Boxset, Update #3: Oh God Fucking Stop Me I’m Downloading More Shit

  • Posted by mariteaux on April 11th, 2021 filed in Remasters/Restorations
  • Comments Off on Boxset, Update #3: Oh God Fucking Stop Me I’m Downloading More Shit

Downloading another 4GB of Nirvana garbage
I’m on a plain (Mmmmmmmmm)
I can’t complain (Mmmmmmmmm)

Well, I went back to the well for more sources! Elmo and The Chosen Rejects have carried me thusfar, but it’s not quite everything I wanted. In particular, some of the 1993 Rio tracks and especially good versions of the 1988 Dale demo tracks were still not in the collection, and you really want those since they’re such huge sessions. So I did a quick search (lifehack, “mega.nz” in the r/nirvana search bar, you’ll…um, ascend to a higher plane of existence) and I’m currently grabbing more of it. Yes, another 3.5GB in the collection.

It’s looking at this point like I will probably just compile myself my own dual-layer DVD library of these fucking things. Rather than keeping around a ton of redundant, obsolete full bootlegs for things like Kurt’s home demos, I’ll break them up into the best possible sources and just keep noted per-session libraries in folders. I’m amazed I didn’t have that kinda thing going sooner, what, with how regular I revisit this stuff.

Sometimes I end up with two sources of the same session; the Dale demo was recorded super quickly, and there’s actually two slightly different mixes of the session, the “one-hour” mixes (which is the source for the Dale tracks that appeared on Incesticide), and Endino’s personal after-hours mix, which netted the band a deal with Sub Pop. I now have both in sterling quality and can choose either one for Sunbeams.

As for Sunbeams itself, the second disc is about complete (barring switching out any sources). I have it properly mastered and I really like the order of the disc. It’s a major improvement on the official set, certainly. Earlier renditions of In Utero favorites, upgraded sources for the Nevermind stuff, lots that didn’t make the cut in the first place–it’s a really solid listen all the way through. The fact that I didn’t rely anything on With the Lights Out should help make it a little more palatable to the mods if someone wants to, say, throw it up on Reddit (as has happened, wink wink).

The mastered and sequenced waveforms for disc two of Sunbeams
Although the waveforms might look like they fluctuate a lot, these are all (RMS, average) normalized to -18dbfs or so. So while they don’t quite all sound the same volume (I’d rather not re-EQ the sources and all that), it won’t blast your ears out when played in sequence.

The other two discs, I’m waiting on better sources point blank period. The first one, I’m fairly happy with, but there’s some gaps; third one is still fairly amorphous.

I’m getting a bit nervous as to how I’ll actually distribute this shit; you always have to do a little digging for this stuff because Universal’s copyright bots are super diligent, even on unreleased material (seriously, the Sound City “Sappy”, I found again by sheer luck). It seems that, for whatever reason, you can repost their officially-released, “we’re making money on this” tracks, but not the leaked ones that didn’t even make the cut. Corporations for ya.

At the end of the day, if I have to simply release a text file of “assemble-this-yourself” sources or an abridged version in parts on YouTube, that’s what I’ll do. Friends and the curious can have the full set if they ask for it.

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