Minor Threat and Fugazi

notbillcosby · gimme a little kick & snare Joined: 10 Oct 2009 Posts: 97

I completely love the sound of the Minor Threat EPs. Anyone know what they were recorded on? I'd put my money on cassette, but I'm sure someone else knows for sure. Any record of specifically what machine/what board/etc?

Also, I'm particularly interested in what Fugazi's "Steady Diet of Nothing" and "In On The Kill Taker" were recorded on. I completely love the band but don't know a ton of specifics about their history; I'm under the impression that they basically had a friend record their stuff. 1/2" 16 track? Again, machine/board? I spotted a Soundcraft in their Instrument DVD, but I think they were just working on demos at that point.

Tragibigzanda · Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:35 pm Post subject: Re: Minor Threat and Fugazi

Sorry, can't answer your question. Just wanted to say that for ultimate audio geekery, you need to get your hands on the In On the Killtaker Albini demos, if you haven't already...
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Alex C. McKenzie

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**cgarges** · Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:12 pm Post subject: Re: Minor Threat and Fugazi

I'm almost positive that "Steady Diet Of Nothing" was recorded at the present Inner Ear location with Don Zientara. There's a mid-period Amek Angela 36-channel console in there now, but I'm not sure when they got it. It may have been after that album was done, but I'm not sure.(I think, although I'm not certain about this, that Don had a Soundcraft or Allen & Heath console before teh Amek.) There's also an Otari 24-track tape machine and that's PROBABLY what "Steady Diet" was recorded on. I would also guess it was mixed to DAT, as that would have been period correct and I know a bunch of DATs of the DC punk masters from that time are sitting on the shelf at Inner Ear.

The room itself is not super big or anything, but it's spacious enough and has high ceilings and feels open, even though there's plenty of absorptive material around. Don's a great engineer-- very, very enthusiastic about his craft and very eager to please. I'm sure the Fugazi guys had ideas, but by that point, they'd done plenty of recordings with Don, so I'd be surprised if it wasn't fairly collaborative.

I'll try to email Don and see if I can't get some better answers for you. There's a really terrific interview with him in an early issue of TapeOp that's publsihed in Volume 1 of the TapeOp Book series.

I do agree that that stuff sounds fantastic!

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC
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Bunky Moon, The Public Good
Playing drums with Mitch Easter

notbillcosby · gimme a little kick & snare Joined: 10 Oct 2009 Posts: 97

Tragibigzanda · Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:21 pm Post subject: Re: Minor Threat and Fugazi

Cool. Now that I'm working on a lot more pop and hiphop-type stuff, I feel this weird need to flash my badge of indie cred now and again. Ok, back to my drum layering...
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Alex C. McKenzie

Producer & Engineer
New York, NY
alex.c.mckenzie@gmail.com

notbillcosby · gimme a little kick & snare Joined: 10 Oct 2009 Posts: 97

I have that book! I've been reading it slowly, must not have gotten to his interview just yet. Awesome!

I'll need to track down a website for Inner Ear when I have some more time to see what the facility is like. I always had images of Fugazi recording in a basement; I gotta say, I'm almost a little let down! I guess even DIY'ers can't be faulted for wanting to make great sounding records Smile

Alright... so how about Minor Threat?

**cgarges** · Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:26 pm Post subject: Re: Minor Threat and Fugazi

Well, I'm fuzzy on all that stuff, but I know that Don did at least some of the Minor Threat stuff and I'm pretty sure he did the majority of the Fugazi stuff. In fact, when I was working at Inner Ear last year, we used the Fugazi bass (which was left there-- a Music Man with "Fugazi" stenciled on the back of it). Anyway, I think Don was recording in his house/basement up until 1989, when he moved to the current commercial space in Arlington, so I assume maybe some of that stuff was done in his house.

I just emailed him, so hopefully we'll get some good, detailed information from a, um, credible source.

That TapeOp interview with Don is pretty great, though. He's a really good guy.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC
_________________
www.chrisgarges.com
www.oldhousestudio.com
Bunky Moon, The Public Good
Playing drums with Mitch Easter

notbillcosby · gimme a little kick & snare Joined: 10 Oct 2009 Posts: 97

Leave it to Tape Op'ers! I love this board, and this magazine. Thank you in advance for the awesome insight...

**cgarges** · Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:37 pm Post subject: Re: Minor Threat and Fugazi

By the way,

www.innerearstudio.com

The website doesn't really give you much of an idea of the layout of the studio, but here are some photos from a project I did there last year. The Inner Ear photos are about halfway down. (Hope this link works correctly.)

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC
_________________
www.chrisgarges.com
www.oldhousestudio.com
Bunky Moon, The Public Good
Playing drums with Mitch Easter

notbillcosby · gimme a little kick & snare Joined: 10 Oct 2009 Posts: 97

I'm still having a hard time feeling out the live room situation there. Either way, I appreciate the sorta... home-made quality of the place, crammed full of gear! I can certainly relate to the homey feeling, as every place I've ever inhabited has the same thing going on. I'm still working on the gear though... I'm off to a nice start Wink

**cgarges** · Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 11:48 pm Post subject: Re: Minor Threat and Fugazi

There are a couple of shots in my photos where you can kidn of see how it's laid out. It's basically one big room with an iso booth off to one side, kind of splitting it into two different areas. The back area is where the drums go and the front area butts up to the control room window. In a couple of the shots, you can see the drums in tje foreground and maybe some guitars in teh background, which would be in front of the control room window. Or, the shot of the vibraphone, which is set up in the front area (in front of the control room window), you can see the drums in the background, just past the iso booth, which is off to the left of the photo. I know it's kind of a cryptic description, but does that make any sense?

Chris Gharges
Charlotte, NC
_________________
www.chrisgarges.com
www.oldhousestudio.com
Bunky Moon, The Public Good
Playing drums with Mitch Easter

ashcat_lt · Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 12:58 am Post subject: Re: Minor Threat and Fugazi

I don't know from nothing, but I do remember Ian on a panel at TapeOpCon in New Orleans telling some stories of Minor Threat in some "working" studio with staff that only really understood hair metal and couldn't figure out what the hell to do with them. I honestly don't know if those sessions turned into anything you or I have heard.

Also wanted to mention that Rites of Spring were pretty damn cool, too.
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Teacher's Pet · Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:21 pm Post subject: Re: Minor Threat and Fugazi

A few years ago Dischord released some early Minor Threat stuff that had been shelved at the time of recording, for reasons that are now forgotten.
The package shows the band (& Rollins) goofing off in the basement studio which apparently doubled as Don's childrens' play room at the time. Bad Brains' 'Black Dots' was also recorded by Don, at home, though a little earlier I think. That one was tracked to a 4-track Teac (a 3340, I imagine) and the band was spread throughout the house. HR was in the back yard, and one of the aforementioned kids can be heard talking to him between takes.

The MT early stuff is great, but if you don't have Black Dots yet, you need to stop whatever you're doing and go get it right now. Now.

DZ seems like a super nice guy and also a TapeOp reader, maybe he'll chime in. Or contact him yourself. I'd love to know more details as well.

- Robin

GussyLoveridge · Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 2:48 pm Post subject: Re: Minor Threat and Fugazi

So was the post Minor Threat, Embrace stuff all recorded in the same place too?

**cgarges** · Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 2:56 pm Post subject: Re: Minor Threat and Fugazi

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