Pre-production for Translation began in April 2010. I knew that I wanted a different sound for my drums for this record. I also knew that I didn’t want to record in a ‘traditional’ studio - I wanted to record in a studio that could impart an open feeling to the tracks, but also to me as I was playing. Pete Weiss’ Verdant Studios fit the bill perfectly. At Verdant, there is no separation between the control room and the studio - artist and engineer are in the same space. I called Pete, and we booked the session. All of the live drums, gongs, and cymbals you hear were recorded on June 8, 2010. We also printed an aux of Pete’s Cool Springs reverb, and it came in useful at various points on the record. I came into the session with a rough sketch of what I wanted to play. I was careful to avoid over-planning, hopefully preserving the spontaneity in my playing. I played through just one chart that day - the bass line to Germ Theory. The only other ...