Blog > Title: Fever at Grinding Tapes House

Since Grinding Tapes was created Jason Rozen (the founder) has been trying to get me (Elijah Wyman) involved in writing for various, short lived blogs that he started.  With good intentions I’ve always said, “Sure thing” and never blogged for any of the GTRC sites that popped up and died…until this one!  Our friend and general coolkid Laco has been writing for this which has been a great motivator for me.  I have high hopes that this will be the GTRC blog that sticks.  GTRC blog history aside, I’m really excited about this.  I’ll try and update at least once a week.

If you follow me on Twitter you may know that I’m in Massachusetts to record. I drove the 16 hours from Asheville straight and got in last night.  I loaded every instrument I own into the car.  Tonight I’m meeting up with Jason to start work on a new EP that I’ll release in July/August.  We’ve already booked a release show for it at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA For July 30th.

All I own.

So right now I’m sitting in Atomic Cafe.  I ate a delicious bagel with egg, and cheese, and lots of Tapatio.  (I brought that myself because I’m a geek.)

My buddies Dan & Sarah making the best lattes in New England.

Anyway, I’m really excited about recording.  I’m inviting some good friends over to play instruments and give their opinion on what things should sound like.  So far one friend told me to sound just like Silver Mt. Zion and another told me to make songs like the electronic stuff that Beruit did…I’ve never heard it, but I think I’m already opposed.

My goal for this recording is to create a fevered environment.  Let me explain. It’s a head feel I get when the room has been taken over by an atmosphere.  Most recently I felt this atmosphere when I saw Mountain Goats at The Grey Eagle in Asheville.

Hail Satan!

John (I don’t want to look up how to spell his last name, so let’s just agree to call him John) reached a frenzied squaller at  points in his set that whipped the audience into frothing passion!  It was beautiful during the song, The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton, people where out of their seats screaming, “Hail Satan!” with the song.  It was powerful.

Anyway, the feeling.  It’s the feeling of loosing your insides.  The heat of a tube amp in your head.  I imagine it’s similar to the state athletes reach where they can turn their brains off and just do what they do by muscle memory.  I feel like I’m constantly chasing that feeling of creation without thought or pretense.  The idea is that in doing so the most individual, the most personal, and the most universal art I can make will come out naturally.

When that heat starts in my head at a show I’m playing I know it will be a rewarding performance for me which I believe is also rewarding for the audience.  That fever creates an atmosphere in the room that is palpable.  You can feel it in your forehead, in your nose, heavy on your chest.  Music does this easier than any other medium I believe.  The chill in your hair that you feel before getting the flu, dizzy from sounds.

Something I hear all the time is people talking about bands who are, “In it for the music.”  I feel weird about this term because I’ve never been into music “For the music.” I’ve always been into music for the release, for the fever.  I’ve always thought of music as the medium that I happened to choose to release through.  It’s not that I love music…I mean I do, but I crave that release.

I’m excited to live in Jason’s empty house and do nothing but try and tap into that feeling and capture it on 4 track recorders.

Take care of each other!
-elijah

Similar Posts:

• Elijah Wyman Live at Grinding Tapes House
• Elijah Recording at GT House
• Photos from Elijah’s GT House Session

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