Irish sibling duo Fastriser, AKA brothers Alex and Bobby McMahon, had a dream - to go to Chicago and record their debut album with legendary producer Steve Albini, the man behind classic albums by Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey and many more. Below, Alex McMahon writes for Culture about how it all came together...
We arrived in Chicago just as a polar vortex hit. Temperatures slid into the minus teens. It was cold, but we were excited. Planning the recording process carefully really paid off.
With great optimism, we let Steve know 'We've got twelve songs, but we know only eight would be possible'. Steve took up the gauntlet, and said that if we worked really efficiently we just might be able to do all twelve. This summed up Steve Albini’s approach - hard-working, dedicated, working flat out to get the songs done. We wanted to make an analogue record and he supported this all the way.
Inside Electric Audio was a world away from the snow-caked streets. We worked hard - until nine or ten every night. Then, exhausted, we’d head to Kumar's burger and cocktail bar down the street, listen to Megadeth, drink pitchers of beer, eat burgers and unwind after the exhilaration and hard work of the day. Then back to Electric Audio, where it's also possible to stay during recording. Rooms are homely, comfortable and we got to hang out and really absorb the studio, immersing ourselves in the amazing living room with homemade VHS tapes of a Breeders gig, books about everything and other trinkets.
It was like being on a submarine, submerged together in music for four days. We used valve amps and cables and recorded live to 2-inch tape with 16 track cartridge. We recorded all 12 songs in three days (in mostly single takes) and then mixed them all on the last day to ½ inch tape. Steve was fun, very straight-talking, absolutely expert and humble. Steve added something good to the record. Something of himself.
We then shipped the ½ inch tape to Chicago Mastering Service to be mastered by Bob Weston, who was preparing to go on tour with Steve and their band Shellac. Working with Bob was a dream, and after much back and forth we completed mastering in March. Now we're releasing the album.
As close brothers, we love playing music together. This makes the ‘blood harmonies’ effect you see on the album cover - when we sing this ‘vibration’ and expansion of our voices - polyphony- can sound like one voice singing many parts or a choir of voices vibrating together.
For the album, we wanted a stripped-down, raw and immediate sound to the songs, varying from the visceral and punk in songs like Elevator, Black Hole and Stuck in a Box to melodic, breezy pop tunes like Holiday, God on Your Side and Come Back Betty.
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Rocket, about a dream of leaving earth and a young son, is two songs or more in one. Operation’s raw punk edge reflects the chaos of illness, while Go with Her is a mix of tender and fierce, straight from the heart.
The songs rose out of Friday night practices, after a long week at work. They kept us sane, allowed us to connect with ourselves and our souls and have the craic. We took an analogue approach. No technology. No minds. Just playing music.
Listening back to the sessions afterwards, we were both so excited and couldn't wait to go back and do it again. We have so many more songs, more than two albums' worth. We came with big dreams - and left with even bigger ones.
Fastriser's album Type III is out now - find out more here.
