Playlist: Homerton’s Sound Savers take a look back at four years of recordings
Sound Savers’ Henry Withers (left) and Mark Jasper (right.)
Sound Savers may record a lot of DIY and punk bands in their part-analogue, part-digital recording studio just off of Homerton High Street, where they’ve been nestled for close to four years. However, they have a less punk-rock outlook when it comes to fire-based horseplay.
“It’s a very flammable building,” explains Mark Jasper, who built and runs Sound Savers (along with its nearby practice space, ironically a former fireworks cupboard) with fellow musicians Henry Withers and Alex Clegg. “The other day we had a band in who used candles, and one of them was like ‘should I put the candle here?’” He gestures to some suitably DIY shelving, crafted from chipboard by a friend of his and clearly as combustible as they come. “We said, errrm…”
According to Henry, they felt guilty – they didn’t want to “kill the buzz.” There is a special kind of buzz here in this compact power-pack of a studio, which has led to a vast catalogue of terrific music, from new local bands to one of their current projects, 80s-formed prog- rockers The Astronauts. I asked Mark to explain this alchemy.
“The key thing is to leave people to their own devices and let them be who they are, rather than trying to impress our own opinion or agenda on to proceedings.”
Henry added “[we’re good] when things aren’t going well…we’re quite sensitive. Even now when I play guitar and I’m recording something, I get The Fear. So we know what that’s like.” (Henry plays in Modern Lovers-esque combo Sidney, and Mark sings and delivers ultra-melodic guitar lines in Witching Waves.)
The pair explain that they can pick up on their artists’ priorities from snippets of bands’ conversations, or even from the amount of cymbals they bring – setting up recording and organising the order of proceedings to suit.
This all neatly sidesteps what they call “the cookie-cutter thing,” and recordings are as clean or messy as the artists’ heart desires – evident in their diverse portfolio which ranges from the bracing punk of Sauna Youth and Primetime to the lush pop of Dignan Porch and Two White Cranes.
Sometimes though, they must take a more active role: Henry tells me of a recent acoustic guitar-toting songwriter who clearly felt “naked” being in a sophisticated recording studio, and was unsure of where to go with his tunes. By the end of the session, Henry was his de facto backing band, adding some tambourine stylings. Each of Sound Savers’ main trio tends to work individually with each band or artist, making it easy to chip in with this kind of personal touch.
Speaking of the personal touch, Mark put together the following list – five songs which capture the heart of Sound Savers.
Cold Pumas – A Change Of Course
(from The Hanging Valley on Faux Discx and Gringo Records)
I talked a bit about this record for an online magazine, this is one of my favourite things I have ever recorded. It seems like all the things I’ve chosen are things that I have worked on for a very significant time. The band and I mixed this for about a year, with us meeting up every week. I wouldn’t have had it any other way, it came out brilliantly.
Giant Burger – Tono
(from Giant Burger Forever on Odd Box Records)
I’ve worked a lot with this band, I might have recorded them more than any other band. They’re a really great band and it’s been really rewarding to watch them grow. This is off their first album Giant Burger Forever. I think it’s the only album (so far) where I am credited as a producer. Normally I am quite hands off, but I know this band so well I was quite happy to really get involved. I worked on this for hours and hours, mixing and remixing. It was really fun.
Suggested Friends – Chicken
(from a 7″ on Odd Box Records)
This is off a 7 inch on Odd Box Records, and off an album that will come out later this year. We recorded the whole thing in two days. But since then we have worked on the record a lot, almost weekly, adjusting arrangements and mixing. I really love the songs and it’s been really fun to explore ideas with arrangement, and really push the production. This is the first song I’ve ever worked on with a harmonized guitar solo, I hope it’s not the last!
Dog Chocolate – Plastic Canoe
(from Snack Fans on Upset The Rhythm)
Recording this LP was a brilliant experience from start to finish. It was recorded and mixed really quickly. Most of the time as an engineer, I think you should just allow things to happen. Let the band be who they are, and just find the best way of getting that onto tape. This was recorded pretty much live with them using all their own equipment, and shouting at each other. For most of it I just felt like I was just watching a Dog Chocolate gig.
Gloss Rejection – Unwilling
(from Light Reflex on Muscle Horse Records
This was quite a sad record to make. It was the end of the band and they were all quite close friends of mine. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever recorded, it was done over a few days but emotions were high. I’m really proud of being involved.