EQ Magazine - October 2008 - (Page 28)

SIGNAL TO NOISE [Thorsrud] were on the other. Jimmy was maybe standing back and listening to the overall mix—leaning forward and turning something on—and everyone had different faders. Everything got progressively louder and louder, it was like a race to see who could reach peak volume the fastest! We had a good laugh doing that.” The four-song American Gothic represents some of the Pumpkins’ best and most exciting material to date. It also signals a potentially new style of “bite-sized” recording that seems to fit with Corgan and Chamberlin’s current creative mindset: smaller packages, single producers, streamlined concepts. Corgan isn’t one to force the issue these days, and now that the Pumpkins no longer report to a label, anything goes. “I know the next record is going to be really psychedelic,” says Corgan. “I don’t think the Sabbath influence is going away anytime soon, but I’m thinking more late ’80s/early ’90s English shoegazer mixed with ’60s psychedelia and ’70s funk. I can hear it Go to www.eqmag.com to check out Billy Corgan’s studio guitars, read interview outtakes, and sign up for EQ’s exclusive live chat, An Evening with Billy Corgan. in my head, but that doesn’t mean it’ll ever get out of my head.” Fans can expect a Smashing Pumpkins 20th Anniversary Tour sometime in late 2008, as well as the Fillmore live DVD release. But spring of 2009 is when things should get really interesting. As this article is being written, SmashingPumpkins.com is petitioning fans for original photos from 1987–1992 in preparation for the release of a Gish boxed set, which may include everything from demos and B-sides to revisited versions of old songs. The group also has archived performances of their first 40 shows, warts and all. As they have no label contract in place, the size of the boxed set is to be determined, which is good news for superfans, as Corgan is no stranger to releasing Herculean sets of material. The Pumpkins will also embark on a small-scale tour to support the release, which means Gish songs, Gish gear, and intimate Gish-sized venues. Need more message board fodder? Corgan plans to give each and every Pumpkins album the same treatment. Does all this historical activity signal a break in fresh songwriting? Not a chance. “This should now be where I prove what I’ve always felt I’m capable of,” says Corgan. “There’s nobody in my way, there’s no MTV not playing my video, there’s no gatekeeper. If I can truly do phenomenal work, it will be heard, whether it’s acquired for free or bought, it doesn’t make any difference. There’s nothing standing between me and an audience. “Look, we hit massive homeruns,” he continues. “We never followed them up. We never took the safe, obvious next step, and I think that gets lost. We’re not a milk-it band. We never were a milk-it band. There’s that old saying, ‘If it’s on the cover of Time, it’s too late.’ By the time people got around to understanding what we were doing, we were gone. Now is the time to prove our mettle.” Richard Thomas interviewed the RZA for EQ’s Wu-Tang Clan cover story in 01/08. Find more of his work at www.miningthelandfill.com. Improve your sound without practicing! The GRAMMA (Gig and Recording, Amp and Monitor, Modulation Attenuator) is an incredibly effective patented device that’s used to ﬂoat an amp or loudspeaker. GRAMMA yields nearly total acoustic isolation, resulting in a purity of tone that has to be heard to be believed! You may still need to practice, but using this device will deﬁnitely enhance your sound. www.Auralex.com | 1-800-959-3343 | Total Sound Control m 28 EQ OCTOBER 2008 www.eqmag.com ® http://www.eqmag.com http://SmashingPumpkins.com http://www.miningthelandfill.com http://www.auralex.com http://www.auralex.com http://www.auralex.com http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - October 2008

EQ Magazine - October 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Punch In Smashing Pumpkins Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Cakewalk Sonar 7 Steinberg Cubase 4 Studio Meets Stage Gear for the Studio and Stage Sounds Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - October 2008

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