10 Bizarre Recording Techniques Used On Famous Records

My Bloody Valentine’s seminal shoegaze/post-pop album, Loveless, underwent a lengthy and tortuous genesis, almost bankrupting Creation Records in the process. Singer and creative force behind the band, Kevin Shields, obsessively pursued his vision, employing 19 different studios and a host of technicians. In doing so, Shields utilised a number of experimental techniques.

As engineer Alan Moulder recalls: “Each song had a different approach. Kevin would have an idea for different amp and pedal setups and we’d try them out. On one song, for example, there were two amps facing each other, quite close together, with different tremolos on each amp and mics in between, so there was some kind of pulsating sound, as if they were pushing and pulling against each other.”

For vocals, Shields insisted on recording the backing parts before the lead. For the main parts, he would often wake vocalist Bilinda Butcher in the early morning, and instruct her to sing whilst half-asleep, in a booth blacked out by curtains, sometimes having little idea of they lyrics she was supposed to record. It's an approach that paid off. Three decades on, Loveless remains a compelling listen.