Strange sound of "Ever Since"

[Skaldir]

Hey Dan,
you often mentioned that the sound of Ever since is somehow strange. It is, and now I know why. :Spin: It's mainly because of the snare which has a phase problem because of some effect or delay. I don't know, but when you play the songs mono the snare is completely razed, only the reverb is remaining! When this delay or effect is on some other instruments (keyboard lead sound) it also gets razed at mono. I mean, there are always phasing problems, but not so heavy. I don't want to sound like a wiseacre, but maybe it's intersting for you in the sound engeneering aspect.

 

[The Neckless Lobster]

It's too bad Dan wouldn't get the Unicorn boys back together one more time and re-record this album. It's such a fantastic album musically, but the production on it, as you mentioned, is quite flawed, and Dan's vocals were far from his best, of which he'd be the first person to tell you so. His vocals were so underdeveloped at the time (no wonder, he was just barely out of puberty!) and I'd love to hear those songs with Dan's far superior vocal abilities he possesses nowadays--that would REALLY be something! I've mentioned this to him in e-mails a few times, and he agreed that it must be re-recorded. You never know...crazier things have happened!

 

[Dan Swanö]

Hi

I know the sound is fucked up on that one. I guess one of the cables was wired wrong or something, it happened a lot in the good ol days when we didn´t know diddly quat what we were doing technically. I will re-record most of the songs from that album on future Second Sky albums in F A R superior versions. I will hire the right persons to rip-off the guitarplaying and a better drummer and all that. My performances will be a lot better and...you get the picture. I will finally get to finish some of the tracks that was new for the album, like "Hide" that sounds nothing like what I had in mind.."Draw" is pretty lame, but there are parts of it that I like, and I will rescue some of the new parts in some of the old songs (All demo material will be restored on future recordings..just the thought of Saxophones on Czarina of Vermilion gives me the creeps...) The stuff from "Emotional..." is harder to do better, but I am pretty sure I'll give it a try, and maybe even try to get some original takes off the 1/2" tapes before the Memory Garden Fostex E16 gets thrown out (still working like a clock!!) because there´s some "Hiding Again" moments that needs to be there, while all vocal, drum and most of all Pianotakes should be erased for all eternity. Just give me some time. When you're all in your 40´s I promise you there will be a restored Unicorn recordcollection for you guys to smoke your pipe too. Love. Dan

 

[The Neckless Lobster]

Wow, that's GREAT news, Dan! That will really be something to behold.

 

[scorpian007]

Our 40's? That's still another 20 years for me

 

[AmirH]

I can deal with the flawed Unicorn records... but bring on second sky!!! That's definitley my most anticipated album/project right now. Just the thought of Unicorn style music up to par with Dan's more recent recordings sends chills down my spine. And I'll wait as long as it takes to be as close to perfect as possible.

 

[Demilich]

That's gotta be the best news I've ever heard, Dan! You really know how to drive your fans insane with anticipation!! BASTARD!

I'm with you guys on saying that Dan's vocals on "Ever Since" are far from his best, but I don't think it's 'cause he wasn't a well-developed vocalist at the time. His vocals on the two "A Collection of Worlds" demos, and the "After Before" demo were grrrrreat!

 

[Mr. Niel]

I'm kind of curious as to why the two previous demos before Ever Since sound pretty good, and then Ever Since has the weird stereo panning techniques from the 60's (everything hard to one side, reverbs on the other)...

Dan?

 

[Mr. Niel]

Hmmm, so I got my copy in the mail the other day of Ever Since, and it appears the mix is quite different from the downloaded version I had...

I'm not sure how the person managed to change the stereo imaging during the rip, but the CD sounds much more proper...

I'm not noticing these phase problems on the snare...I still gotta agree with everyone voting on the demo versions of some of the songs then the Ever Since versions though...

 

[Skaldir]

You need to make it mono to hear the phase earasing

 

[Kenneth R.]

Yeah, I actually like the sound on it a lot. The demos are equally amazing though. Probably some of the best demos I've ever heard.

 

[Demilich]

^ agreed.

I love a lot of the songs on Ever Since. I think Hide is my favourite of all. If Dan thinks he could make it even better... well I just HAVE to hear that!