Your advice on a curious mastering problem

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Here's the problem:

A friend and I wrote an ananlogue, old school acid style track and sent it to an English label as a submission for a compilation. They accepted it and put it on the compilation, saying to us words to the following effect: "Wow! Filthy, mental, distorted acid! Insane! We didn't like it at first, but now we love it!"

Great, we thought. Then a couple of weeks later the CD compilation arrived. Within seconds of listening to our track it became evident that our track was filthy because the CD-R we had sent them had disagreed with their own CD player. Basically, it was our track, but with a coasre, pink noise digital ditortion keeping pace with all mid- to high- frequency sounds. If you haven't heard this, it sounds like your track has been vigorously scrubbed with a metal scourer. Filthy is the word. When I listen to the track from what I imagine to be their point of view, it sounds outrageous - but sort of good. When I listen to it from my point of view, I just think - "Ugh! This is not what we sent them!"

But they like it just the way it is. Should we tell them?

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 03:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd tell them you have a "clean mix" they might want to check out too, and ask which they prefer.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 03:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Hahaha! Brilliant! But there's a risk if I do that - they're techno producers themselves and are savvy enough to work out what happened.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 03:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Just play along. That's a great story.

― slutsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 20:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I seriously do NOT think you should say anything at all, this sort of element-of-chance thing is fate smiling on you.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 22 April 2003 20:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, use this as a kind of dice roll in the musical universe? See where it takes us?

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Sunday, 27 April 2003 10:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I really liked your last post, John, it's a very exciting concept. Makes me tingly all over. Well, it's clear where the consensus lies.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Monday, 28 April 2003 04:50 (twenty-two years ago)

My curiosity has been piqued, I'd like to hear it.
More details?

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Monday, 28 April 2003 04:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Squirrel Police,

You can order it from the Overload Website:

www.overloadmedia.co.uk

Cheers.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Monday, 28 April 2003 05:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops, forgot to mention - album, a compilation of techno-oriented tracks, is called "The Album That Shall Not Be Named". CD only. Track is called "Espresso Enhanced Ass Shaker".

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Monday, 28 April 2003 05:15 (twenty-two years ago)

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