Project takes studio to stage

THE last tracks were laid down at the Eastern Hotel earlier this week for the first round of a recording project aimed at bolstering Ballarat’s music scene.

Dubbed the Eastern Recording Project, the initiative’s final session was held on Monday, with the venue’s band room treated with soundproofed partitions and directional microphones to put down four artists’ original songs.

Funded through the Ballarat Creative Inspiration Grants, the program gave artists the opportunity to record their track for free.

Coordinator, Jackson Cass, said the reaction to the project has exceeded his expectations.

“We were measuring the success of the program around what the reaction of the local music community was and their overall interest,” he said. “I’d mark this well over a success.

“We’re limited in what we can and can’t do purely because it’s a live music venue and we’ve got to watch the train timetable and bleed coming in from the street but that’s very easily battled.

“Using this space hasn’t been intimidating. I think all the artists have been able to feel relaxed and comfortable coming into this space which is how you get the best performance out of them.

“As the recordings have gone, we’ve just had a great time with this. We’ve managed to carve out a great overall process in this space.

The four selected acts included Hectic Hawks, Liv Moneghetti, and Sylvie May and the Silverbeets, who were chosen out of a pool of more than 30 applicants.

Each artist recorded their work in single sessions on Monday evenings when the Eastern wasn’t operating and a pub.

Cass worked behind the desk, or laptop, as producer and engineer of the songs, which saw the occasional help from additional musicians and overall little overdubbing.

Marcus Frangos of folk duo The Darlings Family Trust was one of the artists on stage during the last session and said it was a step up from his normal recording environment.

“Everything we’ve recorded I’d done myself in a little tiny room in Gordon through Pro Tools,” he said.

“I’m sure it’s always going to be a positive thing to be able to record for free as well and then have a gig to prop up the tracks and meet other bands.”

The project’s first round is set to conclude with a concert featuring all four acts, to take place at the Eastern on Saturday, 1 July during the Be Hear Now initiative.