The new High Llamas record is entitled "Snowbug." For those of you who haven't been following this particular music scene in the UK, you should know that head Llama Sean O'Hagan is also an important member of Stereolab. Along with founding members Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier, O'Hagan often lends his distinctive keyboard style and bold brass arrangements to Stereolab's eclectic sound. Besides the reciprocal presence of Stereolab folk on O'Hagan's new album, the High Llamas also enjoy splendid sonic contributions from Chicago artists John McEntire, Bundy K Brown and Jim O'Rourke.
John McEntire (of Tortoise fame) helped out with the recording and mixing while ex-Gastr Del Sol/monster musician Jim O'Rourke provided string arrangements for the band. Incorporating the ideas and sounds of Brazilian music, Brian Wilson, Ennio Morricone, vintage Krautrock, modern German electronica, Van Dyke Parks and so very much more, the High Llamas represent a prime umbilical cord between London and Chicago. I recently spoke to Sean O'Hagan about his relationship with these Chicago musicians and here's what he had to say:
"We mixed the record in Chicago with John McEntire and we were in Steve Albini's studio. John brought down the ARPs [synthesizers], and other bits and pieces. Actually, John didn't want to do what we thought he'd want to do. We thought he might want to go right in [the mix] and cut the thing right up and tear it apart. He didn't want to do that, he was really happy with the structures and the idea that it was a loose record. He said it was almost like a folk record and he wanted to maintain that. So, there are electronics on the record but they're really subtle. There are little filters running, jumping in and out, just touches of it here and there to contrast with the analog stuff that's going on."
"These people are the kind of people that we seek out--when you're doing things as original and as interesting and as inspirational as what John McEntire's doing (and I'm really looking forward to the new Tortoise material). Jim O'Rourke spent a lot of time with me in London. He stayed at my place and Tim & Laetitia's place. When you know these people are doing cool things you want to work with them. Then you meet them and they tell you about other people. Bundy K Brown was in London recording us because we really like the way he miked the Isotope 217 record and we thought we'd get some of that."
"When we were making the record we had various Chicago people popping into the studio checking things out and seeing whether it was OK and everybody was really happy. It was nice having a committee of approval consensus from all these great people in the studio. It was great being in Chicago, we loved it. Steve Albini's place is just so cool and he's such a funny guy. It's was great in Albini's place because he was bringing some really cool people into that studio, some very strange music coming in there. There was a relaxed atmosphere on this record, which was definitely maintained by the people that we were living with. We were in Chicago for a month living in that studio; it was great."
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.