Flood

[EstateMatt]

Anyone ever watch (or have info on) the methodology Flood uses to produce a record?

It's obviously done in a completely different way than most major recordings. The production, arrangement, tonality, and performance are so interdependent that it's kind of confusing to unravel. Most other tonally diverse recordings seem like the aesthetic aspect has been laid over the music rather than woven into it. I mean I know he's a genius and you can just chalk it up to that, but it seems like there might be one or two keys that differentiate how he works.

[EstateMatt]

this lack of response has to be a false negative! No one knows anything?

in other words: bump

[Mertmo]

I know nothing. Would like to know more...

I know I love his PJ Harvey records a LOT.

[EstateMatt]

That's what I'm saying!!! I mean it's obvious that she goes to him with songs written for one(ish) instrument. What the hell happens after that?

[theblotted]

when it comes to Smashing Pumpkins, i like what Butch Vig did more; but i'll still give credit to Flood and Alan Moulder for creating such a beautiful and tonally colorful album - MCIS.

[decibike]

Flood rules. I'd like to know more too

Use the search function on the Sound on Sound website. There's an article about his work on U2s pop.

A quick google search gave me some info but not much:
His favorite vocal mic is the Shure Beta 58, he likes tape, loves vintage synths and state of the art digital effects.

Anyone?

[Shiny Turd]

He's one of my fave producers, all I've found is

Warez.com Magazine - Interviews - Flood - Pro-Active Producer ( shit page, a nightmare to watch, constant reloading of images)

Flood page I

[MarkRB]

I worked on a couple of records with Flood about 10 years ago.

He is a very chilled producer, very much guiding and suggesting rather than imposing his ideas on people. He's also a great engineer.

Everything down to 2" 15ips Dolby SR.
He had his own rack of 1176's and mic collection which he brought along, the most notable being a pair of Neumann Bottles which were used as drum overheads, then squashed through the Ureis. When put alongside a very odd positioned mic pointing at the floor to the right of the Bass Drum, also squashed to hell you get a quite recognisable sound. Or at least one I've heard several times since in his productions.

[Jules]

I assisted him on a 24 hour mix session for a Depesh Mode track (Master & Servant)

It was on 2" and was in the SSL B room at Matrix studios, London, UK

The 2" was JAMMED so the track sheet was packed with as many as 4 parts per track .. IE track 1 = Shopping cart noise on chorus / verse bleep / outro bvox / intro scream... (and so on..)

He brought with him a tiny mono Roberts AM radio that had been modded (the "blue box") to axcept XLT inputs and to simulate (filters & other stuff) the sound processing of an AM radio station. (I had seen these radios + blue boxes in a few senior record company A&R offices also..)

He mostly mixed through that little mono radio..

If you think about the LEGIONS of European DPM fans - mixing for AM radio (at that time, mid 80's) made a LOT of sence..

Anyway - as well as somehow making sense of the completely jammed multitrack - he took a cat nap - flat on his face, on the dirty carpeted floor in the control room for 1 hour in the early morning. (he gave me instructions to wake him up...)

So he's a hard worker too!



We would have mixed to 1/4" tape on a Ampex ATR 102 at 30ips (I dont think we had the 1/2 inch head blocks yet at that time)

[Kestral]

Love his Depeche Mode records, and U2's Achtung Baby has Flood all over it. The first time I heard Achtung Baby in a record store, I thought it was the new Depeche Mode album.

[engmix]

i engineered a record for him many years ago. i was quite green at the time, 20 years old, so to find out i was going to work with him right after coming off of a hugely successful U2 record was exciting to say the least.

we tracked to 2" 30ips. the sessions lasted between 2-3 months. i did get to mix one track for him. his vibe in the studio was very much in support of the music, and trying to keep the technical stuff in the background. occasionally would come into the control room and slap up some fx, compression, or work on getting good rough mixes that had some vibe. he was the first guy i had seen use mostly subtractive eq, and really spank some compressors in the room. he also was very astute at finding conflicts, such as, the tuning of a snare drum effecting a lead vocals pitch. to say i learned a lot from him would be an understatement.

one note, he never took off his jacket. one day i tried to turn the control room into an oven to see if he would take it off. i think he knew what i was up to, and never took off that bloody jacket. it became the running joke.

[decibike]

Great stuff! Does anyone know about his methods and gear on NINs Downward Spiral or Smashing pumpkins Mellon collie and the infinite sadness?

[StrykeBack]

U2's Achtung Baby is one of my favorite albums of all time. There is an article in EQ this last month with billy corgan and the entire smashing pumpkins discography and the making of each record so there was a lot about Flood in there.

Theres also that great story on U2's making of the joshua tree DVD where he tackled brian eno when he was setting up to erase one of their most famous songs so they could just start over.

[bcgood]

Flood's been on my radar ever since Joshua Tree. He's pretty much legendary at this point. Would love to hear more about him. I wonder if the Beta 58 is his favorite vocal mic what is his favorite pre for the 58? If I had to guess, 1073...

[chillytc]

It's not about Flood, but for those interested in The Fragile (possibly my favorite record), I have read and re-read this article many times . . .

Alan Moulder: FROM TRIDENT TO NINE INCH NAILS

EDIT: Apologies - I don't think Flood was on this record - I thought he was when I posted it . . . too mas tequila . . .

[midiman123]

Flood rules

KK

[Evil Jack]

A friend of mine did a lot of work helping out with setting up the studio Flood currently shares with Alan Moulder (they are actually about to move to a new facilty). As a thank you Flood arranged for my friend to have a drum lesson with Jimmy Chamberlain!

[Everbeatz]

He did programming on The Downward Spiral also - Arp2600

Besides NIN he's done a great job mixing Depeche Mode - Violator - my favourite DM record

In some interview I read that he doesn't like traditional approach of making records - he's more experimental type, not playing safe and we all know that the best things come up that way

Really a great producer

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by Evil Jack

A friend of mine did a lot of work helping out with setting up the studio Flood currently shares with Alan Moulder (they are actually about to move to a new facilty). As a thank you Flood arranged for my friend to have a drum lesson with Jimmy Chamberlain!

I don't think they have plans to move...they have two rooms (SSL mix and Neve tracking, with huge live room!) in one facility! The tracking room is commercially available too, with lots of Flood's equipment in situ!

Miloco Recording Studios London

and an interview with F + AM:

Miloco Recording Studios London

[Evil Jack]

That's the new one!

(Jeez i've been so busy - what month is it?)

Cool interview BTW...

[Meriphew]

Flood worked on the latest Sigur Ros album as well. He's done a lot of great work.

[theother]

From the time he was working in our room I can tell you that this guy has an incredible set of ears.

He's one of the most relaxed producers I've seen working in a long time. Never stressed which is beneficial to everyone involved.