HUNDREDTH - Somewhere Nowhere (Oct 9, 2020) Album • Page 8

Ahh yeah. This is the good stuff. Disc scratches coming in clutch

 

Sickkk

 

Amazing

 

Record scratches? Acoustic guitar? I love it.

 

I was just kind of perusing the thread not intending to listen right now, but this comment made me immediately put on the track. Good call.

Honestly on my short list of truly criminally underrated albums/bands. They felt right on the verge of making something like Peripheral Vision or Hyperview. Any insight into that album/band?

EDIT: Also on Darkside his vocals sound like Post Malone during the verses. I dig it a lot.

 

The American Scene Record and My Relationship with Pure Noise
The American Scene record was a major negative turning point in my relationship with Pure Noise. At the end of the project, I asked for an extra week to edit and mix. I did not ask for more money, just more time. Jake’s response on the phone to me and my then manager, Dave Shapiro, was blunt.

“Absolutely not. I do not need perfect records. I need records completed on time and within budget so I can meet my deadlines. Otherwise, I will not be working with you again.”

That made it clear. He did not care about the integrity or longevity of the record. He just wanted it delivered immediately.

So I walked inside, pressed print, and walked away. I stopped working on the record and abandoned it. That was effectively the end of my working relationship with Jake. We were not friends after that. He became just a business guy, and I was in the business of making his label’s content the best it could be. But after that moment, I knew I was never going to put my heart and soul into a project for him again. From then on, it was only about money, time, and setting clear boundaries to make sure I never went above and beyond for him again.

The Recording Process
I was really close with Matt and Charles. This was their first album with Jeff. I had mixed feelings about Jeff. I had not had a great experience with him in the past, so I was cautious. He was a great writer with good ideas, and he was great to work with. I just did not know if he would mesh well with the band or if he would steamroll their ideas.

The band wrote by jamming together, so by the time we got into the studio, everything was already dialed in.

Drums
I wanted to track the drums separately from the cymbals, so I did. I recorded the shells in the smaller East live room and spent a lot of time dialing in the snare sound. This really shitty snare basically became the sound of the record. The goal was a big, indie, raw drum sound while keeping the cymbals crisp, clean, and not washy. The songs had a dance feel, so I wanted the cymbals to be tight. I tracked them separately in my ISO room to get that contrast.

Bass
Bass was fun on this record. It was the first time I skipped using a DI and just miked an Ampeg amp with a Blue Mouse. I also tried something I have never done again. I ran the mono bass signal through a stereo pair of 1176s, calibrated the same, to add a bit of width. On top of that, I cranked the reverb knob on my Ampeg V4 for extra character. Bass and reverb. Cool combo.

Guitars
Nothing too out of the ordinary. DI first, then reamping. Jeff and Chris had a lot of pedals, but nothing really stood out. The biggest memory I have is that Jeff was really into the clean channel on my Dexter amp.

Vocals
Matt is a great writer and vocalist, but at the time, I struggled to pinpoint what felt off about his delivery. Looking back, I think it was a mix of inconsistent pitch drifts and the way he exaggerated emotion when he sang. He almost put on a voice instead of delivering naturally. It was noticeable enough that people sometimes thought he had a British accent.

I spent a ton of time manually cleaning up the vocals and tuning them. That was the main reason I needed those extra few days before turning in the album. We had finished tracking on time, but we never got to properly edit and mix before delivering it.

Mixing and Mastering
We sent the album to Ryan at Sterling for mastering. I really wanted Greg Calbi, but I missed the deadline by a few hours and we lost his time slot. Ryan did a great job, and the master turned out impressive.

What was frustrating was that, despite all the label’s pressure over deadlines, the album took forever to come out. All of Jake’s rigid timelines and negative, unsupportive comments seemed completely irrelevant in hindsight. The band got almost no promotion, and it felt like the label deliberately sabotaged their potential. Other albums I finished for Pure Noise after this one came out before this record, making the whole situation even more frustrating.

Aftermath
The album was a sleeper. Those who know it love it, but a lot of people never even heard it. They did the TSSF tour, and then they fizzled out.

Great band. Great record. The whole thing feels like a blur now, but that is the gist of it.

 

Even the marketing was great. I was annoyed I couldn't skip my classes and find the USB wherever it was hidden in Philly.

 

Man, thanks for all that. I'm not familiar with a lot of recording techniques, some others in the thread probably are more than me. I can definitely hear what you're talking about though with the snare being the "sound" of the record. I still love the title track and White Widow so much, such a cool vibe.

 

Really pleasantly surprised with the direction this new record taking but I dig it!

 

Thanks for writing this all out. I wish this band did more. I remember being hyped for Haze but left disappointed.

 

That's the good shit right there.

 

Hard pass on the song for me and they can get outta here with that AI ass video too

 

Dig the song, fuck the AI.

This is from the dude that made it's site. I refuse to give him a title since he didn't really do shit.

Fuck off

 

this is shaping up to be their best record i think

 

Loved the first two tracks, this one not so much. Was immediately put off by the video for darkside which was clearly AI. Hate this shit being so normalized.

 

Wow this song rocks

 

ew AI

Song is good though.

 

Ok!!! Excited to jump in here and say I’m incredibly proud of the new Hundredth album. I think it’s not just pushing into new territory but also coming full circle. It pulls from every era of the band’s sound and energy to create something that feels cohesive and current.

When I show people the new record, they often ask about the drum sounds. But it’s just like the music video. It’s about vision, not tradition. When listeners actually engage with their ears and eyes without defaulting to their biases about electronic drums, synths, guitar sims, or AI, they usually walk away impressed.

This isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about using every tool to evoke thought and emotion.

So why is this video offensive? What’s so unsettling about a band evolving and expressing themselves through art that reflects the present?

 

I’ve never looked at any sort of AI art and not wished it were a piece of actual real art instead

 

So let me get this straight: you saw a beautifully executed, imaginative piece that would be nearly impossible to recreate in real life without a massive budget, and your takeaway is, “I wish it were real”?

What exactly would be better if it were made by a human? Giant inflatables? Complex prosthetics? Perfect lighting on impossible sets? It’s not that the piece lacks artistry… it’s that it challenges where art can come from.

 

I’ve never viewed generative AI usage as anything other than complete and total creative bankruptcy and I never will. Think of something else

the CO2 emissions and water waste are just the cherry on top of the shit sundae

 

It’s something created with stolen art. It’s that simple.