New Electronic Music Release On 8 Track!
Dan dubs all the tapes himself in real time using his Realistic TR-801 recorder. He uses a Channel Master deck to “wind them to the beginning” after splicing and labeling and does QC checks using a MGA 3 cart Playback 8 Track deck.
The record had its humble beginnings back in 1999. There was no thought as to recording an EP, much less a 43 and a half-minute montage of electronic music. It started out innocently enough on a Sony Open Reel Deck and copies of Mellotron chords on cassette tape.
“I wanted to recreate the opening of ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’. I was bored silly one day and wanted to see if I could pull it off using a separate channel recording option on one of my Open Reel Decks by using those old Mellotron chords. I had obtained them from a buddy of mine from one of his own projects. The results would have earned me a sound (and possible fatal) beating from Paul (McCartney) & John (Lennon) if they ever heard it.
“Later that year, I came across a copy of Sonic Music Foundry (an audio production PC program) and, after numerous attempts to load it up on my antiquated computer, really started to have fun. One problem tho’ – my computer was (and still is) helplessly slow (running Windows 98, a 120mz Pentium 1 Processor with 14 mg of RAM and Cache Module Card). It could - at any one time - only process maximum of 4 channels of sound before crashing.
“That same year I had acquired several pieces of old tape gear including a Tascam 34 Open Reel Deck with 4 channel Recording capability, Spotmaster Cart Machine, and a Tascam 35 Audio Production Board – all from a local programming station. I started tinkering around with the Open Reel deck and started thinking of how easy it would be to be able to record and produce music.”
This opened a door for Dan to pursue one of his favorite hobbies: Tape Recording. In the following year, he had started his own “Field Recording” label called “Squeaky Puppy Productions”. “There is a story behind the name” he says with a grin, “But I won’t bore you with details!”
The small business grew but then was forced down a year later due to health problems.
Dan explains: “During that time frame when I was down (2001), I had nothing else to do with my time except take it easy and rest. I had passed the time away by experimenting with sound and multi track recording using the Tascam 34. I also started paying close attention to the mixes (using headphones) in Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" and to the Beatles “Sgt. Peppers – both of my all time favorite records.
“I remember reading somewhere that both albums were “rivals” as Brian Wilson had heard “Rubber Soul” by the Beatles, recorded and mixed on 4 track machines “Pet Sounds”, to which The Beatles came back with Sgt. Peppers – also a 4 track production. George Martin (with good hearing at the time) and Brian Wilson (deaf in one ear) both produced works of art with only 4 channels of sound by redubbing, remixing, and using other studio gimmicks at the time.”
The result of his hard work over a period of 2 and a half years is the result on “Munn Key”. Most (if not all) of the music was recorded using loops of tape strung around in his mother’s basement by coat hangers. Segments were recorded using various open reel tape decks such as: Tascam 34 (main), Akai 4000DS, Sony TC-252, a Panasonic 7555 (early 1960’s vintage) and a Wollensak 1500 mono half track (late 50’s vintage).
Synchronizing each channel of sound was a problem as some parts were recorded using different machines. The Tascam 34 has a pitch control of + or – 15% to help correct speed variances.
“A lot of times I wouldn’t know how my master work tape would sound until after the pitch control was set back to zero and I started mixing channels together. I got some wild sounding stuff coming through the speakers!
“I would break out my Stanton Headphones (my daughter says they look like big blue grapefruit on my head) and try to make it come together. Sometimes I would re-record directly onto my master work tape snippets of audio onto one of the unused channels. My PC ended up picking up some slack by doing 3 channel digital editing and mixing. I would cross my fingers hoping that the section needed would hold together before crashing. On an end note, I’m proud of that old computer.”
He laughs. “Who knows? Maybe years down the road I’ll have enough material for a box set and include photos of those sessions!”
And knowing Dan, it would be an 8 Track Only Box Set.
To obtain a copy of “Munn Key”, email Dan at: teac35@yahoo.com
Cost is $5 (or trade on a good day) and includes shipping Media Rate.