:: UTTER EAST ::

STUDIO: Recording Aesthetics & Sample Work

Aesthetics
The following are guidelines that influence us during the course of production.

Take me somewhere
Essentially, great music takes you to at least one of three places.
1. Some place transcendent
2. Some place familiar or relatable
3. A place of empathy – the shoes of another person

How We Work
Being that writing and recording is an organic creative process, we believe it's important to foster an environment that is relaxing, encouraging and relatively free of distractions. How do we do this? By providing a place that is cozy, intimate, nurturing and constructive. Additionally, we don't typically charge an hourly rate. It is our belief that thinking about the clock usually hinders whatever creative energy is in the room – especially if everyone is having an off day and inspiration isn't flowing.

Dynamics
For a piece of music to successfully take a listener anywhere, a distinct sense of dynamics must be present. Otherwise, the piece stagnates and becomes boring. It should be loud and quiet, harsh and soft, transcendental and ordinary, intimate and far away, etc.

Mastering
Because a good sense of dynamics is crucial, mastering is also a fine art. Over mastering will destroy any and all dynamics if the goal is to make a piece of audio as loud and noticeable as possible. Over mastering exhausts the listener’s ears and only lends itself to productions that will have a short life on the public stage.

Be well versed
It's important that one learn everything they can about every genre of music imagineable. As recording engineers, producers and artists, this knowledge equips us with a large sonic palette to reference when recording and collaborating with people of varying musical backgrounds.

Sample Work

MUSIC

Au Revoir Borealis – “Blame”
Song co-written, co-arranged, co-performed
and mixed by Steve Swartz of Utter East

For Wishes – “Amber”
Song written, arranged, performed, engineered,
edited and mixed by Steve Swartz of Utter East

Steve Hobbs – “Solo Vibraphone”
Engineered, edited and mixed by Steve Swartz
of Utter East

War Between The States – “Gorgeous”
Engineered, edited and mixed by Steve Swartz
of Utter East

Mary Grace Calley – “Eden’s Light”
Co-arranged, co-performed, engineered, edited
and mixed by Steve Swartz of Utter East

HAP – “Fairy Tale”
Composed, arranged, engineered, edited and
mixed by Steve Swartz of Utter East

Figo – “Loop 1”
Figo – “Loop 2”
Composed, arranged, performed, engineered,
edited and mixed by Steve Swartz of Utter East

Viral – “One” (Originally by U2)
Reinterpretted, arranged, performed, engineered,
edited and mixed by Steve Swartz of Utter East

Tom Currie – “Untitled”
Engineered, edited and mixed by Steve Swartz
of Utter East