Fred Armisen’s 100 Sound Effects album is an endless treasure

0:00From KCRW Santa Monica and KCRW.com, it's The Treatment.

0:12it's the treatment i'm elvis mitchell you can also hear the show at kcrw.com um i don't think i've ever communicated with anybody as much about drummers i have my guest mr fred armison we know him as an actor and a comedian and a musician certainly is a regular in snl but i mean his new project is 100 sounds which is the first sound effects records I've ever heard that made me laugh because if you've ever heard sound effects records usually it's just car screeching it's just like that but first of all thanks so much for being here oh my pleasure first of all this drum stuff that's near the very beginning of it I'm glad that you had that in but the fake applause was one of my personal favorites yes meaning like when you're shooting a scene and then the director will go okay everyone come on you really love this you know come on really you know that sort of And you could hear that it sounds kind of fake.

1:09But also, I guess the person telling people to get out of the club. Yes. Aren't just bands only? We've experienced that. We all have. And that's when that guy wants to go home and the band is done. And it is like, the show is over. Make your way to the door if you don't have a yellow wristband. that tone of, like, I'm serious, everyone, get out. I know you as somebody who knows and loves sound. And what I was really impressed by, what I was really thrilled by, in fact, is the ambience to each of those tracks is slightly different. Yes. Part of it was timing. So I'd record something, a set of sounds at a studio here in Los Angeles.

1:56Then I would have to be in Ireland. So then I recorded over there, and that helped make some of the sounds different as far as the ambience is concerned. And then there's just the treatment towards the sound effect. So some of the ones like being on a plane, I had to make layers of ambient sound. So there's the sound of the plane itself, the sound of people talking. And also people talking farther back than closer and closer to the mic. Yes, all of that. The plain ones were the most difficult to do. There's a world of sort of things built into it. If you're somebody who's used to listening to things, you can hear, I don't want to say hear the work that goes into it because they'd sound effortless, but you can appreciate the amount of time it must have taken to get those right.

2:42And that's why I say all the pieces sound directed to me. Yeah, that's definitely the case. and also as far as like you know commerce goes i thought well if i'm going to do this i want it to sound like there's some effort put into it so that it's a just a little more official than just doing field work than just you know recording things on the street i wanted to seem somewhat produced so it's you know because if someone's buying it then it's like okay You know, this should be worth it. But you know there's an old school sound effects records, an old school world of sound effects records that are very dry.

3:21Yeah. In fact, you can almost sort of hear the mic being potted up for the effects. And none of this sounds like that. I don't know if my approach was making it different than those. I think in my head, I imagine that they did it the same way. But now that you say it, it probably was a different method. For some reason, when I listen to those, I imagine that they're going through a checklist and it's almost a task. They're just like, oh, let's do this one. I guess we got to do this. I guess we got to do this. And this one is more, it's almost nostalgia. It's nostalgia, but also for the fact that these can be used for practical purposes.

3:58That's the hope. I mean, it's the first sound effects record I've ever heard that has an entertainment value, which makes it unique as far as I'm concerned. Well, then you're the audience for it. Then I'm glad it worked on you. I bought it so I could listen to it. Okay, all right. Because I'll buy anything on Drag City, which is the label releases. Oh, they're great. Tell me how that all happened with Drag City releasing. I got to know them in Chicago when I lived there. Because that's where they're based. Yeah, and they're just great guys, and I'm friends with them. And then over the years, it's been a very casual, like, hey, I'm doing a drum instruction DVD.

4:33This was in 2007. I don't have to sell things to them. And like, please, do you understand what this is? They get it right away. So as soon as they said sound effects record, they signed off on it. I was going to say the thing that made me laugh out loud is that it stops with the needle drop. That was Bill Hader's idea. Of course. So I told Bill about, you know, I was like, I'm doing this sound effects record. And his first thought was, you know, you should start it with the sound of a needle going on. I was like, how did I not? I was mad that I didn't think of that. Of course, that's what I should do.

5:08So I recorded that at my house. And that's a hard one to do. Because in the movies, or as effects, they always pick a scratchy record to show that like, this is vinyl. So it's like, and I didn't want it to sound like that. So how do you hear a needle that isn't, you know, on a scratchy record? The trick there is it's the end. It's the run out groove at the end of a record. So it's like, otherwise, it'll be so short that the song would start. So that was my way. And I turned it up really loud to record it.

5:48By the way, it's The Treatment, my guest who is a big fan of Drag City, as am I, is Fred Armisen. His newest project is the album 100 Sound Effects. And by the way, it's not an exaggeration. Did you go right into the drums? That was the easiest one because that was like the first idea because I could do music ones because I'm at a studio. There's a drum set. There's an amp. There's a, you know, there's a guitar. So all of those are, I could just handle right away. So even with the engineer too, to explain, just mic up this amp, mic up these drums. And then I did sort of a sound check. I thought this will be easy.

6:24You just do some drums, sound effect. But then I had to match it to me as the sound guy going, kick one more time. snare, snare. So I had to sort of overdub and try to remember, like, where did I hit the snare there? That, I mean, I'm not saying this is the hardest thing in the world, but also we also, like, it was at a studio and we had to make it sound like it was at a venue. So we put the mic through speakers in the room because that's how sound guys talk to, or the sound people talk to the musicians, is through the PA. So it's this weird mix of live sound and, you know, a microphone. I have to say, my favorite track is the sound of the lights which is being clicked.

7:07Oh, yes. In the booth. Yeah. Because you can actually hear sort of the dead sound of a booth. Yep. I mean, it's so much specificity in all of these sounds, Fred, that that was, for me, part of the thrill is hearing how specific everything was. Things that are specific like that are just, they're satisfying and thankfully short. How long was your initial list? I mean, was it going to be more than 100? Oh, yeah. And how'd you window it down? What do we lose? Or it wasn't as much that. It was going to be 100. Then I would do a list of 10, 10 camping sounds. And as I started to record, some of them were not working.

7:45Some of them were either just dead or too comedic. So I'd do something and it was... Too comedic. Yeah, like if I could hear that I'm starting to joke a little bit, all of a sudden something seems like not believable about it. So if I started making it more serious, then the title will cover all the comedy part of it. Also, like sound in general could be pretty dead. So I can't remember what it was, but it would be something sort of on a desk. Oh, was it hammering? I did some stuff with tools. And as I listened back, I was like, this is nothing. This is just sounds like just scratching on wood or something, you know?

8:29Which that stuff is. You're scratching on wood or you're hitting wood. There's one that was tentative sawing. Tentative sawing. The first thing you pull the bow back to saw is you're about to start? It's more like, let's just say people like us, when we handle woodworking, I don't know what your life is like, but me, I'm like... Saw's are sharp. Yeah, I don't go into saws like... I'm like, well, okay, let me just... So you can hear the sound of the blade kind of like... Yeah.

9:07All the tool ones are going to be longer, but then there's really nothing. You know, there's like hammering a nail. It's not... It's just... It needs a little extra. I think each of them has a little extra, but they also feel... Now, to ask if this is part of your idea in doing it, each one feels environmental. and they often come as part of a set of sounds that are in an environment. So I just wondered if that's how you kind of chose these things so you could sort of put an umbrella over each section. Yeah. It's easier for me to organize. If it's just, if it's too random. But that's an old school sound effects, right?

9:43Because they are random. There would be like a saw and then a violin bowing. And then a siren. Yes. So this was better just for organization to be like, These are all the ones that are outside. These are camping ones. These are playing ones. So that's the way I organized it. But then for Spotify, those tracks are too short to be a song. So I had to make these umbrella songs. So one's called music venues. So the ones that you and I see is soundcheck and all that stuff. We had to make that one so that it could play on Spotify. Also too, the thing that I think links is that it all sounds that people know.

10:22Yes, things that we're familiar with. Was that the big part of this thing for you too? There's got to be sounds that people understand and I'm not introducing them to them. It's kind of like stand-up comedy where it's like, have you ever noticed? That kind of thing. So it's like saying to someone like, do you ever notice that this is the sound of whatever this thing is? But I'm just realizing now, I wonder if like, this is too big of a project, but it'd be fun to work on a sound effects record of sound effects records. that's two I'd have to just print up three of those it would be like violin being played on a sound effects record circa 1991 and that's that's the track we're going to take a break before I guess it gets too meta if he doesn't know the people from meta already we're talking to Fred Armisen his newest project is 100 sound effects this is the treatment this morning to come stay with us

11:29My guest, who apparently has a new project, is Fred Armisen. It's The Treatment. You're listening to Public Radio. We're talking about his newest project. So I almost got through that 100 sound effects. One of the things I want people to understand about you is your ear for environments and music, which I learned from getting to know you. and we must have had like a wall of text about Burundi drumming. The best Burundi always sounds like it's being hit right dead in the center of the drum. You know, it's a dumb thing to say, but you can feel the entire drum vibrate when it's being struck in the center.

12:03Yeah. So many things we talked about are things where I could tell your ear for drumming and your ear for where the drum is struck. And yours as well. I mean, we both, it became our language. We were able to talk about something. And I suppose it's also because we're both curious about it. Obsession makes it sound too clinical. You immerse yourself in sound. I suppose I'm obsessed with it as imitation. So I like the idea of recreating something like an accent or even when I've written music, it's a parody of another style. And that comes easily to me. As opposed to like, I don't, I'm not a person who can write a song song.

12:44Some people are great at that, but I leave it to them. Meaning like, you know, like a serious... I know what you're saying, but the fact that you're writing a parody doesn't mean that you're like writing a jokey version of the song. No, no. You're actually writing, you're commenting on the structure and the signature in the song. It's not just, oh, I'm goofing around about it. No, no, no. I'm sorry, how best to put this. There's performance in your parody. It's a little bit like the sound effects record, where it's like I want some accuracy as best as I can. And yeah, like an echo of something.

13:14in an imitation, but not too jokey. Well, who were the early drummers that we've had this conversation with? Let's have it here. Well, I could talk about this all day. So could I. But some of the early, the first drummers you were able to identify as having a sound that you really connect, because so much of the stuff in this, like the sound of the glass breaking, sounds percussive to me. I mean, like a cymbal or something. Sure. Like the crash of a glass hitting is very similar. So many of the sounds on this, because I listened to it a few times, and they even took a walk last night listening to it, reminded me of drumming.

13:45the glass breaking ones i had to throw a lot of those away because glass breaking you're in your head you're like what you just drop a glass put a microphone there you're set so many of them were dead and it sounded like this nothing nothing and i was like what happened to the glass and it was just so i went to this place called the break room it's a place where you you pay money and you break plates and stuff. And it's almost like laser tag or something. It's one of those where you go with your friends and you, you put on a jumpsuit and goggles and it's very safe and you just break glasses. And to your point, I really did have to like, wait a minute, let me get this right.

14:27And I had to find something that was pretty big. So it says champagne glass and it's not a champagne glass. It's actually something bigger so that at least there's some sound. By the way, it's the treatment. We're talking glass and drama with Fred Armisen, whose new project is 100 Sound Effects. It's the treatment. But what are you going to say? I have a great way to tie this part up. I can't wait. There is a drum solo that Midnight Oil has. And it's the glass that breaks at the end of it. Yep. Do-do-do-do. Do-do-do-do. The power and the passion. That's it. The very end of the drum solo. Do-do-do.

15:05And it's right on the rhythm. And it makes so much sense in that solo.

15:20It's one of my favorite drum solos. I was asking you about one of the first drummers you could identify. That's easy. My mom bought me Magical Mystery Tour. And this is like early, you know, after the Beatles had broken up. Which song was it that made you do that? I Am the Walrus. And I was a kid in 1973 or something. And there's that beginning and then...

15:52And it really is like, it kind of is the first Beatles I heard was that. Wow. You know, that drum fill was my intro. and Ringo, really, he had personality in the drums. He really expresses himself. And that's what a musician, those are my favorite musicians, the ones who really express themselves. God, he's great. He's also an equal personality in the band. To that point you were making about you hearing the personality in the drumming. Yeah. That's something I would associate with you too because it's also about the way these things are recorded. and as you were talking about magical mystery too i was thinking about that like great sort of ambient hiss in that record which is almost like its own kind of musical note yes and and that same sort of sense of entering an environment which is a thing because we talked about rooms before and how things sound in rooms that's the thing i get from 100 sound effects is when i say creating an environment each of these sections i can understand going back to your friends is spotify why they quantify them like that because each of those feels like it's those sections feel like an environment and they feel produced in that way.

16:59When you said that, I went, oh my God, that's... That's very kind of you. But you know what I mean, don't you? Well, let the record show that 100 % effects has some similarities to Magical Mysteries for it. I'll take it. Clearly, you want to make each of these sort of pieces, each of these cuts sound like a room. And so often, sound effects records, they sound almost like they're happening in space. Sure, sure. You don't hear anything around them, except for the sound of a record or whatever. But other than that, it's this sort of thing that feels discreet. And each of these things you've done, it feels meticulous and deliberate to me, that you want to create a little environment around.

17:39I keep going back to that word, but that's the thing that comes to mind. That's the hope, or that's at least... Some of it was just natural. It came out that way. I think from being in a different country or being just at a different studio, something happens that where it just automatically just creates like a different ambience around it well did you actually record that piece in dublin when you mentioned dublin in the i did

18:14some of the crowd ones are in la but i was in ireland for a while and I did get a group of people together to do some there's people applauding they're afraid like they're in a dictatorship so they're on the public so there's a sort of if you're ever watching that stuff from North Korea but they're still clapping but they're like a little you can feel the stiffness I want to applaud and not draw attention to myself

18:46there's so much specificity in the audio that to hear and then read the description after because that's what i was walking around just listening and just that's one of those times where you people are basically being cued yeah but there's a reason for the cue yes in the piece and it's not just like throwing in a cue there's a reason for that mention yes it's all part of this organic situation you put into motion. Yeah. For the audience ones, especially. That exists in every single sort of hit on the record, that they're all about a specific situation being engendered. So it just isn't like a sound effect out of nowhere.

19:25And I just, I guess that's the last question I asked. Was that something you wanted to do? Or did you really find it was an accident? A little of both. So some of it, I was happy that I knew that I had a lot of time to do it. So I was like, great. That means that I'll have time to be in a totally different situation that will naturally lend itself to that. But now that you mention it, I'm like, oh, I guess that is good that there's a difference between the umbrellas of sounds. I'm glad. I'm glad that also so that it doesn't get tedious. So that when you're listening to it, it doesn't sound like, well, I was in the studio for two weeks.

20:01There's the same microphones. it's nice that it's a little there's some different sounds going on you know, on the whole so, like, a little exciting Well, I think it's a lot exciting it's the treatment, I guess, is for an armistice and as soon as a project, I'll give it full of voice here, it's 100 sound effects you're welcome to talk on the show anytime you want to come back it'll be a thrill to have you here I'm glad I finally got you here to do it I am too, and I love our communications and also that we've done a bunch of stuff together I remember some Portlandia stuff we worked on together.

20:34And it's always a joy.

20:54Fred Armisen is a moving target who leads with his taste. We can see it in his work as a musician, comedian, and actor, as a Saturday Night Live alumnus, and a co-creator of Portlandia and Documentary Now, among other projects. His newest venture is a fun tribute to his taste and showcase for his talents. The album, 100 Sound Effects. It'll also make a fun stocking stuffer. Our stocking is stuffed with interviews with SNL alums and other tasteful talents. Visit the archive, kcow.com slash thetreatment, and also check out kcow.com slash thetreat, where new treats drop weekly. Director Matt Shackman has the summer hit Fantastic Four First Steps among his credits.

21:41His treat is a fantastic 1949 noir that brought together a novelist, a director, and an actor whose tastes dovetailed. The show is produced and edited by Rebecca Mooney and mixed by Katie Gilchrist. With help this week from Sue Margulay. To better days, everyone. I'm Elvis Mitchell. It's The Treatment.