BUSINESS HOURS is first real track of the album, and the last full track that I produced in 2006.
It was produced at a time when I finally started having ideas for releasing the set as an album, with the (very loose and indefinitely quotation-mark-covered) "concept" of Retail. As such, the track is probably the least conventional on the album, maybe even a little strange in its footing.
LAME TEENAGE IDEAS INCOMING: The track was intended to play against the flow of a working retail day. Opening and closing hours, slow periods in the mid-mornings and mid-afternoons, and peak hours at noon and early/mid-evening. Swinging guitar riffs provided the highest working peaks, and smooth jazz provided the calm yet busy retail backdrop. Because that's what smooth jazz does. Apparently.
As far as polish work goes, this track only required a little EQ on the high ends and mids, and the outright removal of over-compression. Say no to brickwalling.
credits
from RETAIL,
track released December 21, 2006
BUSINESS HOURS contains samples from "Girl Goodbye" by Toto, and "Straight Street" from the collaborative album Solid! (Eric Alexander, John Hicks, George Mraz, and Idris Muhammad)
supported by 70 fans who also own “Business Hours”
A exploration of different flavors of electronica, slotting different pieces into a simple, yet satisfying framework to create something multi-faceted, yet connected.
There's some flavors of ambience sneaking around near the ending and some harsher tones explored in 'Minus' that almost give it a factory-like feel, but the biggest standout is the synth-pop flavor added in 'Grey Eminence'.
This one's a grab bag with a lot of fun stuff tucked inside, definitely give it a listen. Cardian Matsu
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