PLACEBO: capturing the unofficialStudy and reflection on the recorded sound of the band and the contribution to a new musical era

Placebo, being a band of controversial character and an agenda of great success, has always tried to maintain the analogy of the live, natural sound and the pure recording. That is why the sound of the rock band has often been dark, distorted and electrified via different effects applied, but also faithful to the live feeling communicating the momentum of their music. Focusing on the creation of their album Meds, as the most characteristic of the band and their way to and from that, this is an attempt to follow Placebos evolution based on the sound aimed and achieved in the studio. Early years and entrance into the industry

Breaking the rules of strictly electronic pop music, the one deriving from the 80s and the newly established British Pop, Placebo made their first steps into the studio in 1994. That is when they recorded their first demo, under the ambition of creating a distinctive character and an influential sound. The latter remembers Tony Smith, founder of Deceptive Records, the company that produced the first single of the band Come home, under the direction of Brad Wood. Smith underlines: You had a feeling that you were talking to a person Brian Molko, the lead singer that, really, had a focus on what he was doing The sound of the band derives from the dark side of human aspect, as Molko has admitted. However the studio version of the bands sound is always centred on the axis of true, live sound and an emotion. As a signed band, they started rehearsing, in the studios of producer Alan Little. As he notices, Placebo was very focused both macroscopically and microscopically on the sound they wanted to produce and what they wanted to become, accordingly. The producer recalls that the band, faithful to their material and modest, in terms of ambition, would rehearse mostly during the day, unlike any other amateur bands. Alan Little is the first person to experience Placebos need to capture their very own performance, the raw sound that reflects the personal element. He witnessed Placebos failure to comply with the conventional polished sound, isolated, put together in the studio and layered with different technical effects. Instead of that, Placebo guided themselves into the music, when they recorded. Little has also followed through the very first recordings of the tracks that made Placebo famous such as Nancy Boy, once he was the producer of their first demo. That demo consisted of four tracks, all put together over a night, under very organised and guided work. Little speaks characteristically of two to three takes along with the studio editing that were enough for the project to reach its final level. According to him, all they needed was the microphones and the ambience so that they could create the live performance feeling that they wanted to capture and project. They recorded vocal-guitars-bass lead tracks put together only by recording the three of them performing, which rendered the true, vital sound of the band. Attracting important attentionThe formation of this specific, distinguishable sound, let to the constant success of Placebo. 1995 found the band recording some of its earliest singles; among them Bruise Pristine, was signed and produced by Fierce Panda Records. At that time, Placebo maintaining their originality of character, persuaded the company to record their own material on the A side of the record, while on the B side, there would be a recording by their mates, laughs Simon Williams, one of the founders of Fierce Panda Records.It was one of those early singles that reached David Bowie in 1995. The latter having heard some pieces by Placebo, among them their great hit Nancy Boy, identified to their sound. Immediately, he requested a cooperation which was soon carried out. Later on, David Bowie decided to work with Tony Visconti on Placebos already recorded material and so he recorded and mixed a vocal line over the existing track of Without You Im Nothing. This could be another confirmation of Placebos unique sound that changed the viewpoints of recorded music. Meds

In 2005, the most typical and intensive work of Placebo started being recorded: Meds. This album features some of the most well-known tracks, such as Meds, Infra-Red, Song to say goodbye, Special K et.al.

The album was produced by Virgin Records and Dimitri Tikovoi. The latter, being a producer who had previously worked with Placebo on different covers and remixes, was the one to bring the band and the whole record closer to their initial feel. Six years earlier, in the very beginning of the composition of it, Meds was thought of as a more electric, synthesised album to which complex effects would be applied. On the contrary, the analogic environment of Tokovois studio and his tendency to expose the purity of the sound has created the most live recording of the band, says Steve Hewitt the drummer of the band. He claimed that this was the album that came closest to the style of Placebo, but stripped down and faithful to the original idea. Stefan Olsdal the bass player explains that by the time the album was written, Placebo was going through a darker phase of psychism, yet it was a very productive period: the band had reached a level where it did not have to attract the audience that was already there. Music would communicate itself.In terms of studio work, most of the tracks were recorded live without any particular treatment afterwards. The equipment used was quite traditional, without excessive studio isolation or extended post-production techniques. The recording followed the simple form of vocals, guitar, bass and piano, while most of them playing simultaneously. The aim was to capture the purest live sound of the band, which was finally achieved by setting microphones in the studio, so that they would be able to perform as an ensemble. Among the numerous hits of their masterpiece album, their single Meds that bears the title of the CD, stands out in several ways. In terms of publicity, Meds has conquered the audiences, winning important places in the UK and international charts (35th place in the UK charts and 1st place in the Billboard European Sales Chart). Moreover, no matter how back to basics it went, Meds was quite a pioneer song for Placebo. It was one of the tracks that, unlike the rest that were written six years earlier, was conceived and put together in the studio, at the time of the recording. Olsdal, narrates how the piece was written under the procedure of combining the labour carried out in three different parts of the studio. They used three types of studios: one for recording, one for mixing and one for writing, he says. This is a typical example of situation where the studio being used as an instrument for composition, which for Placebo, is quite radical. Brian Molko explains how it was important for him as an artist to experiment with this song and album, by trying to capture inner feelings and sharing a state of complex vulnerability with the audience, rather that bursting into glorious formulas of attraction. This is rather obvious within the music of Meds, as its structure is based in the gradual production of a complete, electronic ensemble atmosphere, starting from a basic guitar riff. Both Molko and Oldstal remember their selves trying to experiment with each others instruments and techniques. The equipment used both for recording and performing this piece were of high quality, but ordinary standards. Brian Molko used as normally a Gibson Chet Atkins SST combined with a Fender Twin Reverb. Stefan Oldstal used a Gibson Thunderbird guitar combined with Ampegs, SVTs et. al.. He also used his typical Gretchs, some Les Pauls, and straight into the Marshall, which as he says would help produce a classic great rock sound. Additionally, he used a Big Muff bass that created the proper distorted sound that contributed to the feel of the album. For the guitars, they used the Holy Grail reverb.Meds as a single and an album, as well, had an important impact on the way music is produced from the middle 90s on. Placebo, bearing the influence of the great artists of the past, have been a turning point in recorded music by creating their own very personal, special sound. Their music, probably demonstrating the beauty of simplicity and imperfection have seriously influenced the music of new artists. SourcesBibliographyBuckley, Peter, A rough guide to Rock, pp. 797, 2003, Rough Guides ltd., London

Placebo: TheMusicSnobbery.com/Interview, May 25, 2007(http://www.musicsnobbery.com/2007/05/placebo_the_mus.html)SPIN Dec. 1998, Article: Placebo

Thompson, Dave, Hello Spaceboy: the rebirth of David Bowie, 2006, ECW Press, Canada

berProAudio: Placebo Brian Molko Guitar Rig Gear and Equipment(last updated 30 Oct. 2012) (http://www.uberproaudio.com/who-plays-what/561-placebo-brian-molko-guitar-rig-gear-and-equipment)Ultimate Guitar/ Stefan Olsdal of Placebo: making Meds a really productive period, 17/02/2007(http://www.ultimateguitar.com/interviews/interviews/stefan_olsdal_of_placebo_making_meds_a_really_creative_period.html)Zaleski, Annie, Interview: Brian Molko of Placebo on new record Loud like love, 13 Oct. 2013

(http://www.vanyaland.com/2013/10/18/interview-brian-molko-placebo-new-record-loud-like-love-bands-evolution-since-90s-vulnerable-moment-career/)Videos

Placebo: The death of Nancy Boy, Ewen Bremner, 2006(http://vimeo.com/4660083)Placebo: Androgyny, Gail Rinchey, 2005(https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8flSFeCsFvIZcpiiI5Y7HbEbqp8rzNt-)Placebos early

ambition and how this contributed to their recorded sound as known