| Sugarfix | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by The Dwarves | ||||
| Released | July 1993 | |||
| Genre | Punk rock | |||
| Length | 20:45 | |||
| Label | Sub Pop | |||
| The Dwarves chronology | ||||
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Sugarfix is an album released by rock band Dwarves in July 1993 on Sub Pop. It was reissued in February 1999 as a two-album CD along with the band's previous album, Thank Heaven for Little Girls. [1] This was the band's last album for Sub Pop, who dropped them shortly after its release. Meant as a practical joke, the Dwarves announced that HeWhoCannotBeNamed had been stabbed to death in a bar fight in Philadelphia in April 1993, prompting the label to issue a press release announcing his death, [2] and the album's sleeve art memorializes the supposedly dead guitarist, but it turned out to be a publicity stunt by the band, embarrassing the label. [3] [4] Frontman Blag The Ripper even included an address to which Sub Pop could send flowers and condolences to the "dead" guitarist's "family."
The Dwarves are an American punk rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, as The Suburban Nightmare, in the mid-1980s. They are currently based in San Francisco, California. Formed as a garage punk band, their career subsequently saw them move in a hardcore direction before settling into an eclectic punk rock sound emphasizing intentionally shocking lyrics. They have been described as "one of the last true bastions of punk rock ideology in the contemporary musical age".
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often credited with helping popularize grunge music. The label's roster includes Fleet Foxes, Foals, Beach House, The Postal Service, Flight of the Conchords, Sleater-Kinney, Blitzen Trapper, Father John Misty, Shabazz Palaces, METZ, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, and The Shins. In 1995 the owners of Sub Pop sold a 49% stake of the label to the Warner Music Group.
A practical joke, or prank, is a mischievous trick played on someone, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort. A person who performs a practical joke is called a "practical joker". Other terms for practical jokes include gag, jape, or shenanigan.
Contents
The mixing of Sugarfix is unique, in that the mixing of the vocals and instrumentation are about equal. Sugarfix also features audio sampling. For example, there is jungle stock sound effect at the beginning of "Evil Primeval," and a sample of a Southern-accented Christian Minister at the beginning of "I Wish That I Was Dead." This tradition of audio sampling was carried over on the Dwarves' recent albums as well. Dwarves frontman Blag The Ripper values his lyrics and enjoys using sound effects in his music. When asked what he wants the Dwarves to be remembered for most, Blag says, "We'd like to be remembered as the first punk band to incorporate samples and sounds into their music long before there were samplers and shit. We'd like to be known as the first people to loop garage records and punk records [and] to be known as interesting lyricists." [5]
In sound recording and reproduction, audio mixing is the process of combining multitrack recordings into a final mono, stereo or surround sound product. These tracks that are blended together are done so by using various processes such as equalization and compression. Audio mixing techniques and approaches can vary widely, and due to the skill-level or intent of the mixer, can greatly affect the qualities of the sound recording.
In music, sampling is the reuse of a portion or sample of a sound recording in another recording. Samples may comprise rhythm, melody, speech, or other sounds. They are usually integrated using digital hardware (samplers) or software such as digital audio workstations.
A stock sound effect is a prerecorded sound effect intended to be reused with an entertainment product, as opposed to creating a new and unique sound effect. It is intended to work within a sound effect library.
