Spring Break
Blonde Redhead keeps its tunes 'all in the family'
Group rose above tension to produce '23'
MATTHEW GRAYSON
Issue date: 9/17/07 Section: Variety
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With a focus on spontaneity and improvisation, Makino and the brothers Pace entered the studio with only loose ideas for songs and nothing more.
Fearful of the record sounding too planned out, the band simply played the chords and sung the lyrics they had in mind, however rough or raw they might've been, and let the details work themselves out.
"We wanted to not finish the writing completely," Makino said, "and create some kind of tension from the songs not being too worked out. There's a sort of energy in that."
Both the energy and the tension indeed arrived in spades, but the latter proved a blessing as well as a curse.
"It wasn't an entirely enjoyable experience," Makino admitted in a press release preceding the album's April 10 release.
"Without a producer, a referee, we could really get on each other's cases. It got intense."
Thankfully for music fans everywhere, the tensions soon eased, "23" turned out great and the slightly dysfunctional family that is Blonde Redhead keeps on trucking.
The band will hit - surprise - 23 North American venues on its fall tour, including Athens' own 40 Watt Club tonight.
Let's just hope the brothers Pace are at peace with one another come showtime.
Fearful of the record sounding too planned out, the band simply played the chords and sung the lyrics they had in mind, however rough or raw they might've been, and let the details work themselves out.
"We wanted to not finish the writing completely," Makino said, "and create some kind of tension from the songs not being too worked out. There's a sort of energy in that."
Both the energy and the tension indeed arrived in spades, but the latter proved a blessing as well as a curse.
"It wasn't an entirely enjoyable experience," Makino admitted in a press release preceding the album's April 10 release.
"Without a producer, a referee, we could really get on each other's cases. It got intense."
Thankfully for music fans everywhere, the tensions soon eased, "23" turned out great and the slightly dysfunctional family that is Blonde Redhead keeps on trucking.
The band will hit - surprise - 23 North American venues on its fall tour, including Athens' own 40 Watt Club tonight.
Let's just hope the brothers Pace are at peace with one another come showtime.
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