Music for Perfect People

While Jonathan Visger is known as a member of the group Mason Proper, the singer/songwriter also releases music under his solo project Absofacto. Visger’s songs instantly make your day better as each release consistently features his ability to write and record pop music, and usually includes some insight as to the inspiration for each track.

For Absofacto’s latest release, “If You Want”, Visger included a story about how his family used to watch the movie Harold and Maude and how the music Cat Stevens wrote for the film has always stuck with him. While I have neither seen the movie, nor heard the Cat Steven’s tracks associated with it, I am still thoroughly enjoying “If You Want.” The beat is up-tempo, the vocals are uplifting, and the best part of all is that it was created and recorded by a single person.

For more music from Absofacto, head to his bandcamp. I recommend the Sinking Islands EP as a good starting point as it features eight singles that were remastered and reworked, along with two new tracks.

Get connected with Absofacto:: website | facebook | twitter

Related Posts:

• ALBUM STREAM:: Absofacto – ‘Sinking Islands’
• LISTEN :: Absofacto + 10k Cities 7” split
• STREAM :: Lissi Dancefloor Disaster – ‘As We Plz’ EP
• MP3 :: Absofacto – “Nobody on the Subway”
• LISTEN :: Absofacto – “Triangle 3″

In regards to the latest Absofacto track “Nobody on the Subway,” Jonathan Visger said:

I’ve been focusing really hard on the Mason Proper album, but I gave myself a couple days to get an Absofacto song done because I’d be really depressed if I missed a month. Normally I spend about ten to fifteen days on each one, but this time I had to go through the writing, recording, and mixing process in three.

I started recording before I had any idea what it was going to be. I just flipped out and said to myself, “Self, play that one drum beat you like!” and so I quickly set up the one microphone I had and played it. When I listened back I noticed a kind of overtone ringing coming from some undampened drum head somewhere on the kit. Rather than fix it, I just figured out what note it was and decided that would be the key of the song so that whatever else I added wouldn’t clash. Then I was sad that my drums sounded so monauralisticish because of my only having/using one mic, so I tried to play them again identically so I could make them sound stereophonical.

Then I plugged my guitar into the direct input on the microphone preamp I was recording the drums through, but the level was all wrong for the guitar because it was set up to record the drums. It was turned up way too loud and was distorting. I said to myself, “Self, you don’t have time to be turning all kinds of knobs! I guess that this is going to be your guitar sound.”

After working out some guitar parts, it was time for vocals. And I said to myself, “Self, you don’t have time to be writing all kinds of words!! Make the vocal melody sparse!!” And so I broke up a sentence into a long amount of time. “There. Goes. Someone. That nobody knows.”

I liked that a lot, so then to make a long story slightly less long I worked day and night for three days and finished the track. Most of the third day was spent in frustration just trying to get the final mix printed without any computer glitches.

Sometimes it’s really fun to make things under such a crazy deadline, even if it’s self-imposed. Otherwise I give into the side of myself that wants to labor over every little decision. You would be surprised at the little decisions I labor over.

As far as the end result… I guess I just have to say that the weather has been sunny and BEAUTIFUL, I’m in good spirits, and I think you can hear all that in the song.

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DOWNLOAD :: Absofacto – “Nobody on the Subway” – [MP3]

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-Mangtooth

Related Posts:

• LISTEN:: Absofacto – “If You Want”
• DOWNLOAD :: Absofacto – “Punch Drunk on Black Mold”
• DOWNLOAD :: Elsinore – “Happiness Is What You Want” [Absofacto REMIX]
• LISTEN :: Absofacto – “Triangle 3″
• VIDEO :: Mason Proper – “Lock and Key”

Check out the latest single, “Triangle 3,” released from Absofacto (a.k.a Jonathan Visger.) The track features catchy guitar riffs + oohhhhs and ahhhs + synths + simple lyrics. If you’re interested in the making of the track, read on after the jump …

-Mangtooth

Read the rest of this entry »

Related Posts:

• LISTEN:: Absofacto – “If You Want”
• MP3 :: Absofacto – “Nobody on the Subway”
• LISTEN :: Spaceship Aloha (a.k.a. Pow Pow from Man Man) – “Xenon”
• ALBUM STREAM:: Absofacto – ‘Sinking Islands’
• STREAMING:: The Parallax View – ‘Hip Slop’ EP + “Aging” [ft. Bluebird Handwriting] video