Studio Action ARTISTS & MUSIC Ocasek Brings Magic To Studio Artist Produces Acts He Can Relate To BY PAUL VERNA Aerosmith, Queen, and the Cars." "I look for lyrics and make sure Similarly, Cars front man Ric they're not stupid," says Ocasek. "1 NEW YORK -Rock journalist Brett Ocasek has proved to be a producer look for general intelligence in the Milano best articulated the Cars' with an uncanny ability to find the band and their music making, some- appeal in the liner magic zone between the mainstream thing that sounds different and notes to the band's and the cutting -edge. To wit, he has unique, something that has artistic 1995 Rhino collec- helped such alt -rock bands as Nada credibility, and not necessarily some- tion, "Just What I Surf and Weezer achieve commercial thing that's commercial. In fact, more Needed: The Cars breakthroughs. He has also made key likely than not, the [projects] are not Anthology." "Dur- albums for acts that have yet to realize commercial." PRO Bringing In The Bacon. Actor Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael, who call ing the late '70s and their market potential, like Suicide, Rather than take a band's music and themselves the Bacon Brothers, mastered their upcoming album, "Forosoco," at early '80s," he Black 47, D Generation, and Johnny rearrange it, Ocasek prefers to work Masterdisk in New York. Shown at the sessions, from left, are producer William wrote, "most rock Bravo. with material that's ready to be record- Derella, Michael Bacon, Kevin Bacon, Masterdisk owner Doug Levine, and mas- fans were split into A selective producer, tends is. Ocasek ed as tering engineer Howie Weinberg. two camps, with to work with bands rather than solo "I usually pick a band because I FILE hardly any common artists -although he has produced like the way they ground. Either you Iggy Pop and Alan Vega -and does not already are and I listened to `punk' bands like the get involved with artists who do not would like to keep Clash, Talking Heads, and the Cars, or appeal to his musical and lyrical sensi- them sounding you were into `mainstream' bands like bilities. like they are," explains Ocasek. "I would like to newsline... bring out more of I AUDIO TRACK what they are. I OCASEK don't want to take THE AUDIO ENGINEERING SOCIETY (AES) reports that its recent 103rd con- a band that needs vention, held Sept. 26 -29 at New York's Jacob Javits Center, was its largest NEW YORK engineered, assisted by Mike Purcell. to be changed around. I don't ever, with 20,312 attendees -a 15% increase from last year's U.S. event in Also at the Castle, new Arista artist want to take songs and rewrite them. I Los Angeles, which had been the largest. The 103rd AES show marked the AT THE MAGIC SHOP Elektra act Brad Paisley mixed with producer want them to be comfortable to make a society's 50th anniversary. Spacehog tracked and mixed with pro- Frank Rogers, engineer John Kelton, record and not be prostituted." ducer Bryce Goggin and assistant Joe and assistant Paula Montondo. A hands -on engineer who operates SOLID STATE LOGIC marketing director Hazel Simpson will be leaving the Warda; Fun Lovin' Criminals, newly his own 24 -track analog, 8 -track digital company at the end of November. She will be replaced by former Neve exec- signed to Capitol Records, tracked the OTHER LOCATIONS home studio, Ocasek prefers to work in utive John Andrews, according to a press release from the Oxford, England - song "Big Nite Out" for the "Scream the analog domain "for its warmth." based company. 2" soundtrack with engineer Tim G REG ALLMAN booked Criteria He tends to use Electric Lady in New Latham and assistant Juan Garcia; Recording Studios in Miami to record York and Ocean Way in Los Angeles - TWO YEARS AFTER IT MADE HEADLINES with its OXF -R3 "Oxford " -a state - and Latham and Stretch Armstrong his upcoming release for 550 Music both of which have two -of-a -kind of-the -art, large -scale digital recording /mixing console -Sony Electronics produced 2 Skinee J's, a new act with longtime producer Tom Dowd; Focusrite consoles, with which Ocasek announced sales of the board to Peter Gabriel's Real World Studio in Box, signed to Capricorn, with Garcia Criteria staffer Chris Carroll assist- feels at home. He also expresses a pref- England; the Enterprise Studio in Los Angeles; Studio N in Cologne, Ger- assisting . .. At Sweetfish Recording ed. Also at Criteria, Columbia rockers erence for George Martin's Air Lynd- many; and the Hit Factory in New York. "We are excited and proud to be Studios in Argyle, N.Y., the Boys Soul Asylum tracked an album with hurst studio in London. selected by such a distinguished group of studios," says Courtney Spencer, VP Choir Of Harlem overdubbed tracks veteran producer Chris Kimsey During his days with the Cars, of professional audio products for Sony Electronics' Business and Professional for a Christmas album on Unencum- (Rolling Stones, the Cure) and engi- Ocasek and the band owned and oper- Group. "The Oxford's excellent sound quality and 24 -bit technology will be bered Records with producer Vaughn neer David Nicholas (INXS); the pro- ated the Synchrosound facility in quickly called upon by leading engineers for recording, mixing, and master- Halyard, engineer Marc Fuller, and ject was cut in Criteria's Neve 8078, Boston, where Ocasek cut albums by ing." choir founder Dr. Walter Turnbull. Augspurger-equipped room onto a Romeo Void, Iggy Pop, Bad Brains, and All four consoles will serve as the centerpiece of their respective destina- The 26 boys -aged 8 through 18- Studer analog recorder and a Suicide. Today, Ocasek is content to tions, according to a Sony statement. In fact, sessions on the Oxford have al- recorded choral arrangements of Digidesign ProTools digital work- operate a home studio good enough to ready begun at Real World for Gabriel's upcoming album. "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer," station . .. Atlantic act Bad Religion yield master-quality tracks without the "The sound quality of the Oxford is superb," says Real World engineer Dick- sung by Jewel, and the narrative piece recorded its upcoming album at Pyra- pressure of maintaining a commercial ie Chappell. "The console is surprisingly easy to use, and it has allowed Peter "The Night Before Christmas," read mid Sound Recording Studios in Itha- operation. to jump between different parts of the project and different ideas instantly. by Hillary Clinton ... At Bearsville ca, N.Y., on a Neve VR console. The "On the Weezer album, quite a few As a result, Peter has been able to concentrate on the creative process, rather Sound Studios in Bearsville, N.Y., project is being co- produced by Alex vocals were done in my studio, and if I than waiting around while the setups get recalled." Real World director of Elektra rock band Phish mixed a live Perialas and Bad Religion, engineered have to do keyboard stuff, there's no operations Mike Large adds, "After considering a number of consoles, both album with producer Steve Lillywhite by Ronnie Kimball, and assisted by reason to go into a [professional] stu- digital and analog, the Oxford was clearly best suited to our needs. Our and engineer John Siket. Island Jason Arnold. dio," observes Ocasek. "It's advanta- approach was to find a console that could be used as a creative tool, bringing recording artist Salif Keita and pro- Earache recording act Morbid geous for the band financially and new possibilities to the recording process rather than focusing on any par- ducer Vernon Reid, of Living Colour Angel has been at Morrisounds Stu- timewise to do parts of their projects ticular technology. This advanced console has clearly been developed by peo- fame, used the Bearsville Theater for dios in Tampa, Fla., recording "For- at my place, and I've done a lot of my ple who have good insight into both the creative process and the needs of com- pre -production, and the B -52's used mulas Fatal To The Flesh." The band's stuff here." mercial studios." the same theater to rehearse for composer /guitarist, Trey Azagthoth, Ocasek's latest recording project is Sony first showcased the Oxford at the 1995 AES Convention in New York. upcoming performances. is handling production, with engineer- his own "Troublizing" album, released Since then, Oxford boards have been beta -tested at Gillaume Tell in Paris, ing by Tom Morris (Seven Mary last month on Columbia Records. Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, and Sony's own recording complex in New LOS ANGELES Three, Dixie Dregs) and Mark Pra- Unlike his past solo works, "Troubliz- York. tor (KC & the Sunshine Band). The ing" is largely a band album featuring AT SCREAM, producer /engineer project is being recorded and mixed on musicians he has worked with recent- FAMED SEATTLE RECORDING /POST FACILITY BAD ANIMALS has completed a David Kahne mixed the track "Shat- Morrisounds' SSL G+ board and Otari ly: Bad Religion guitarist Brian Baker, renovation that refocuses the onetime rock'n'roll powerhouse toward sound tered" for alternative rock act Fish - MTR -90 analog multitrack ... At Unin- Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, design; voice -talent casting, recording, and mixing; and original music com- bone for a Warner Bros. project; Jim tentional Music in Blue Hill, Maine, Nada Surf drummer Ira Elliot, and position for commercials, multimedia, interactive entertainment, TV and film, Ebert mixed Meredith Brooks' studio owner and independent produc- longtime friend and Cars compatriot according to owners Steve and Debbie Lawson.