Andy’s studio, where the damage is done
To prove that we are actually working and not just sitting around debating Situationism or the collapse of the recording industry, I have posted below a very rough recording (culled from video footage I shot) of a new song that I will call Password (you can be certain that this title will change.) The aim here is that if you are inclined to follow our progress as we write and record then these MP3 posts will be like milestones which can be used later to compare the genesis of a song against the final version.
We are debating, as we do, how we will release the finished goods. Jon King reminds us that our career kick-off was defined by the Damaged Goods EP, a three song, cheaply recorded debut that made a lot of waves in the UK and European press well before we signed to the majors. So how about we start the new round of releases with a 4 song digital EP? Probably. The ‘album’ could then be built over time and released eventually as a CD, but in a compelling, high-value package that makes it valuable to our fans. We have those 4 song ideas as I write and they will be burnished and honed over the next 12 weeks or so. It then makes sense to get them into the hands (and ears) of the public as quickly as possible. Digital makes the most sense along with downloadable artwork, a vinyl record with free MP3s and remixes. And my first choice for remixers would of course be Justice.
Gang of Four - “Password” (demo) [MP3] I make no apologies for the sound quality…!
Related Post: Gang of Four backstage in Istanbul
My (wholly uninvited) review of Passport:
Exciting to hear the embryonic song. From what you\’ve teased us with, it sounds like you\’re strinking a good balance between not issuing a carbon copy (or self-parody) of the first Go4 go-round AND not disapppointing those who loved the original sound.
In short, it sounds like the band never went on hiatus with the original lineup. GREAT stuff in its infancy. One of the most pleasing aspects of Go4 songwriting for me is that knowledge of what to leave out. I fall in lockstep with Eno on this one, today\’s younger songwriters tend to fill up every available space with some kind of sound. (Thanks for nothing, Phil Spector.) The value of leaving some breathing room in the mix can\’t be denied.
Oh, and on the situationist tip, I\’m a big fan of detournament mischief, especially billboards.
November 15th, 2007 at 6:23 amJoe, I fixed that word typo, ok?
November 15th, 2007 at 8:04 amThat song sounds badass. I especially like the two-chord refrain - signature Go4, signature ‘post-punk’, and signature my favorite kind of music ever.
November 15th, 2007 at 9:01 amhearing/being in on the germination of a new Go4 project is really exciting.
you kids out there might not know this, but there was a time when there was no internet.
the 16 year-old me had to settle for month old, imported copies of the NME for the slightest of news on my favorite bands. if i had access to a pampelmoose or neubauten “supporter” style site back then… my head would have exploded.
a four song digital ep would be fantastic. sign me up.
hopefully the death of the cd also signals the end of bands trying to fill up 70 min. with 30 min. of filler.
cheers
November 15th, 2007 at 12:12 pmKudos to Dave and the band for allowing us in during the early developing stages of a new project. Not only are we on the frontier of a new way of accessing music, we have the opportunity to support and nurture our interest in a band in a manner seldom provided in the past. Great song, G4. I hope you’re having a blast.
November 15th, 2007 at 1:23 pmDitto on John Henley’s comment on letting us in on the process. Remember the bad old days of music when songwriters locked themselves in a room and didn’t emerge until their “art” was “ready” for “the kids”?? HAHAHAHAHAH. Not go on and on like a fanboy, but Dave, what you’re doing here is the very polar opposite of pretension. Hooray for the behind-the-scenes glimpse.
Gotta run, there’s lamb sizzling here. Anybody who’s spent some time in Istanbul lately can relate :-)
November 15th, 2007 at 5:32 pm@dave
what do the other g4 members think of this radical transparency?
November 16th, 2007 at 2:54 am@joshk They like it, more coming soon….
November 16th, 2007 at 3:49 amI remember the days before t’internet too.
They were all about sitting up past bedtime listening to John Peel on a boombox (at first, an agonisingly low volume to avoid being detected, later with headphones for the same reason), finger poised over the ‘record’ button to capture those amazing sessions.
It would generate a lot of excitement, knowing there were amazing songs being created out there that would one day, we hoped, make it into our record shops. Anticipation is a big part of pleasure.
Which is a long-winded way of saying ‘go G4′.
November 16th, 2007 at 8:30 amFucking do it, man. Sort out the marketing later- we need this.
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November 21st, 2007 at 9:15 pm