Black Submarine
WhenTheVervefinished, thefeelingamongus wasthatitwas premature.Therewas definitelymoremileage init,”saysNickMcCabe,themanformer bandmateRichardAshcroftoncedescribed aschannelling“awholeotheruniverse” throughhisshimmering,psychedelicsixstring someacrimonyforthethird,andapparently final,timein2009,theremainingmembers, sansAshcroft,plannedtocontinue. DrummerPeterSalisburypulledoutbefore anynewstudiosessionsbegan,soMcCabe, bassistSimonJones,electricviolinist DavideRossi–whohadworkedwithThe Verveontheirfinalstudioalbum, Forth, and joinedthemliveonstage–recruitedformer Portisheaddrummer,MigSchillace,and headedtoDenmark.
“Thefirsttwoweeksofplayingin Copenhagenyielded80tunes,”says McCabe.“Wegotintothehabitofrecording everything.There’salotofopennesstothe magicofimprovisation,forwantofaless preciousterm.ItwasashamethatPete wasn’tonboard,butinalotofrespects,it wasprobablyforthebest.IthinkMighas agreatercapacitytoadapttowhatis happeninginaroomatanyonetime.He wastheobviousguyforthejob,andhewas agoodfriend,anyway.”
BlackSubmarine’sline-upiscompleted bysingerAmeliaTucker,whoplaysakey roleinprocessinghoursofimprovised jams–McCabedescribesherastherealace inthehole.“She’soneofourkeyeditors. Ikeepsayingthis,butshe’soneofthose peoplewhocantakeasortofmacroview andanoverviewatthesametime.Soshe’s reallygoodatdetail,andsheknowswhere she’sgoinginthegreaterschemeofthings atthesametime.Somethinglike HereSo Rain wasmostlydrums,violinandmelodica withverylittleguitar.Shegotthisskeleton ofthethingandreturnedafullyfinished songtousthatjustmadeabsolutelogical sense.Mostthingsgothroughseveral reductions.It’sadistillationprocess.”
Modernlove
AlthoughmuchofBlackSubmarine’ssound istheresultofhumansplayingtogetherina room,technologyplaysanimportantpart, especiallyforMcCabe,longanadvocateofa modernisticapproachtoguitarrecording: “ItwaskindofmyideatobringProTools into[Vervealbum] UrbanHymns. Itwas awayofgettingmyselfoffthehook,really. Mytechnicalskillsaren’tthatgreat,but whatIamgoodatisinventingthingsand takingalateralview.There’snothing Idislikemorethanhearingunisonacoustic andelectricguitar.IfI’dstartedfollowing thechordsitwouldhavejustkilleditforme. Itwasfunnyatthetime…Richardsaidmy jobwastof**kitup!Iwassortofsemiinsulted againstwhateverwashappening,andgiveit adifferentdimension.
“Iprobablywentthroughthesame phasethateverybodydid:youstart perfectingeverything,justbecauseyoucan. Iunderstandthattheimperfectionisthe beautyofitnow.Tempodriftandlittle glitchesinplayingandstuff;youstart editingthatout,youendupwithhighly quantised,one-dimensionalmusic.It’s difficultforkidsintheirlateteensorearly 20snow–they’resoaccustomedto quantisedmusicthateverythingelse soundssloppy.
“Buteachbandhasitsownrhythmic fingerprint.It’sstillsomethingthatIfind slightlymystical.You’vegottotakeakindof Eno-esquephilosophicalline–youspeed upandslowdownforareason.Generally, littleshiftsintempoaretodowiththefact thattheexcitementintheroomhasramped up.Ifyoutakethatout,youlosepartofthe feelingofit.SowithBlackSubmarine,we’ve