Great new dark and artsy EP from Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys, "Casualty Menagerie" is being released this weekend. You can preview the lead cut "No Room" and get release show info over here.

It was produced and engineered and arranged by multi-talented Lainey Schulbaum (The Steamy Bohemians, Calycadenia). I contributed some analog effects treatments (tube tape echo and other vintage hardware delays, spring reverbs) and various creative ideas to the production as well. It's been a really fun project.

I did the CD audio mastering and final assembly work with Lainey. We consulted with the band and decided that we all wanted actual volume dynamics and air and drama left in the recording, so counter to the current loudness wars in mastering, we didn't over-compress and over-limit. Careful spectral balancing and judicious use of tube compression and sweet analog EQ was used to get everything big and round and create a satisfying listening experience. Two of the songs were from the band's own home recordings, and we worked carefully to get the sonics of those fitted in smoothly with the new recordings. The band also wanted overlapping cross fades, soundscapes, and continuity between songs. I love that "concept album" approach, so we were happy to oblige.

I'm very pleased with how this project has turned out. Great EP from a great area band, great songs and performances and arrangements and production, most definitely in that tradition of dark intelligent art that Boston underground music can be so good at. The CD artwork kicks ass too, so this is a release that's well worth getting a real physical copy of, not just mp3s.