2024 was Narwhal’s best year yet!
We made a lot of great records and videos and added some awesome new team members.
The year started out with the release of Taylor Swift’s 6x Platinum record The Tortured Poets Department, which is also the best selling recording of 2024!
Aaron Dessner of the National produced and Glenn Kotche of Wilco drummed on 9 tracks from the record.
In late August Chicago-based post-emo stoner deathgaze quartet Pelican recorded their seventh full length album Flickering Resonance in Studio A over the course of a two week lockout. According to producer / engineer Sanford Parker they demoed the record twice before recording at Narwhal which made the band very comfortable with the new songs. This is their first full length album with founding guitarist Laurent Lebec since 2009 after he rejoined the band in 2022.
Drummer Larry Herwig used our vintage Ludwig Vistalite kit (24,13,14,16,18) that Brian Deck popularized with the blues influenced alternative rock band Red Red Meat throughout the 1990’s. With Remo Emperors on top and Diplomats on the resonant side the kit sounded huge but focused with a single gel dampener on each drum.
The bass drum had an Evans EQ3 batter head which controlled and focused the 24” bass drum with an Evans Emad resonant head. The bass drum also had an XL dark green men’s fleece sweater inside that someone left at Narwhal in 2022 and has been a go-to bass drum dampener ever since. It is heavy enough to peel off sustain when touching both heads but light enough to allow airflow and not kill the low end like a pillow or other silly things people put in bass drums.
We also have a women’s extra-small jacket from lost and found that does the same for 18 and 20” bass drums as well as an assortment of $5 CVS fleece blankets that are chef’s kiss in a bass drum.
As expected they brought a lot of amps and used a lot of ours including dual Mesa Dual Rectifiers, a Triple Rectifier, an Ampeg V4, a Diezel VH4, an Orange Rockerverb 100 and some cool recording combos and scores of pedals. Scores.
We love recording heavy bands at Narwhal and we have a lot of gear to help you find the massive, sick and dope sounds you are looking for: https://narwhalchicago.com/gear-1
This late 90’s Yamaha Maple Custom kit is the most recorded of all our beloved house kits at Narwhal. It is on hundreds of recordings: from gospel to pop, jazz, rock, latin, indie, soul, metal and everything in between. It has a clean and focused sound that sings when tuned high, a rounded and musical midrange and a big but controlled low end when tuned fat.
The bass drum is 22” and the toms are 12’,13’,16’ and 18”. It usually has either Evans G2, EC2 or Onyx heads on it depending on what sound our client is looking for. It tunes easily and stays in tune because of the die cast hoops, which also focus the sound, which is great for recording.
During one week last year we used it on a Donald Lawrence gospel session with Tavarious “Varo” Johnson, a funk-rock session with Ernie Adams and a jazz session with Paul Wertico. It sounded different and great on all three sessions with the same Evans G2 Coated heads and a little tuning.
It also survived a catastrophic fire and sounds even better.
HISTORY
We bought this kit used in late 2006 from a used instrument store on Chicago’s north side called The Music Store. The owner called us right after it came in on consignment because he knew we liked Yamaha. It was bought new and never played by a Chicago avant garde jazz recordist named Malachi Ritscher who self-immolated at the Flame of the Millenium sculpture off I-90/94, in protest of the Iraq war.
Here’s a Pitchfork article about Malachi: https://pitchfork.com/features/article/6483-malachi-ritscher-1954-2006/
We told the owner of the store we’d be honored to have it especially because of Malachi’s poignant and tragic statement about the war.
Unfortunately a year after we bought it our rehearsal studio business was burned down by an arsonist who burned down the vacant building next to us and wiped us out as well. These drums suffered direct flame and sat in a few feet of water for hours after the fire was put out. They were covered in a thick black film and we assumed they were a complete loss. We put them in storage with the heads still on and focused on getting back on our feet.
A few months later we discovered that the shells were still perfectly round and after months of cleaning they miraculously sounded amazing! Even better than before. Their tone was a little more open and clean while retaining the round musicality of maple from before. Removing the black film revealed a new purple color in the grain. The gold plated lug casings have superficial damage which reminds us of its history every time we use it.
We also have a Yamaha 5 ½ x 14 Copper snare that survived the fire with some scars and sounds amazing! Its tone is darker than brass and it has a nice midrange presence whether tuned high or low.
You can enjoy these drums and many others from our gear list: https://narwhalchicago.com/gear-1
Atlantic Records artist Charlotte Cardin held an intimate performance for a few fans in Studio A to promote an upcoming release. She sang and accompanied herself on our Yamaha C7 grand piano and she sounded amazing! We host small performances, classes and promo events for our clients and friends.
https://www.charlottecardin.com/
Grammy-winning gospel producer Donald Lawrence was in Studio A for a writing session with drummer Varo and Philip Feaster on keys. We host writing sessions and rehearsals as well as recording sessions and video shoots in both studios.
http://donaldlawrence.com/
From mid June through the first week of July singer / songwriter Ezra Furman and her band worked with Brian Deck on a new full length record. They rehearsed in Studio B for three days and recorded in Studio A and Studio B with Brian producing and Wesley Reno engineering.
https://www.ezrafurman.com/
Hiring professional studio musicians to play on your record is a great way to elevate your music and bring new ideas to life. Chicago is a world class music city and is home to amazing musicians of every genre.
At Narwhal we pride ourselves on having worked with a large and diverse group of musicians and knowing who is right for a particular record.
Here are some things we’ve learned about hiring studio musicians:
The best studio musicians are collaborative and they enhance your music with their creativity. Sometimes they are well known players and sometimes they are not.
Communicating what’s important for the song and what you are looking for is crucial.
A well made chart is much appreciated! The more information, the better, but at the very least have the song structure outlined with the changes and notate important rhythmic figures, dynamics and useful lyrics.
Rates: most experienced musicians start around $200/song or $500/day for a reasonable number of hours or songs.
Session-work can be done in person or remotely: we can include you in the session via Zoom or through remote listening tools like ListenTo if you can’t be there in person.
Chicago’s Joe George is releasing his new solo record FOLK CINEMA on August 10, 2024 on the Storm Chasers LTD label. Brian Deck recorded, mixed and co-produced it with Joe at Narwhal including mixing it on the console in Studio B. Joe also worked on it in his own studio, Gentle Bear, which is Narwhal’s neighbor at 1644 N Honore.
“When Narwhal became the home of my latest record - FOLK CINEMA - many creative doors opened for me. Narwhal is a beautifully equipped, well engineered, creative place to make your music sound better. The process of FOLK CINEMA went like this: I recorded/experimented with the songs on my own, and then brought everything to Brian Deck at Narwhal and we furthered the process with more tracking, more experimenting, and solidifying a vision for the whole record. This process was equal parts personally rewarding as it was collaborative. The idea of bringing my ideas to Narwhal, and running them through great minds (Brian/Jim) and through great gear (you name it), became an awesome creative reality. The process was efficient, transparent, and safe. The record turned out inventive, exciting, and professionally produced. I'll be doing more there.”
~ Joe George
"I can’t say enough about what Steve Albini meant to me, the Chicago music community I grew up in, and the independent music world. Big Black was the first band I ever went to see at the Cabaret Metro. I didn’t know shit like that existed. I continued to listen to what Steve and Ian Burgess made on records, and it helped change my idea of what to pursue as a music career.
Steve’s commitment to outing industry inequities and operating outside them was a guiding principle for me and most people I’ve known in our corner of the biz.
As a studio owner in the same market, he was a helpful and generous friend (stink bomb exploded in the Idful lounge notwithstanding). He continued to prove that you could survive and, at times, thrive while maintaining your own standards. And that was what you ought to call success.
Thanks, Steve. Give them hell in the next dimension."
Brian Deck
We love our 5088 and the detailed musicality it brings to every recording!
Here’s a video Brian did for Rupert Neve Designs describing what he loves about the console:
“I had an amazing experience recording at Narwhal - I was able to use several different spaces and got exactly the sounds that I was hoping for. It’s such a beautiful and inviting space as well - I’ll be back for sure.”
Glenn Kotche (Wilco)
In March 2023, Aaron Dessner of the National and Glenn Kotche of Wilco recorded the drums for 21 Taylor Swift songs in Narwhal Studio A!
10 of them made “The Tortured Poets Department” record: Loml, Clara Bow, The Albatross, How Did It End?, Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus, thanK you aIMee, The Prophecy, The Bolter, Robin and I Hate It Here.
Glenn brought in three full drum kits and lots of cool percussion and gadgets. His drums included a North Fiberglass kit, a vintage Slingerland / Ludwig kit and a vintage Sonor kit.
All three kits were fully miked at all times so he could move from one to another as ideas flowed over the five days he recorded drums and percussion for Taylor’s record.
