I love technology. I think it has enormous potential to be a great equalizer of elements in society. Perhaps you've all noticed how much it is changing the music scene. Through digital software and computers (especially laptops), musicians are better able to produce their own works independently of a full-featured recording studio. This opens the door to many artists who might not be able to afford the expense of recording time in such studios, not to mention that they have more direct control of creating their music.
Such is the case with Nate Moceri and his band, Frame the City. I wrote to him to find out more about how he creates his music, and he confirmed my suspicions:
I record with various digital software programs and keyboards and then record guitar parts and vocals. Occasionally, I'll record live percussion and hand claps, as well. From there I mess around with a ton of effects (both software and guitar pedals) to try and create interesting sounds.
And according to the band's biography, he also mixed and mastered all of their albums to date. So again, thanks to what is now available in computer software, it is possible to do everything independently and create something that is somewhat comparable to commercially-made music.
Nate is originally from Seattle, WA, but now resides in Portland, OR. I told him he was in very good company as another Portland artist, Gejius, also uses computers for studio and sound engineering tasks. (I wrote a review for Gejius in December 2008 here.) Besides composing for the band, he has composed instrumental music and soundtracks for television shows, primarily for MTV.
We Were Wolves was released February 9, 2010, an EP following the full-length album Someday we will all be the same which was released the previous year in January. According to the band's bio, Nate considers We Were Wolves to be Frame the City's debut, or official introduction, while Someday we will all be the same was a time of experimentation and determining a characteristic sound for the band, as well the album being a compilation of works over the previous five years.
As to the sound of Frame the City and We Were Wolves, I will repeat what I have said numerous times before in my other reviews: it's really best to listen for yourself. It's been compared to The Postal Service (an electropop band on the Seattle-based Sub Pop label) and some critics have referred to the music as glitch pop and "ambient beauty" (referring to compositional elements). Ultimately, I find such classifications to be rather confusing, with Frame the City to be no exception. I find it much easier to experience the music myself, and invite you to do the same.
The EP is available on iTunes and Amazon. (It's also available on Lala, but that service is shutting down in about a month on May 31st, 2010.)
05/01/2010 01:50:02 ♥ jaklumen (
/jaklumen.vox.comjaklumen) ♥ framethecity.com ♥ myspace.com/framethecity
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