Hi-fi, Lo-fi or No-fi

For a band to grow a fan base, access to their music is essential.

Luckily, Bloomington artists have options when it comes to recording.
In the spirit of “If you want something done right, do it yourself,” some bands opt for home recordings.

“We were going for an intimate, family room sort of feel,” said IU student Jake Amrhein from local band Passengers. “Most of our music is made at our house. We figured it should be recorded here, too. Plus, being in school doesn’t leave a big budget for music.”

Passengers’ recordings are produced with only a microphone and a Macbook.

“There is a surprising degree of control built into GarageBand,” Amrhein said.

GarageBand is an application that comes standard on most Apple computers. The program, and others like it, allow for musical production at a basic level.

“It gets the job done for now, at least while we are learning how to put together demos,” Amrhein said.

Elsewhere, the lo-fi sound is also catching on. Many established bands are implementing the technique in their works.

Small Black and Beach Fossils played July 9 at Bloomington music venue The Bishop. Both bands are known for the fuzzy productions and tape-reel feel of their albums.

“Home recording is good for some people — you’re not on the clock,” Josh Kolenik of Small Black said. “It’s fun to go to a nice place and record, but we like it better our way.”

A lower-standard recording is subject to noticeable imperfections and distortion, but the flaws often add a particular charm or nostalgic element to the tracks.

“There was definitely a certain sound we were going for with our first EP,” Kolenik said.
“Sometimes we listen to a recording and realize it’s too clean and have to do something to mess with it.”

If the self-production aspect doesn’t sound as appealing to a band or artist, Bloomington is home to many different recording studios.

Mike Bridavsky, an IU graduate and previous engineer for IU’s audio department, operates the Russian Recording studio on the south side of town.

“At Russian Recording, bands can focus on playing their music instead of worrying about messing with equipment,” Bridavsky said. “We make a high quality of recording available to everyone.”

Russian Recording has produced works from many Bloomington artists such as Husband and Wife and Alexander the Great, as well as nationally touring bands such as BLK JKS.

“There’s nothing wrong with recording at home,” Bridavsky said. “Recording in the studio is just faster, more efficient, and we can give the bands the sound they are looking for.”

Hi-fi, lo-fi or no-fi — the decision is yours.