Ian Dillon of The Electric Revival recorded their latest LP analog-style
by Christine Leonard
22 August 2016
There’s nothing like an honest day’s work, especially when the fruit of your labours arrives in the form of glorious vinyl LPs. It’s the kind of worthwhile pursuit that gets Calgary-based “sonic architect” Ian Dillon out of bed, and into his tidy ponytail and lab coat, in the morning.
“I was being an opportunist,” explains Dillon, who was recently featured in his role at Canada Boy Vinyl during a recent episode of The Amazing Race Canada. “I had gotten the gig at Canada Boy Vinyl as their mastering engineer back in September of 2015, and quickly realized that they had everything at the studio set up to be able to do an analog recording. They had built this amazing studio and had all this equipment that would allow you to record an album without ever touching a computer and walk out with a vinyl. I had been there for about six months, but had yet to see anyone attempt it. So, I was like, ‘Guys, I’m doing it!’”
As fortune would have it, Dillon also happens to be the guitarist/vocalist for the local rock and roll juggernaut The Electric Revival. A blues-infused power trio formed in 2009, The Electric Revival had coincidentally amassed a new haul of hardcore gems that were just begging to be laid down in the studio.
“I’ve been making records since I was 10 years old and it’s the first time I’ve been in a recording studio that didn’t have a computer screen in it,” Dillon says. “As a recording engineer, who makes records full-time, it was like taking something you know everything about and flipping it upside-down and doing it completely differently. For me, it was revitalizing. Like, ‘Wow!’ It’s no longer about sitting in front of a computer screen. Click, click…click. It’s about working with people in a room with a vibe. It definitely changed the process.”
Working closely with drummer Dallas Lobb and bassist Daniel Toews, Dillon chose to extend their grassroots approach to all of the instrumental and vocal tracks used in creating their forthcoming LP, Magnetic North (House of Pleasant Thoughts), which is named for the recording studio located above the Canada Boy Vinyl factory. A polarized follow-up to The Electric Revival’s previous full-length releases, Pirate Radio (2013) and Freaks (2015), Magnetic North showcases a dozen of the vitriolic band’s heavy yet heartfelt anthems.
“Limitations spark creativity. Necessity is the mother of invention. When you have Pro Tools you have limitless options, so you’re almost restricted by that,” Dillon surmises. “The whole idea of analog is that you have to perform and your editing is very minimal. You’re really in the moment and what’s happening on the spot is what’s being captured.”
Bottling The Electric Revival’s musical lightning presents a technical challenge in itself, but one that was facilitated by Magnetic North’s analog recording studio’s location directly above CBV, Canada’s only record pressing plant. Realizing this retro-fitted vision is an impressive accomplishment, and one that Dillon hopes will encourage other artists to take advantage of a purely analog recording experience in the future.
“It was fun watching all the moving parts,” Dillon confirms. “I actually cut all of the quarter-inch tape and spliced it back together; there were all of these tapes hanging down. It was like Abbey Road! Being able to do the whole album under one roof was incredible. Plus, the plant was sponsored by Big Rock, so they filled our fridge with beer every week.”
Magnetic North is available now.
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