David Elias’s widest lens of songwriting and performance in his DSD catalog, “Slipper DSD Sessions” provides a glimpse into the varied expressions in sound ranging from whisper quiet acoustic (“Miracles Take Time (solo)” to a Heavy Wood sound with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, upright bass and drums (“White & Blue”) or a wilderness ranger roving type apocalypse as an acoustic and electric quartet (“Poor Polly”).

These songs are all Live Studio Performances recorded direct to Stereo DSD without overdubs or edits. Creative, Inventive, Spontaneous, Intimate. The songs on this DSD EP “Slipper DSD Sessions” represent a small sample of the types of music David Elias has done at Slipperworld. An 8-track Sonoma DSD workstation with Meitner/EMM Labs DAC and ADC units were setup courtesy of Gus Skinas at the Super Audio Center. A simplified recording mecca!

Slipperworld is the studio in La Honda, California where owner and friend Charlie Natzke lives and works. It is in what I and others refer to as a Banana Belt which is nestled in the redwoods down from the ridge of the San Mateo hills separating the San Francisco Bay Peninsula and Bay side from the Coast side. Nearly needless to say, it’s very quiet and very scenic. The location is between the more windy rainy hills up top and the more chilly foggy coast below so hence the very sunny and warm “banana” middle ground. Over a period of years Charlie and I shared a lot of music adventures together. Gigging every month if not weekly we were also spending time at Slipperworld (www.slipperworld.net) rehearsing and recording. We may have shared a beer or two up there as well… By the way, slippers at Slipperworld are offered to all from a big box at the door. In Hawaii, slippers (pidgin: slippah) are a way of life. People on the mainland call them flip-flops.

I hope you enjoy listening to some of the nuances of Native DSD recording done in a small open room without any isolation (except an umbrella over the drum kit) and without any overdubs. Songs here range from the very quiet solo to the energetic acoustic trio and electric quartet band takes. Charlie did all the engineering as well as the analog board mixes back to DSD Stereo on the Sonoma. I mastered these using Korg AudioGate software.

Many thanks as always to all those involved particularly Charlie Natzke (electric guitar, backing vocals, engineer), Chris Kee (upright bass), Scott Beynon (electric bass), Ken Owen (drums). I am always in awe of all of their abilities to both listen to and create music spontaneously.

To Gus, thank you again and again for all the inspiration and collaboration. To all DSD enthusiasts, thank you for supporting independent artists like myself and for helping to validate DSD as the most excellent natural analog like sounding HRA audio format for anyone to use for both recording and listening.

Mahalo Nui Loa and Aloha to All, – David Elias

Musicians

David Elias – Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, Vocal
Charlie Natzke – Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar
Chris Kee – Upright Bass
Ken Owen – Drums

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