We Are Echoes God Creates

Damien Jurado “Maraqopa”

A lot of producers can do “atmosphere,” but Richard Swift goes a step further, engineering tracks to evoke a strong sensation of physical presence. As in, you listen and feel as those you’re in the same space as the performer and instruments, but in a more intimate way than being a spectator at a concert. This approach is ideal for Damien Jurado, who would shrink in a large sound, or recede into the background if given a one-size-fits-all production job. Swift goes heavy on room sound ambiance and what comes like a natural spacing between instruments – I am not clear on his techniques, but I suspect he’s using binaural microphone placement to get the “3D sound” – and, in effect, Jurado seems to be magnified. He and his instruments sound like something you can reach out and touch, or glance at across the room. The backing vocals exaggerate the effect, with an echo that could be just down the hall from everything else.

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