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Ok, people. Here's
the thing. One idea that's been bandied about for a while now is the
release of a completely overhauled version of the Duckhills catalogue. A remixed/remastering job that
makes use of technology that wasn't available 10 years ago poses some attractive possibilities.
Firstly, the band's first 2 albums were only released on cassette in an analog
format. In the case of Remembering Spongecake, initial
pressings were unwittingly mastered at a slightly increased speed resulting
in the "Chipmunk effect." In the case of all three albums, additional
songs were recorded that didn't make the final cut, either due to time
constraints, or because of a determination that they didn't fit-in with the
overall feel of the material [translation: bonus tracks!]. And
while the production and mixing hold up for the most part, some
songs are sounding a bit dated 11 years along; but as Ben and
Randy have since become whiz-bang producers in their own right
(heard their latest respective recordings?), we're thinking
there's room for improvement. The good news is that the original masters
of ALL this material still exists, safe and sound, in a secret bunker in
Austin, TX. With a little technical fiddling and tasteful repackaging,
the re-released versions of these albums could make a nice collection for anyone inclined to listen. The
big question up until now always being, ok, but besides a handful of folks in Austin, who would that be?
With an increased presence on the internet
(starting with The Duckhills Family website, which began getting hits
from all over the U.S. in late 2001) comes the possibility that
there may actually be a market for these recordings. What
needs to be determined at this point is "is there enough
interest?" That's where you come in. By completing the form
below (and under no actual obligation) you are stating that you would find
a remixed/remastered Duckhills catalogue quite keen,
indeed!
-
Tarsche Mangston
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