MP3 Ben Schwendener - Industrial Folkmusic
Highly melodic, thematic and groovy music taking advantage of both vintage analog and acoustic instruments by a world-class sextet of diverse artistic talent. Industrial FM is designed as a ”Concept album” as well as soundtrack material.
18 MP3 Songs in this album (99:10) !
Related styles: Jazz: World Fusion, Folk: Folk-Rock, Type: Soundtrack
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Details:
Industrial Folk Music
Ben Schwendener – 1969 Steinway M, Wurlitzer 200A, MiniMoog D, Arp Odyssey II, Arp String Ensemble, Korg T2, Oberheim Xpander, Roland MKS-80 Super Jupiter, Roland D550, E-MU Ultra-Proteus, Casio MT-65
Eric Lane – Steinway M, Fender Rhodes Mark I Satellite, Crumar, Nord Electro, Roland MC307
Bhob Rainey – Sop Sax
Gregg Ramsey – Guitar
Bridget Kearney – Acc & El Basses
Michael Calabrese – Drums
Dan Hallas – engineer and sound design
Recorded live March 8&9, 2010 at Gravity Arts Studios, Jamaica Plain, MA by Dan Hallas
The culmination of a five-year project.
Industrial Folk Music does not shy from using sounds of the past to perform thematic melodies of the present. The two keyboardists Ben Schwendener and Eric Lane employ Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer pianos from the early 70’s, along with analog synths from the same era – MiniMoog, Arp Odyssey and Solina Strings, as well as 80’s and later Oberheim Xpander, Roland Super Jupiter, Korg M1 and Roland D50, a Crumar and others. Ben’s childhood friend from the 70’s. Gregg Ramsey joins on guitar and brings the cultivated Zappa intensity and angularity to the music. Bhob Rainey, a legend in avant-guard music, has performed with Schwendener since the early 90’s. Bhob is a supreme sonic technician on soprano sax and thematic improvisation. The drum / bass duo of Michael Calebrese and Bridget Kearney, extremely successful and busy touring musicians, provide rock-solid world class indie and progressive funk and folk grooves.
Their new double CD has been five years in the making, following numerous live concerts and painstaking musical editing of the material by the composer – Ben Schwendener. ‘Industrial Folk Music’ is the quintessential product representing the group as it now exists.
“Industrial Folk Music is very dear to my heart. These are such amazing musicians and individuals who together – I feel – perfectly capture the musical vision I was striving for. My love affair with older analog (and some digital) keyboards returned in full force around 2005, and I realized that these special instruments in general, and certain specially designed soundbanks in particular, served actual unique instruments in and of themselves to inspire many of the thematic sketches which later became the body of work on this double CD. The names of certain tunes allude to their initial sonic genesis.”
“Dan Hallas (currently sound engineer and tour manager for 2011 ‘Best New Artist’ Grammy award winner Esperanza Spalding) was instrumental in realizing the sound design of this project. Dan tracked Industrial FM in my home studio (Gravity Arts studios 1&2) over a three-day period early March 2010. The entire 3rd floor was taken up with the sextet and a sea of equipment, with mirrors between doors and halls enabling cues (along with headphone mix of course). All tracks are performed live (not overdubbed), which creates the spontaneous club-like atmosphere and feel I envisioned. The following 10 months was an exercise in patience until our busy schedules allowed for the kind of careful mixing and mastering that the music demanded, which was completed Jan ’11.”
“Ideally, the two CD’s should be heard straight through in order; in other words, Industrial FM is designed as a ‘Concept-album’. However, I feel any track stands on its own unique identity.”
“Despite physical CD’s becoming a dying breed, I felt it absolutely necessary to produce a complete art-product. Mark Shepherd – a brilliant artist (and high school pal of mine from Okemos, MI) designed the complete art and packaging for this project. (He has also designed three prior CD packages for previous Gravity Records releases).”
“So, I’ve never been happier with a release. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope if we can get all this gear out on the road sometime soon you’ll come check us out!”
Ben Schwendener
April 12, 2011
Boston, MA