"Upright" is an exploration of all the sounds you can possibly make on one piano.
A little about the process:
These tracks were pre-produced using Logic by Melissa, building the general form of the piece and exploring options.
We then tracked everything live on a post-war Otto Stierstad upright that has been in Jürgen's family for decades. We have become so fond of her that she is referred to as "Ouma Otto" (Grandma Otto).
Using various implements of torture (mallets, sticks, brushes, home-made beaters and even some cutlery) and extensive engineering skills, we made gorgeous sounds.
Everything is played live. There is no cut-and-past, no editing to fix mistakes or fill out form, no tuning. Only ONE of the samples used in preproduction remained. Can you guess which one it is?
Melissa van der Spuy is a renowned pianist, composer and producer. You can read more about "Upright" and her other projects on her site.
www.melissavanderspuy.co.za
Jürgen von Wechmar is owner and resident engineer at Sunset Recording Studios in beautiful Stellenbosch, South-Africa.
www.sunsetrecording.com
"Upright" was mastered by Tim Lengfeld at TL Mastering.
www.mastering.co.za
The music video for "Lovebot" was directed and filmed by Pierre F. Lombaard.
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