Michael Marquart, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and leader of the GRAMMY®-nominated musical project A Bad Think, will be appearing as part of a panel on immersive audio at the upcoming NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 11 a.m. at the Hilton Anaheim, California Ballroom B. The panel, titled “The Anatomy of Immersive & Surround Sound Audio,” will serve as a keynote for the convention’s TEC Tracks series. Focusing on the current and future state of multi-channel and immersive audio production, the panel will feature the music of A Bad Think as well as select tracks from the Universal Music Group’s catalog.
A Bad Think has been honored with a GRAMMY® nomination for its album The Savior in the category Best Immersive Audio Album, to be awarded at the upcoming 62nd GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Jan. 26, live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
On the TEC Tracks panel, Marquart will be joined by GRAMMY-winning engineer Dave Way (Fiona Apple, Echo In The Canyon, Ringo Starr, Michael Jackson, Macy Gray), who co-produced The Savior with Marquart; multi-platinum award-winning producer-engineer Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Bryan Adams, The Cure, INXS), who mixed the double-album project in both stereo and 5.1 surround; and Steve Genewick, staff engineer at Capitol Studios and three-time GRAMMY nominee, who will contribute his perspective on the numerous immersive projects he’s worked on over the years. The panel will be moderated by engineer-producer Niko Bolas (Neil Young, Prince, The Mavericks).
Marquart recounted the first time he heard Clearmountain’s 5.1 mixes: “I said, it should only be listened to in this kind of environment.” For his part, Clearmountain will explain his approach to mixing each track in stereo then 5.1 and offer insights into his use of processing, particularly reverbs, delays and harmonizers, to create an atmosphere appropriate to each song’s character.
The Savior, the double-LP available in a 5.1 mix by Bob Clearmountain, is the latest album by A Bad Think. It is composed of modern alternative songs featuring rich melodic textures and sincere, emotional lyrics. “The album tells a story of the rise and fall of a reluctant king,” states Marquart. The album was produced by Marquart and Way at The Barn in Malibu, CA and Waystation Studio in Hollywood. The album was mixed by Clearmountain and mastered by Bob Ludwig. The album’s style shifts from classical to country, from lo-fi acoustic to hard rock, all depending on what is happening in the story.
Read a review and breakdown of The Savior by Ben Jacklin on the IAA Immersive Audio Album site here: immersiveaudioalbum.com/2019/08/a-bad-think-is-entirely-good-with-its-latest-surround-sound-album.
