The Year of the Rat (album)

Infobox Album
Name = The Year of the Rat
Type = studio
Artist = j.m. Steiner


Released = 11 September 2007
Recorded = 2005-2007 @ 25 Chestnut Street, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania
Genre = Easy Listening
Length = 31:48
Label =
Producer = j.m. Steiner

"The Year of the Rat" (2007) is an album by composer, producer, performer, and artist j.m. Steiner. Written, mixed, and recorded over a span of two years, it was j.m.'s first release in over three years. The album represented another example of Steiner's complete control over a project, his ability to do it all: write, record, mix, perform, and design and create all the artwork and packaging for a release.

Track listing

All songs written by j.m.

"the Fader"

"Crush"

"Humidity"

"No Song"

"Slippers"

"Interlude I"

"Monkey IV (Captain Erection!)"

"Tonite I"

"Oh the Humanity"

"Turn It"

"The Walk (Monkey III)"

"B's"

History

"It started out as a gift for friends, especially people who hadn't heard my stuff yet." Steiner states. It was recorded at his studio (read: home dwelling) 25 Chestnut Street. "I recorded in every room of the house, save for my bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom." Steiner adds, "I don't usually perform/record where I eat and defecate...". The album was recorded over a span of two years (2005-2007). Apparently, "The Year of the Rat" was never intended as an album. Steiner elaborates, "It's really just bunch of my favorite tunes and/or recordings, that I remastered and sequenced as an album."

Steiner explains the title by relaying a story of his personal battle with "Ratty", an uninvited guest in his home for over three months. Steiner says "Ratty and I...I guess, I learned to respect that guy." He further adds, "I realized he/she's resourcefulness and ability to survive...he/she gained my respect through that." He mentions his "oneness" with "Ratty", "I think of myself as a survivor, and therefore in 'kin' with Ratty." He closes in saying, "I felt that as a mascot for this record, Ratty fit the bill, I have had to use all my resources...mental, physical, artistic, and emotional, to survive these past two years of my life and record these songs."

Technical Data

"The Year of the Rat" was recorded utilizing digital recording technology. "I used what I had available." Steiner claims. He used various microphones, including: (2) AKG C1000s, (1) Oktava MK-219, (1) MXL V67 i. Steiner also claims to have captured sounds in almost every room at 25 Chestnut Street.

"Most of it was recorded directly into my 15" MacBook Pro laptop, utilizing GarageBand." Steiner adds that he also used Apple's Logic Express, Mackie's Tracktion, and MOTU's Digital Performer. "Later on...closer to 2006, I bought Mackie's Onyx 400F FireWire interface, and started using that, but mostly...it was straight into the laptop's built-in audio ports." Steiner concludes.

Track by Track Information

#the Fader --- This song was written in 2006, after an emotionally taxing end of an intimate relationship. Recorded totally within Apple's GarageBand 3, it was a return to the soft/loud dynamic of earlier releases. Steiner had been cultivating a mostly acoustically instrumented songwritting period previous to this recording. It features a drum loop, one selected from GarageBand's pool of audio loops, and raging electric guitars."This was a return to actually "performing" the songs during the recording process." He further adds, "Up until the Fader, I was recording a part, say a guitar chord progression, and when I was happy with the take, I would trim it up and make a loop out of it." Steiner would then continue to layer instruments until he was satisfied with the results.

2. Crush --- A grunge song...through and through. This song marks Steiner's return to using a real amplifier mic'ed up and recorded. "I trusted my Schecter Tempest and my Gibson re-issue Orange OTR 120 to give me that satisfying crunch (or Crush, if you will)."

3. Humidity --- Steiner's favorite country tune. This song marks the beginning of j.m.'s use of live drums. "I usually program or use loops for drum production, but this song was so easy to play...I just went for it". Steiner also states, "One can hear the snapping of my Zippo lighter, right before the vocals start." The relaxed atmosphere is conveyed beautifully by the latter addition of sound.

4. No Song --- Originally entitled "My Song", which is the default file name given when opening a new song in GarageBand, It remains one of his favorite tunes. Steiner adds, "The odd tempo change at the end, was originally a mistake." "I kept that mistake...because it adds so much to the song." J.m. also revealed that the vocals are some of the best he's ever committed to record." This was built, layer by layer, like the Fader." "I really want to rock this one out, but as of this date it's never been played live." Steiner contends.

5. Slippers --- Similar to No Song, this is another rocker. "This was built, layer by layer, like the Fader." "The acoustic guitar and vocals were cut live in my bedroom, through my laptop's built-in mic."

6. Interlude I --- "Definitely filler, but still a great connector to the rest of the album." Steiner elaborates, "I used two microphones on the Orange, and cut it live in one take."

7. Monkey IV (Captain Erection!) --- Another song in the "monkey" series. Steiner explains these to be fun, one off, always instrumental cuts. Steiner explains, "I first wrote Monkey II (Peddlers' Fair) way back in 1996." J.m. claims that the sub-title has "nothing to do with anything."

8. Oh the Humanity --- "This song started out as a joke, because it was so simple." Steiner claims that this was shortly before an emotional collapse that landed him in the hospital. "This song will always be part of the live set...it's so fun and easy."

9. Tonite I --- The title implies either that this is the first in a series, or simply, that it reads right, such as "Tonite, I..." J.m. claims that this was also recorded with the Orange and Schecter around the same time Crush was committed to record.

10. Turn It--- "This song was help in a very dark time." Steiner states. "I had broken off a long relationship, yet my former mate was still living in the same two bedroom house with me...it was a terrible time." Steiner feels the song translates some of those negative feelings into a song he can "live with."

11. The Walk (Monkey III) --- Another instrumental. Steiner adds, "I layered two different, yet comparable, drum loops, to get the sound I achieved."

12. B's --- "I don't remember how to play this one...it was a one off...but it remains one of my favorite pieces." Steiner adds, "At the end and beginning of the song you can hear my dog Kali sleeping soundly on the couch as I perform." Of other considerable note, is the fact that 25 Chestnut's furnace can be heard clicking on at the close of the song. Steiner says, "This is kinda a love song for my dog."

External links

* [http://www.isthissound.net -- j.m.'s Official Website]