Droptone Studio

New reggae vibes continue at Droptone with Mukama Morandi

stephen — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:12:03 +0000

We just just finished a killer one drop track “Turn Back Time” for African based lyricist and singer Mukama Morandi. He had a great time performing his first studio vocal session and the track came out really strong. We are just starting to work on his second track. The song caught the ear of L.A based video directer/producer Corrin Hodgson, who invited Mukama out for a video session. After seeing Mukama’s performance in this video, we think he may need to seriously consider a career in acting.

New mixes for grunge-pop band LICKER.

stephen — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 06:16:04 +0000

Chicago based songwriter, Gordon Vanguard and his grunge-pop band Licker recently did some mix work at Droptone. The band recorded a handful of new songs a few months back at local recording school, IPR. With bare mixes in hand, they asked me to polish them up. I really enjoyed working on Gordon’s songs, and I know you’ll enjoy listening to them. After a bit more editing than planned, Gordon and I dug into the tunes and started mixing. We spent 2 days in the studio equalizing, compressing, tuning, limiting, balancing, and adding reverb, delays, and other effects. Although I wish I had the opportunity to record this band myself and spend more time with the mixes, I’m very proud of how far these tracks came along. Take a listen to the tracks below and I’m sure you’ll be rockin right out of your chair before you know it.

If you’d like to hear more or join the ranks of fandom, check out http://www.listentolicker.com

Dancer/Model Dani Gassmann chooses Droptone for first single.

stephen — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:25:09 +0000

Dancer and model, Dani Gassmann has just released her single, “Can’t Take It Anymore” on iTunes.

Dani came to Droptone with a notebook full of lyrics and a few melodies in her head, but wasn’t sure where to start with her first song. After talking about a stylistic direction, Dani and I dug in and started getting creative. Before we knew it, we had a rough sketch of a song. We met again soon after and continued to mold the tune into something better and better. Once we were both satisfied with the chord progression, melody, and lyrics, I got to work on the music.

I started with a piano-only version of the song. This gave Dani something to practice with for a few weeks. During that time, I experimented with drums, piano, bass, and guitar. After deciding on tempo and key, I started recording all the elements. Once my parts were in, I asked my partner in crime, David Kellogg, to play additional guitars on the track. Dave added an amazing dynamic to the song and we were ready to add Dani.

Dani’s first vocal session on the mic was painless. She has great natural ability and is quickly developing her vocal skill. After Dani’s vocal was added, I sung a supportive harmony and finished the mix. Greg Reierson polished the track with a great mastering job at his studio, Rare Form Mastering.

Listen to Can’t Take It Anymore below:

To contact Dani or to learn more about her career, check out her website.

Maria Isa’s teams with Droptone for sophomore release “Street Politics”

stephen — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:18:40 +0000

Maria Isa’s latest release, “Street Politics,” was another product of Droptone Studio. Maria brought her album to us this last spring and we helped her re-record, re-mix, and re-think her album.

The project began by adding the support of her extremely talented band. I captured the live sounds from her drummer, percussionist, guitarist, bassist, trumpet player, and keyboardist. We mixed in and/or replaced the samples with these live elements and the difference was huge. Maria re-sang a few things and added additional harmonies that helped highlight certain tracks. I worked tirelessly on drum, conga, and bass loops that added a solid, yet acoustic, rhythmic foundation. I then re-edited her vocals to bring out her voice in the mix and tighten her overall sound.

Adding guitar, keys, and trumpet really helped the album gain more melodic presence and kept the songs moving in a good direction. Every member of this group has a ton of musicality and in our sessions we captured lots of ideas. A lot of time was spent sifting through, editing, comping, and creating musical phrases out of the mass of takes from our days of tracking. Needless to say, it was a fun and challenging project.

Maria Isa is currently playing out in support of “Street Politics.” It’s gained a lot of positive press and local airplay. Maria and her band have been covered in City Pages, Metro, Vita.mn, Pioneer Press, TC Daily Planet, Star Tribune, and many others. Maria has also appeared on air with B96, The Current, KFAI, and Radio K to name a few.

Find out more about Maria Isa on her Myspace.

Read about her self-made label, Sotarico.

Maria had very kind words to share with David Campbell, host of the local show on 89.3 The Current. Check out what Maria has to say about Droptone below:

The Local Show with David Campbell

Listen to 3 of the tracks from “Street Politics” Like what you’re headphones are saying? Buy it on iTunes.

Fat Lemon mixes & masters album at Droptone

stephen — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:07:01 +0000

Earlier this summer, Fat Lemon, an alternative rock band, came into the studio to mix and master their latest self-titled release. The band tracked all of their songs independently outside of the studio, and I just helped them get the best sound out of their recordings. We spent 2 days mixing and produced a master shortly after. The process was fun, yet challenging. Fat Lemon is a college band based out of St. Paul. They’ll be playing shows in the metro area, check them out.

Fat Lemon website

Buy their music!

Morrison Boomer finishes full length album “Down The Hatch”

stephen — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:02:27 +0000

Morrison Boomer is an acoustic duo from Seattle. They were in Minneapolis over the last few months and I had the privilege to record their first studio release, and their second album throughout July and August. This album is mainly acoustic guitar, bass, and vocals. We added strings, djembe, and piano to a few tracks as well. We had a great time making this 13 track album.

We started by laying down the main acoustic guitar over a click track and then layered in bass lines. Then we tracked the vocals. Almost every song features both singers – one on lead and one on harmony. Second guitar parts were added last along with string lines and a few djembe grooves. We also worked out a piano part and a synth part for two other songs. I’ve put 4 tracks down below to check out. Morrison Boomer is: Jeff Lillevold and Jacob Fuller

Check them out here.

The Dayshapes record 4 song e.p. “Monster Clouds”

stephen — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:40:23 +0000

Several months ago I started working on a project with singer songwriter Keaton Kronberg. Before we got too far on his solo project, he ended up adding a full band to the mix and we switched gears. We both decided it would be best to let the band work on the songs for the next 4-8 weeks and then hit the studio together to record two of the sketches we had previously laid out and two new ones.

In August, Keaton brought over his new band “The Dayshapes.” We scheduled 4 days in the studio and knocked out some brilliant material. The new musicians really added some great texture and dynamic to Keaton’s work. Day 1 concentrated on tracking and editing all four drum tracks. Day 2 we tracked and edited all guitar lines. Day 3 was vocals, organ, and melodica. Day 4 was bass, tambourine, and shakers. I then worked on the final touches and did final mixes.

“Monster Clouds” will be coming out soon and I highly recommend picking one up if you’re into the likes of Steve Tannen, Mason Jennings, Bright Eyes, or Romantica.

The members are: Keaton – guitar and vocals, Joey – lead guitar and mandolin, Anna – vocals, Danny – drums, and Alex – organs, keys, and melodica.

Our studio bassist, Jai Bowie, helped polish this release by writing and recording the bass.

The Dayshapes hope to use this e.p. as a precursor to a future full length album. They are all currently attending classes again and will be performing intermittently when possible.

Check them out here. Think they should make more music? Buy Monster Clouds and support them.

“Love All Over” debut album for Noah Cornelius

stephen — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:26:30 +0000

“Love All Over” was the culmination of 2 years of work by singer/songwriter Noah Cornelius. Noah and I began working together in the summer of 2007. We put down a handful of acoustic guitar scratch tracks and experimented with different tempos and song structures. Once we had that foundation set, we gradually added other elements. Noah’s friend Jon played drums for this album and did an excellent job. We tracked and edited his parts over 2 days. The next step was bass, and I volunteered to fill in. I took a few days to work out parts and get them recorded. After Noah was satisfied, we moved to vocals.

Noah’s vocal tracking went fairl quickly. We made sure to get a really organic feel to them and added harmonies to highlight certain areas. Noah invited his 2 sisters to be a part of the album and they sang harmony on the title track, opening the album.

Noah’s good friend, (and also a Droptone client) Bob Ivers, spent a lot of time with us and added harmonica, some lead guitar, and a handful of random sound effects to the album. Jim Miller (also a Droptone client) helped track some piano, and Paul Gagner recorded a majority of the lead guitar lines. It was a fun group effort. Noah is currently working on promoting the album. Learn more about Noah at his website.

Esera Tuaolo records his first solo debut with Droptone

stephen — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:58:34 +0000

Esera Tuaolo is scheduled to release his first solo full-length album on February 26th. The venue has yet to be decided. Esera has been working on his album over the last 2 years, tirelessly perfecting every track. Packed with 8 originals and 2 covers, Esera’s album covers a wide variety of musical stylings. From traditional Samoan folk song to edgy pop/r&b songs, Esera’s album promises to deliver something for every music fan.

Feel like you recognize the name Esera Tuaolo? That’s because Esera is a former NFL pro-bowler, playing in the 1998 Superbowl with the Atlanta Falcons. He’s also an accomplished author. His autobiography, Alone In The Trenches: My Life As A Gay Man In The NFL, was released in the spring of 2006.

Several tracks on the album were co-wrote with David Kellogg (Droptone Studio owner). Please take a moment and listen to a few of Esera’s tracks on our website media player. Another exciting contribution was made by Henry Krieger, the Grammy award-winning composer for the cast album Dreamgirls. Krieger and lyricist Bill Russell wrote the song “Oh God” for Esera’s album, a beautiful account of the inner-personal struggles and ideologically conflicting attitudes between homosexuality and Christianity.

Esera’s album is currently available online. You can find it on iTunes.

You can also learn more about Esera on his website.

Helen Thul – A Christmas Journey

stephen — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 04:52:22 +0000

Welcome to the Droptone Studio Blog! It’s a new year and we’ve got a new website. 2008 was full of fun and lots of music. It went out with a bang as the studio stayed open around the clock working on Christmas music. Helen Thul, a local christian artist, recorded her first solo project, A Christmas Journey. It contains 5 songs and kicks some butt. The last track is one of Helen’s originals and is acting as a teaser for a future full length debut. The entire album features Helen’s extraordinary vocal talent. Helen also included her friends and family as musicians, and Jai & I contributed bass and background vocals. David even got involved in the track all the way from Cambodia where he’s currently working. Helen’s 2nd track, “Journey to the King,” features one of David’s groove driven instrumentals. If you want hear one hip christmas dance track, you’re going to have to pick up this album. Check out Helen’s music here.

Immediately after Helen’s album was mixed, I packed my bags and headed towards Asia. After spending 3 weeks in Cambodia with David and his wife Angie, I returned for the holidays to spend time with my family. I’m back in the studio now and focused on a handful of new projects.