Remix

I downloaded the multitrack stems of several songs from the Barenaked Ladies latest CD. I know. I said I wouldn’t. But I was interested in hearing the individual stems separate from the final mix.

The project was recorded at a private studio called Fresh Baked Woods owned by one of the band. I haven’t seen their studio but I have seen the console they are using. It came from Le Studio, a high-end recording studio, now closed, that used to operate in Morin Heights, Quebec.

Bob Clearmountain mixed the project at Metalworks.

The tracks sound great.

I have closed off a couple of remix projects. A lot of artists go at it with little or no understanding of the recording process. And the result is an uncompetitive sound that cannot gain airplay. Self-produced projects are hit and miss particularly if the artist has no production experience.

I worked on one remix project recently where everything was just poorly done: tracking, mixing, performances. Very little could be done to salvage the project aside from starting over.

Why release such a project? Got me. Maybe for friends and family. Competition is really tough out there.