just met Tobias in person on this trip to Germany and didn't have much of an understanding of what exactly he was bringing to the table though I knew it would be quite special. setup at Theaterkapelle, Berlin

Berlin was a great experience. I had spent a little time there earlier that year to hang with Alex Dowerk whom I had worked with as producer and mixer for his debut ZweiTon album. He made an appearance at the show and even made arrangements for us to spend the night at his flat after the gig. My recollection of the band's performance that night is a bit fuzzy for any real specific technical details though the general impression that stays with me is one of power, confidence and raw energy between the three members of the band as well as mutual surprise and an excitement fueled by uncertainty shared between these three performers and their intimately sized audience. The flow of the performance over the span of the evening felt not unlike a classical recital with its musicians poised and carefully executing even the most seemingly chaotic passages while audience members, perhaps in some sort of hypnotic anti-reaction, reciprocated with our own restraint in allowing these spontaneously conjured compositions to breathe without audible interruption between movements. A standing ovation deservedly erupted at the end of the performance. The following morning, we awoke in Alex's flat to coffee and traditional German pastries and rolls with a spread of charcuterie, soft and hard cheeses, butter and jam as suggested accompaniments. Breakfast with friends is always a treat but particularly so with such simple and efficient yet quietly delicious German food at the table. We said our goodbyes to Alex and met with Tobias Fischer, a journalist, at a local café for a very long interview he conducted with the band and myself. During segments of the interview which were spoken in German, I tried my best to pick up certain words or at least syllable patterns in an attempt to learn through osmosis. In about three years time, I've taken four trips to Germany cumulatively spanning a little less than half a year and I have yet to learn enough of the language to get me through a simple conversation! One of these days… Bernhard, Markus and Adrian at Die Weberei, Gütersloh

The guys dropped me back off in Gütersloh as they continued on their journey. I then picked back up with them for the gig there. The show went much like the one in Berlin which is to say very well indeed. on stage in Gütersloh

The following performance in Dortmund was a different experience since this was to be a radio broadcast live in the studio. The guys who seemed to be running the station were not dissimilar to typical American radio producers and personalities. They were a bit weird. Not in a bad way. Just in a passionate music nerd way. This is a comfortingly familiar shade of weird to me as I more closely identify with it myself of course. My mother was a radio personality for many years. One of my best friends used to cut commercial spots and run the board for several stations so I have spent a good amount of time around folks who work in radio beyond my professional engagements in such production. So regardless of the language barrier, I recognized the personalities involved here to a degree. There were Star Wars figures lining the windows in the DJ booth and I found this endearing. Eldoradio studio, Dortmund

I recall the performance from Dortmund feeling slightly less urgent mostly because of the lack of a proper concert setting. There the guys were crammed in this small booth with sterile bright halogen tube lamps suspended in the drop ceiling office grid encased in plastic diffusors. Not nearly as cinematic as an old theater or small club with a projector displaying visuals through the band and onto its towering screen in low light. However, the compositions were just as representative as any of the previous performances I had witnessed from what I can remember.

The Room of Plenty by centrozoon

centrozoon playing in Dortmund One other memory that sticks out to me from that evening is that one of the gentlemen from the radio station had a stack of centrozoon records that he asked the band to sign. For some reason he even wanted me to sign a copy of one of his centrozoon records. It wasn't even one that I had contributed to! I obliged regardless. A few days later, I attended the show in Bielefeld. I remember this performance being particularly outstanding. I felt the entire show to be gripping from start to finish. There was an incredible relentless energy that seemed to be flowing out of them that night. This was the largest venue with the nicest sound system that I had witnessed on this run so far. Perhaps these elements had an effect on their performance. It seemed like they were not only listening very carefully to each other and reacting with their own contributions but also executing musical passages more as a group at this point.

The Room of Plenty by centrozoon

centrozoon playing at Falkendom, Bielefeld That was the last of the centrozoon dates I saw on that tour. I went back to Gütersloh to continue work on other projects and stayed the rest of the year in what was a sort of sabbatical after a very traumatic time in my personal life. Markus invited me to spend Christmas and New Year's with his family. Those days remain fond memories for me at a time when I was near the end of a very long and painful journey and unknowingly near the start of a wonderful new life. centrozoon at Falkendom, Bielefeld

- ["The Room of Plenty" is available at www.iapetus-store.com.]

#centrozoon #adrian benavides #markus reuter #bernhard wöstheinrich #tobias reber #gütersloh #bielefeld #dortmund #berlin #alexander dowerk #tobias fischer

Performance Enhancement [guest post by Adrian Benavides]

[Please welcome this week's guest writer, Adrian Benavides. Adrian is a musician, producer and live and studio sound engineer from Austin, TX, now living in Orange County, CA. He's worked with my band centrozoon as a mixing engineer of our "Boner" and "Fire" albums. Adrian is currently on tour as a playback engineer and drum tech for Daughtry and has previously worked with artists such as Childish Gambino, Blue October, Stick Men, Chrysta Bell and Skrew. His wonderful solo album "Same Time Next Life" was released in 2012, along with a free companion EP. You can find his website and blog at www.adrianbenavides.com and most of his work can be heard and purchased at iapetus-store. - Tobias]

There are many aspects of professional audio work I have had the good fortune of sustaining over the last several years. One of the least documented facets of such work is that of the audio/MIDI programmer and playback engineer for live performances. There are several audio tech schools that teach courses in running front of house and monitors for touring bands. However, being a playback tech is such a niche position that there isn't much information out there for those who would be interested in pursuing such a job. I suppose it isn't specifically addressed much because many elements of the job overlap in the skill sets of studio engineers, editors, computer techs and live production techs. Being a touring playback engineer encompasses all of these traits and is often combined with backline tech positions which require additional knowledge of instrument maintenance and repair (and usually some touring experience) to even be considered for such gigs. Because of all these variables, there are so many roads one could take to get into that particular spot in the touring business. I myself had a combination of formal training as an audio engineer with further skills developed while working in music retail and practicing several methods of live programming and playback with my own projects. Experience gained has always run congruently through my studio work and live production gigs alike.

As a playback engineer, I generally work closely with the music director and/or recording artist to put the show files together. Ableton Live has always been my weapon of choice for this task because of its versatility and stability. I have programmed shows in session view, with all songs in the set cued and ready for triggering. Other times I have made individual song session files that get opened and closed throughout the show. And yet other sessions have been programmed in arrangement view with hot keys corresponding to the beginnings of all the songs which could appear in the set. Any of these configurations usually have click tracks for the artist to hear in their in-ear monitors for time-keeping (much like in a studio recording environment) and can also contain SMPTE or MIDI signals for video/lighting sync or instrument channel change messages depending on the situation. In all of these scenarios, unless a band member on stage is remotely triggering songs on the show computer, the playback engineer is generally given the responsibility of starting a show (usually with intro music) and determining the pace of the set based on audience reactions between songs and when the band is ready to resume the performance.

In more programming-intensive instances (which often call on sound design and editing skills with a dash of creative problem-solving), I have helped taylor-fit many session files for artists using methods which allow the flexibility to use pre-recorded elements not as static phrases with predetermined playback points but as a way to procure and re-purpose the essence of a song's vibe in a live setting with a band. For example, I was once working on a set of performances which were to feature some piano lines from a few cover versions of the group's existing songs. The goal was to slice the phrases up for playback on electronic drum pads via MIDI with an external sampler program on a laptop. At the time, Celemony had just released its Melodyne DNA technology which allowed the extraction of individual notes in a polyphonic event. I used this to my advantage and pulled out some of those unique sounding piano notes to create a custom scale which the drummer could then use to riff on (physically incapable of hitting a wrong note, mind you!) with the band live when the time came to jam on that song during their set.

In any case, the goal is to create music. To capture a sonic moment. Using backing tracks, live sample triggering or other combinations of computer-aided live performances are meant (in my view) to enhance the overall experience and inspire both the performers and the audience alike. Some people seem to have an aversion to using playback at all during a live performance. It is viewed by some to be a crutch; to cheapen the performance or in some way invalidate the work of the performers and the quality of the music. I disagree with this concept. Instead, I believe the technology available with computers and playback capabilities is but one of many tools which can enhance a performance whether it is live or in the studio. Any descending views on such a topic only seem valid to me in instances where the performer in question is just not executing on a professional level and completely relying on technology to do all the work.

Overall, I strive to help others frame their music in the best light possible whether it is live or in the studio. In live work, I find that the time and effort put in on a daily basis by a whole team of engineers and technicians is instantly rewarded when the house lights go out, playback rolls, the crowd roars and the artist is secure in putting on a great show. In studio environments, this kind of gratification and energy exists but on a very quiet and intimate scale. Both are fantastic experiences which provide balance in the process of creation and expression in music. Seeing music performed live on a nightly basis while on tour allows me to witness so many variations in the performance of a single song even when playback is involved. Seeing musicians react to each other and hearing how instruments sound in different rooms are invaluable observations to keep with me when I re-enter a studio environment to mix a record. In a reciprocal way, programming session files for live performances and determining the essence of what makes a song work is much easier to decipher when looking through the lens of studio production. Working as a music producer and mixing engineer in some instances while providing live tech work in other situations informs what I feel is a well-rounded perspective on how to best serve the artists I work with and the music being presented regardless of the environment.

[This was the third in a weekly series of guest posts by a range of exciting music makers and thinkers. Please join the discussion in the comments below, post a comment or question for Adrian and share the essay with interested people. Make sure to read last week’s essay by Ben Carey (on his interactive music software) and the previous one by Erik Schoster (on the installations of artist Khristian Weeks.]