Jojo Mayer's Nerve - Summer tour video diary

janekbass · #1 08-24-2007, 12:46 PM

Hi guys,

THough you might enjoy some video footage I shot from our most recent summer tour with Nerve in asia and europe.

Preview - http://youtube.com/watch?v=q3Jy-orDZ...elated&search=

Episode 1 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=_FwyUFHSeVk

Episode 2 - http://youtube.com/watch?v=4z-Emwy8vFs

Easy,

Janek

rottenramone · #2 09-04-2007, 08:18 AM

i'm a bassist and i'm a huge fan of Nerve!! Thanks for coming down to Singapore and i really hope you guys can swing by again!!

btw Janek, how do u get that hugeass jungle bass tone?? the closest i've come to that was to put an octaver and a fuzz. is that all that is to it??

janekbass · #3 09-04-2007, 09:10 AM

I posted all the gear and signal chain I was using in this thread:

Janek - Gear?

hope it helps.

Easy,

Janek

rottenramone · #4 09-04-2007, 12:12 PM

Yikes! Didn't see that thread!! Will take a look at it. I've been dabbling in DnB music and been hunting down that super phat bass sound. I think you and John Davis have got that sound down pat!

janekbass · #5 09-04-2007, 12:15 PM

john uses the wooly mmammoth distortion. super expennsive, but an amazing piece of gear. Would highly recommend it. I really like the original bass balls though. When you use the moog low pass with the expression pedal you can squeeze the hell out of it.

Easy,

Janek

rottenramone · #6 09-05-2007, 10:38 AM

yeah, the moogerfooger lowpass is truly an amazing instrument!!

hey, i have some more questions, hope you can bear with me for a while... how does nerve approach its music? is it different from prohibited beatz, which is mainly improvisational?

how does nerve come up with its material? how do u guys do the arrangements?

i've been also reading up on how a dj gets the crowd all hyped up, like the drops etc, but was wondering how us, as live musicians, esp as a bassist, approach this.

GrooveWarrior · #7 09-05-2007, 11:20 AM

Wow. I didn't realize you were on tour with JoJo. That must be incredibly satisfying!

janekbass · #8 09-05-2007, 11:25 AM

Well Prohibited beatz was the name of a party jojo used to run at shine for two years straight. And is a kind of production name for the music. Nerve is the band, and for the most part it's improvised. there are some songs now that there is an album, but they all came from jamming night after night, and finally recording them.

Idealy a dj will spin some banging tracks right before we go on to play, and we'll just play what's spinning along with the record, and then have the dj drop out and we take over. So there's no break in the music, and people keep dancing all night long.

We don't make arrangements of anything aside from the few songs from the album that might be in the set. But then again, we might play a set without any of those songs in it. And you wouldn't be able to tell. we all listen to each other very well, and have a great vibe on stage. Lots of the improvised stuff sounds like we've been playing the "song" for years, when in actual fact we're making the whole thing up on the spot.

It's a jazz sensibility with the output of electronica.

And getting the crowd hyped up is best left to the dj. If it's a drum and bass, two step, house, breakbeat, breakcore audience or something, they're used to having a dj play stuff they recognize. Then suddenly we're playing the same ****, they're still dancing, and having their minds blown because actual human beings are creating this sound, and they can relate to it even more seeing us on the stage.

You do get far too many drum geeks at the gigs. They show up, crown the front of the stage around the drums, and then stand there motionless the entire night marvelling over Jojo's techinique. This really isn't the point and they totally miss it. their loss I guess. But they do make up some numbers, that's for sure.

Easy,

Janek

janekbass · #9 09-05-2007, 11:27 AM

ah,

another post while I was writing the last one.

Yes, it's a lot of fun being on tour with Jojo and the gang. we see some pretty amazing places, and play for some great audiences. As well as it being some of the most creative music I've been involved in too. I'm looking forward to touring more next year. It's looking like a spring tour right now. I'll keep everyone posted.

Easy,

Janek

GrooveWarrior · #10 09-05-2007, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janekbass

You do get far too many drum geeks at the gigs. They show up, crown the front of the stage around the drums, and then stand there motionless the entire night marvelling over Jojo's techinique.

Even as a bass player, I'm afraid I would probably unfortunately fall into that category. I have never had any desire to listen to electronica (or whatever new name it has), but I heard JoJo about a year ago, and got rid of some of my (mis)conceptions.

Congrats.