The Autumns Recording "Nocturnes And Subades" (2001)

"Nocturnes And Subades" is an unreleased album by The Autumns. Most of the material later appeared on the 2004 self-titled album released on Bella Union in the UK, with notable differences. This rare footage of The Autumns working on the material in the recording studio circa 2001 with legendary recording engineer Jamie Seyberth (Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Moriah Carey, Goo Goo Dolls, Teenage Fanclub) was filmed by Scott Cronan.
Also seen in this clip is electronics genius and experimental instrument builder Jon Sonnenberg. Jon often joined The Autumns onstage during this period performing homemade musical instruments, including a mannequin head with patch cables for hair. The cables were connected to a variety of sound devices which were instantly triggered when touched, including analog synthesizers, record players, a talking parrot, an electrocuted tap dancer, or whatever else his imagination conjured. The head enabled him to play them all at once, rhythmically, as his fingers danced across the patch-cable-hair hanging down like bangs over its forehead.
You could write a book on what Jon did in his spare time any average week. Autumns drummer (and lifelong friend) Steve Elkins would often walk into Jon’s hermetic laboratory of a bedroom to inevitably find him sawing a piano into pieces for some mutated electro-acoustic instrument he was building. In the first few weeks of knowing Jon, Elkins watched him construct a fully functional light-powered synthesizer out of garbage he found in the trash, a transparent heart-shaped remote control so he could make eight of his electronic inventions harmonize “Happy Birthday” to a friend, and even playable replicas of Hans Reichel’s daxophones. He rarely used an instrument more than once, as he was already on to the next invention. The need for a machete and a guide to find his bed through the web of electrical cables crisscrossing his room, often left Jon with no space but the hardwood floor to sleep surrounded by the birds of his creation.
For more on making Nocturnes and Subades: somewherecold.net/2005/01/04/...
For more on Jon Sonnenberg and pranks The Autumns played on Cocteau Twins bassist Simon Raymonde while in the studio recording their previous album: www.steveelkins.net/Writings/...
An archive of The Autumns live performances and studio recordings can be found in the Music gallery at www.steveelkins.net

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