100 Sound Effects: Vinyl LP

Pre-Order Item. Release Date Subject to Change.
Label: Drag City
Release Date: 26th September

I'm gonna be straight with you, this is niche af. You may know Fred from Portlandia, SNL and his own standup stuff plus he's a proper music head. Not that you'd know this from this record which is sound effects as obscure as planes, theatres, music shops, camping and as broad as 'tasks'. It's a slow build hilarious record that I have no doubt you'll maybe listen to once but is wonderfully odd in it's mundanity. 

Fred Armisen, long known as one of the most curious actor/comedian/musician/ producer/ author/all-round good guys in the business, likes unusual ways of entertaining people. Like this one: 100 Sound Effects is an album that that can be used as a library, an industrial tool for your own entertainment projects, or simply for brain-stimulating deep listening. From basic sounds to more abstract scenarios, 100 Sound Effects is an album like no other!

PRESS RELEASE TEXT
Actor/comedian/musician/producer/author/all-round good guy Fred Armisen has long been known as one of the most curious entertainers in the business, creating a wild variety of things for television, film, stage, records and other media. The latest proof of his inquiring imagination is here: 100 Sound Effects!

The goal was to create a number of specific and evocative sounds, but in addition to being a fun listen — pure and simple — 100 Sound Effects has great value as an industrial tool, with sound effects ready to be used in any number of entertainment projects. Some follow the basic blueprint, like doors shutting and glass breaking. Others are more abstract scenarios, but with a track like “Campfire Breakfast Conversation,” Fred notes, “They could be used in a movie or a show as a distant sound. Like: 'Listen, I think I hear campers down that way!' Those can also be played on outdoor speakers, if you want to make your backyard sound like a popular camping area.”

The majority of the album was done at recording studios, but occasionally ambient sounds were needed. Rather than rely on OTHER sound effects records, Fred went outside and got these himself on a portable digital recorder, pointing it at the sky or a car or whatever was needed. Other sounds required something extra as well — as he recalls, “Glass breaking seemed like an easy part of the album, but I forgot that I’d actually have to break and clean up glass. There’s this place in Van Nuys where you pay to go in and smash glass. It’s all very safe, and you have to wear goggles and a jumpsuit. What a great idea for a business. I want to go back and curate a smash room.”

Additionally Fred wanted to recreate other specific moments not always covered on sound effects records, like “Music Venue Employee Kicking Everyone Out While Throwing Away Bottles” (actually, an incredibly common scene for a great many of us), while also executing versions of his personal favorite sound effects, which resulted in tracks like “Small Theater Booing.”

With additional help and inspiration from Bill Hader, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Amber Coffman, Tim Heidecker, Riki Lindhome and Alice Carbone Tench, Fred had a lot of fun making the album. And now, Fred Armisen’s 100 Sound Effects is a sound effects album like no other, a fantastic contemporary entry in a classic album category that can be used as a library or just for brain-stimulating deep listening.

Lastly, a personal note from Fred about the making of 100 Sound Effects:

“I was thinking about haunted house sound effects albums and how fun those seemed to record. I wanted to do it at Steve Albini’s studio in Chicago, Electrical Audio, but since this wasn’t a collection of songs and I didn’t know how long it was going to take, I needed to do this where I live, in Los Angeles. I told Steve what I was doing and asked if he knew of any engineers I could work with in L.A. He was very excited about the idea and asked Dave Grohl who might be available to help. Dave recommended Darrell Thorp and we started working at Studio 606, and then later Sunset Sound. Darrell was really inventive and a lot of fun to work with. Because Steve was so instrumental in making this happen, I dedicate the album to his memory. I miss him every day.”

100 Sound Effects For These Themes:

SIDE A
- Music Venues
- Music Store and Car Doors
- Theater and Glass
- Planes
- Tasks

SIDE B
- Camping and Leisure
- Haunted House
- Film
- Museum and Travel