Ringside View: Rahul’s studio review

Dear Friends and Fans,

At long last, after almost a decade of performing live and touring, Cassini’s Division has finally completed tracking and recording its debut album Ringside View.

Before I go into all that went behind the making of our record, I’d like to explain why we have repeatedly aborted our earlier attempts at recording an album. The truth is simple really. We were never able to capture the energy and excitement of our live performances on record because we did not have that one big secret weapon of the music business – an accomplished producer. After signing on with HMV Saregama, we were finally able to engage one and so the stage was set for us to go into the studio and bang out some of the songs that have helped us establish ourselves as one of the leading rock groups in the country.

When our producer Simon Henderson arrived on a hot sultry afternoon at Dum Dum, I was excited but also a little apprehensive. The boys (John, Ludo and Sukanti) have pretty much spent almost all their time and creative energy to help me build Cassini’s Division into a formidable outfit by fleshing out arrangements and helping me achieve a musical vision. Therefore, it is understandable that we are all looking to getting it right as far as our debut album is concerned. So in my mind, I thought that there is absolutely no room for failure. The scope for rock bands in India still remains pretty limited and our album will have to carry its weight in that context, which makes it quite a daunting task.

But from the first day in the studio I began to feel confident that things would shape up well. Simon Henderson set us all at ease with his quirky sense of humor and good natured banter. He is one of those people who have the gift of making work look like play without losing focus on the job at hand. So before we knew it we were ready to lay down the drum and bass takes to cues like “now my ladies, stand like swallows with one leg folded and deliver your lines with the grace of a wildebeest who sings for his supper”

Three days into the recording we had pretty much a lot of great takes with some minor arrangement changes on a few tracks that Simon felt was necessary to “bring the song to life” on the recording. So for those who have watched us live, there are going to be a few moments on the album that are sure to shock and surprise. And yes, I must also mention that both John and Ludo worked extremely well and delivered great performances on their respective instruments, taking their craft to a new level.

I also got a shot at vocals in between the other takes and Simon helped to bring out things I didn’t even know that I was capable of. It was a learning experience and I was humbled by his ability to understand my strengths and weaknesses as a singer and address them accordingly. I am hoping the results will speak for themselves.

Then it was Sukanti’s turn to roar as Simon set up the amplifiers to record some “big rock guitar”. An avowedly old school production man, Simon’s disdain for digital processors was on full display with a dogged insistence on not using “those little Japanese boxes”. Therefore after checking the room for the best mike positions, Sukanti was soon laying down the guitar bedrock of the album and his tone sounded really BIG! In the middle of all this, we had visitors (in the form of fans) who were quickly recruited by Simon to sonically create a party scene with hooting, cheering and clapping, all of which will be heard on the dance sections in one of the songs.

After five straight days Sukanti’s guitar parts were completed and I must say he sounds really good on the recording even before any mix has been attempted. On the last few days, I laid acoustic guitar tracks and did some extra vocal tracking while the boys laid down a few BVs. One afternoon, Simon came out to announce “that’s it mate, I’ve got the album” and much to our disbelief it was over! We headed out to celebrate at Simon’s place and are now looking forward to the mixes he’s going to send us from his London studio.

Many people want me to talk about the concept behind Ringside View and what the ten songs mean when taken as a whole, but I think I’ll talk about it later when the album is due for release. Till then, I hope all of you have some fun times, enjoy life and keep the fire burning.

Cheers

Rahul

Dear Friends and Fans,

At long last, after almost a decade of performing live and touring, Cassini’s Division has finally completed tracking and recording its debut album Ringside View.

Before I go into all that went behind the making of our record, I’d like to explain why we have repeatedly aborted our earlier attempts at recording an album. The truth is simple really. We were never able to capture the energy and excitement of our live performances on record because we did not have that one big secret weapon of the music business – an accomplished producer. After signing on with HMV Saregama, we were finally able to engage one and so the stage was set for us to go into the studio and bang out some of the songs that have helped us establish ourselves as one of the leading rock groups in the country.

When our producer Simon Henderson arrived on a hot sultry afternoon at Dum Dum, I was excited but also a little apprehensive. The boys (John, Ludo and Sukanti) have pretty much spent almost all their time and creative energy to help me build Cassini’s Division into a formidable outfit by fleshing out arrangements and helping me achieve a musical vision. Therefore, it is understandable that we are all looking to getting it right as far as our debut album is concerned. So in my mind, I thought that there is absolutely no room for failure. The scope for rock bands in India still remains pretty limited and our album will have to carry its weight in that context, which makes it quite a daunting task.

But from the first day in the studio I began to feel confident that things would shape up well. Simon Henderson set us all at ease with his quirky sense of humor and good natured banter. He is one of those people who have the gift of making work look like play without losing focus on the job at hand. So before we knew it we were ready to lay down the drum and bass takes to cues like “now my ladies, stand like swallows with one leg folded and deliver your lines with the grace of a wildebeest who sings for his supper”

Three days into the recording we had pretty much a lot of great takes with some minor arrangement changes on a few tracks that Simon felt was necessary to “bring the song to life” on the recording. So for those who have watched us live, there are going to be a few moments on the album that are sure to shock and surprise. And yes, I must also mention that both John and Ludo worked extremely well and delivered great performances on their respective instruments, taking their craft to a new level.

I also got a shot at vocals in between the other takes and Simon helped to bring out things I didn’t even know that I was capable of. It was a learning experience and I was humbled by his ability to understand my strengths and weaknesses as a singer and address them accordingly. I am hoping the results will speak for themselves.

Then it was Sukanti’s turn to roar as Simon set up the amplifiers to record some “big rock guitar”. An avowedly old school production man, Simon’s disdain for digital processors was on full display with a dogged insistence on not using “those little Japanese boxes”. Therefore after checking the room for the best mike positions, Sukanti was soon laying down the guitar bedrock of the album and his tone sounded really BIG! In the middle of all this, we had visitors (in the form of fans) who were quickly recruited by Simon to sonically create a party scene with hooting, cheering and clapping, all of which will be heard on the dance sections in one of the songs.

After five straight days Sukanti’s guitar parts were completed and I must say he sounds really good on the recording even before any mix has been attempted. On the last few days, I laid acoustic guitar tracks and did some extra vocal tracking while the boys laid down a few BVs. One afternoon, Simon came out to announce “that’s it mate, I’ve got the album” and much to our disbelief it was over! We headed out to celebrate at Simon’s place and are now looking forward to the mixes he’s going to send us from his London studio.

Many people want me to talk about the concept behind Ringside View and what the ten songs mean when taken as a whole, but I think I’ll talk about it later when the album is due for release. Till then, I hope all of you have some fun times, enjoy life and keep the fire burning.

Cheers

Rahul

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