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Masaki Batoh at Terrastock V, photo by Chris Gillis |
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Liner notes from the Japanese release of "Damon & Naomi with Ghost" The members of Ghost first met Damon and Naomi in June 1995 at baggage reclaim at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. We had finished our dates on the West Coast and had flown into Chicago. The plan was to hook up with Magic Hour (at that time D&N were the group’s rhythm section) with whom we were going to tour the East Coast club circuit. After we picked up our baggage, we waited for the road manager in one corner of the huge and empty terminal. Over an hour had passed since the arranged time and just as we were beginning to get slightly worried, we caught sight of a man and a woman dashing breathlessly into the terminal building. They were still a long way off so we were able to get a good look at them. But we had no idea who was coming to pick us up, so it wouldn’t have done just to gone up and talk to them. They stopped, breathing raggedly, in front of the unmoving luggage conveyor belt in the gloomy terminal. As they looked around, I could see that they seemed to be in extreme distress. Originally, their tour manager was supposed to pick us up, but he had been delayed and they had driven like maniacs to meet us in his stead. From the moment we saw them we felt like we were old friends, and impressed by their consideration we hesitantly walked towards them. “Hi. Are you Damon & Naomi?” They turned round to see a gang of long-haired Asians, and then smiling said, “Welcome to America!” Four years later, on December 24 1999 we arrived at Boston’s Logan Airport in order to record an album with Damon & Naomi. We’d come prepared for the freezing New England winter, but the weather still managed to confound us. Unusual weather patterns meant that the East Coast of America was facing a Christmas more akin to an Indian summer – on the verge of the end of the 20th century the weather was mild enough to provoke anxiety. Since that first meeting we had toured or played together every year, building up a close relationship of trust, but from today we were to begin recording together for the first time. And fittingly, just as they had on first occasion, it was Damon & Naomi themselves who came to pick us up. Just as the title ?Damon & Naomi with Ghost? suggests, this album was a collaboration between two groups. It was an album released under their name where Ghost were responsible for the production, arrangement and accompaniment. In the end, we were unable to join in on the mixing and mastering, so we left America having entrusted the final editing decisions to Damon & Naomi. However, while the time we spent together was limited, I think that we truly used that time to the full. The recording took place in two rooms in their house in Cambridge. Perhaps because the house was built in the last century, its masonry construction and high ceilings made our acoustic instruments resonate beautifully and was perfect for recording. While I was of course grateful for the chance to record under conditions that were not as rushed as those in a recording studio, even more wonderful was to be able to look out the windows at the New England landscape and the special relaxed mood only possible when you’re at home. There are substantial musical differences between us and them, but in these recording conditions there was one point especially that we held in common. That was in our use of time. When recording, we both liked to take out time over every part of the process. We would both debate not just the mike positions, but also where we would stand and the isolation of the instruments. After we had laid down the basic tracks, we would then begin overdubbing, proceeding by trial and error, and sometimes by deliberately setting the tracks aside and forgetting about them. Our reason for this methodology - music is always a projection of a mental image, and at the same time a living creature that changes moment by moment. A writer once remarked that experimentation runs counter to common sense, but as I see it there is nothing more foolish than a creative work that proceeds to some predetermined plan. But I should return to the topic at hand. The basic tracks mostly consisted of an acoustic guitar part, played by either Damon or myself. I seem to recall that they were mainly recorded in the afternoon. On this album we decided to record most of the instruments as they are, without trying to alter their sounds. Especially since we took great pains over the recording of the acoustic instruments, this took much longer than we had expected. In order to best exploit the acoustic qualities of the room and the instruments, we experimented with many different condenser mics, both old and new, deliberately changing them for each song or for each guitar. In addition, I think that the gorgeous scenery outside, the balmy weather, and the warm air of relaxation their house provided all contributed greatly to the character of this album. Even the fact that it was the first time for us to record in front of an open fire. There were times when the overdubbing process ran deep into the night, sometimes even close to dawn. At these times slight noises from the central heating system (it would let out occasional roars, startling us all) got in the way of the recording. Damon finally lost patience with it and went down to the basement to turn it off entirely. The unexpected noises may have gone, but in their stead the room became bitingly cold, and with our teeth chattering we had to work on till the early hours of the morning. On another occasion, just when we were recording the most delicate tune on the album ?Don’t forget?, some kids from the neighbourhood starting kicking up a ruckus outside the window. The recording would have been ruined if their voices got onto the tape, so Naomi dashed outside. We opened the window to see what was going on and heard her saying to the kids, ?we are listening to a lecture by some very respected Asian musicians. Go and play somewhere far away, where you won’t disturb us.? It sounded like she’d invited Shiv Kumar Sharma or Toru Takemitsu, and we all burst out laughing. We continued recording through the night on both sides of the millennium. In spite of the rumours about massive terrorist attacks or power blackouts, New Year’s Eve 2000 was quiet and peaceful. (In fact, we totally neglected the date, pressing on in rapt concentration with our work). On January 5th of the New Year, we handed over the editing responsibility to them and left America. |
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