The Apparatus - Doug White of Watchmen Studios

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Doug White of Watchmen Studios

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Wednesday, 02 January 2008

Interview with producer/engineer Doug White, the recording master behind Watchmen Studios (Lethargy, Psyopus, Orgone)

Give us a brief biography and timeline of your music career.

I went to the Art Institute of Atlanta for a degree in audio engineering 87-89. Came home to western NY and was doing a little basement recording. I joined a local hardcore band called Watchmen. We built a recording studio in my parents basement and called it Watchmen Studios mainly because only we recorded there.. Eventually the Watchmen disbanded and some of them went on to form Snapcase. I sort of stayed with the recording thing. I built up a recording base of clients and In 1995 I moved into a commercial building and have been there recording ever since.

Watchmen Studios has been running for over 10 years! As technology increases, what audio hardware and software have you had to upgrade? What older tools are still being used?

Sure, I am always trying to figure out if the new and latest gizmo is something I need or would like to test drive. Upgrading and new gear really never stop in a studio. Just deciding if it is something the studio can use or if it is a toy I would like is sometimes hard.

Give us a list of all the technical and/or progressive metal albums you've worked on over the years

Lethargy, Pigmaster, Avulsion, Mungbean Demon, Sulaco, Gaylord, Kalibas, Psyopus, Orgone, Windbreed, Withered Earth, Commit Suicide, and so many others I can not think of.

Some of the bands you've worked with from Rochester, such as Lethargy and Kalibas, have gained cult followings in the tech metal scene. Also, bands like Psyopus, Sulaco, and Gaylord are gaining popularity. What makes Rochester, NY such a breeding ground for technical music?

It sure is a Mecca of tech metal. I think it is something in the water. Even the punk rock bands that come from Rochester are more technical than usual. The real answer is "Erik Burke"(Lethargy, Sulaco). He started it all he inspired it all, he invented it all. He would never take credit for it but I will give it to him any ways. The early days of Lethargy recording with me were so influential to all of the metal bands in upstate NY for years to come. Erik Burke took tech to a new level there and started a scene that is still alive today.

Albums like 'Our Puzzling Encounters Considered' and 'The Goliath' have extremely intricate parts with many notes and complex musicanship throughout. How difficult was it to ensure quality sound with so much going on?

Very hard grueling work. Constant study and endurance of the tracks in the studio. Endless hours of combing and tweaking. There is no doubt in today's age of digital computer recording the playing field is level as far as quality. So the next thing is having a engineer or producer that is extremely familiar with the style or textures the band is going for.

There is an insane amount of layering on 'Our Puzzling Encounters Considered.' What was it like working with Chris Arp's multiple layers (as many as 24 layered guitars?) and complex song-structures?

True, I have not ever heard another tech metal CD that even come close to what Arp puts together for Psyopus. Ballistic 7th and 9th harmonies at a million miles and hour. Upwards of 250 bpms is average. Tempo changes on the drop of a dime that will make your weener shrink and make your teeth itch. His mind is always thinking in hyper speed. He talks so fast and thinks so fast that the music you get is what is going on in his head at all hours of the day. Scary to tell you the truth. He doesn't sleep, eat, drink or party. It is just a constant curse to get the riffs and ideas out of his head and onto a CD so he can keep moving forward in life. Most of the bands I run across that list themselves as tech on myspace seem comical to me just because they put some quickie changes or a few sweeps in they are over the top now.

I hear a significant difference in production between 'Ideas of Referance' and 'Our Puzzling Encounters Considered.' What factors contributed to this? Will there be another increase in quality on their next album?

Easy, "Ideas of reference" was on their own dime in about 6 or 7 days. "Puzzling encounters" was 25 days with metalblade. I don't think Arp will let me go any slicker on future productions. He and I wrestle with tones and what will convey his vision. He will remind me this isn't necrophagist. I will sometimes push for some smoother tones but he loves it raw. Or as he puts it with as much energy and violence as he can cram onto a round piece of plastic.

Steve Jarrett said he wants to introduce world instruments, such as the sitar, guzheng, and tablas, on the next Orgone album. Chris Arp also said he would like to introduce violin and cello on the thrid Psyopus full-length. Do you look forward to recording with these unique instruments? Will they present any challenges given their rare usage in modern metal?

It does sound fun. I do get to record many exotic instruments like this on many other non-metal projects so watching them integrate those instruments into their arsenals will be great.

What are you working on currently? Who's in the studio now?

Just finished a band today called Silver Cypher from Cincinnati OH. 3 week project. Great dark power metal. Other than that I have been in the crying emo matrix for a couple of months now.

Tell us about Tearwave, the female-fronted 'shoegaze' band you're in. Has working with your talented clients influenced your own musical playing style?

Tearwave is a old school shoegaze band in the vein of cocteau twins, slowdive, lush. We are signed to the legendary goth label Projekt. Shoegaze has always been a passion of mine. The sad ambient textures and flowing female vocals were always something I loved to listen to. So I put Tearwave together last year and it all happened really quickly for us. We got very lucky.

Are there any Lethargy b-sides or unreleased material that weren't on the 'Discography' that you're holding out on?

No the Discography was all of it I think.

What should The Apparatus readers look out for, coming out of Watchmen Studios, in 2008? Any good tech? Anything non-metal that particularly stands out?