[photo courtesy of Adam B]
Acidjack reports:
“Godspeed You! Black Emperor returned to New York after a nine-year break from our city. How the world has changed since then. When the band last played here, their music could have been the soundtrack to those times – a soundtrack to an era of real fear – not of something to do with esoteric finance – but a visceral, inescapable apprehension of a decaying world. GYBE are an unabashedly political band, and their music, as well as the intense visuals that their live performances soundtrack, are political in a mostly-abstract way. The visuals are mash-ups that evoke the world’s extremes; majesty and beauty in the midst of nascent dread. Here you see the fires of smoldering factories soundtracked by a plaintive surge of sound, where the sound of even the lowly triangle can take on menace. But there is beauty there, as there is in an unmolested glen; in a snippet of a nostalgic ramble that is both endearing and creepy. During the two and a half hour opus that was this phenomenal return to Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple (which followed a night at Terminal 5, and was followed by another night at the Masonic Temple), we were reminded that out of each paroxysm of suffering and bout of anxiety, there remains the zeal and fervor of hope. As one song flowed seamlessly into the next, it was impossible not to be taken over by it all, consumed by the vision of these masterful Montreal-based players.
When they left the stage the images endured; the fire and the pity and the violence and the hope; the precious and the profane. There are few musical acts that can cause such waves of emotion. Godspeed You Black Emperor! is one of them. Welcome back.
I recorded this set with the Schoeps microphones on a high pole in the center of the room. Thank you to Si for the excellent house mix and her support. Enjoy!”
Thanks to Ronen and the Wordless Music Series for their generosity and support!
All four of the Masonic Temple and St. Paul’s concerts were recorded and will be posted in the coming days.
Stream “The Cowboy”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/G3015GYBE0121/07.%20The%20Cowboy.mp3]
Direct Download of this show is now available in FLAC or MP3 format at Archive.org [HERE]
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
2011-03-15
Brooklyn Masonic Temple
Brooklyn, NY USA
An acidjack master recording
Recorded by acidjack
Produced by nyctaper
Equipment: Schoeps CMC6/mk41>Sound Devices USBpre2>Edirol R-44 [Oade Mod] (24/48)
Position: Slightly ROC, mics at 12ft, roughly DIN
Mastering: 24bit/48kHz WAV> Soundforge (set fades, level adjustments, downsample)> CD Wave (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > FLAC
Tracks [Total Time 2:24:46]
01 Gorecki
02 Albanian
03 Gathering Storm
04 12-28-99
05 Chart #3
06 World Police and Friendly Fire
07 The Cowboy
08 Tazer Floyd
09 The Sad Mafioso
If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Godspeed You! Black Emperor, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from Constellation Records [HERE].
Thanks so much, I was at the Terminal 5 show, was there any chance you guys recorded that one too? I missed these guys last time they were around, it was nice to finally get to see them (even if the venue was less than ideal…)
Thanks again!!
We recorded the four shows sponsored by Wordless Music, but not Terminal 5.
I want to hear at first music from GY!BE
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This show is amazing, i wish i could have been there. I live in Berlin, and GSYBE played here but the show was sold out almost immediately.
The recording quality is fantastically spatial. I’m so grateful for this…
Did you record the last show on 3/18 at the Church of St. Paul?
@acidjack i’m still missing the 4th show you wanted to release. when can i expect it?
We recorded it. Nyctaper is working on the files. Considering that they are 2.5 hr shows and we have recorded and prepared posts for four other 2-3 hr shows this week besides GYBE, it is going to take a bit of time. Probably this weekend. Each one takes several hours of editing, and we all work at our actual jobs during the week!
Actually, it ends up I won’t be posting that 4th show because of the abuse I’m taking in the post-rock forum:
http://afterthepostrock.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1617&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=2150
I didn’t realize GYBE fans were such douchebags.
Is there any way I could get you to personally send me the 4th show? I am SO SICK of hipster exclusivity — I couldn’t find the posts on your link where people are complaining, but I’m sure it’s a bunch of idiots who think they’re the only ones worthy of hearing a live Godspeed show. Stupid hipsters. I won’t post it anywhere or get you in trouble or anything, I just really really want to hear that show again because it was one of the best things I have ever experienced.
That’s a shame. I was really hoping to relive that show. And the samples from the other shows sounded so good. But, you gotta do what you gotta do.
I’d be in your debt if you would send me the fourth show as well. It’s the one I went to and it’s an experience I would love to hold on to for a while. I wouldn’t post it anywhere at all and I’d appreciate it greatly. Thanks.
Acidjack, who is the infinitely more reasonable person involved in nyctaper, has convinced me not to punish the many who want the final Church show because of what one mentally ill person posted about me on a message board.
I’ve edited down the 18th and will be posting it this week.
Fantastic! There are a lot of people who appreciate your time and effort. Thanks for ignoring a few loud people in the crowd.
Thanks a bunch! Didn’t get to attend any, so these recordings are the 2nd best thing :)
I taped the 18th as well – nyctaper is not kidding about how much time it takes to remaster – so dynamic.
anyway – I recorded on two devices – a DAT and a Microtrac. The DAT starts out fantastic, but I lowered the levels in the field, and suddenly it proceeds to be very muddy on the low end, like there was a bass limiter on or some such. The microtrac – no such problem, but the mics were not as good as those connected to the DAT.
ah well, hell of a show….
love