May/19/09
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Madame Pamita – Do Whatever You Please (Chords)

Madame Pamita – Do Whatever You Please (Chords)

Listen on her website.

For her latest album, Wax Works, Madame Pamita eschewed modern recording techniques like Auto-Tune, digital manipulation and, erm, electricity. Instead she sang and played down tin horns on to wax cylinders. Then, like the old-timey musicians of yore, released the album for digital download.

Suggested Strumming

d – d – – u d u

Madame Pamita is currently bringing her brand of prognostication and rural blues to the UK. You can find the dates here and you can buy her songs on madamepamita.com on a ‘pay whatever you please’ basis.

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8 Comments

  1. ronhale May 19th, 2009 7:48 pm

    If this is some sort of trend in the making, the gods of
    music have mercy on us all. Patti Plinko & Her Boy recorded
    3 (of the 7) songs on their 2008 cd, Dada Noir, on dictaphone,
    a fact that was not, in fact, spelled out in advance.

    The difference with dictaphone sound is significant (& not in any good way) & the music is NOT in any way enhanced. I’m sure both MP & PP think this sound plays into their carefully crafted
    images, but all it really does is call judgment into serious question.

  2. rowrow May 19th, 2009 8:33 pm

    ronhale:

    While I certainly agree that the trend of purposefully recording on sub-par mediums can be irritating, I think it can also serve to put the listener in a different mindset. The act of straining to understand the sounds you might miss otherwise could cause you to really listen, instead of just passively hear.

    Having said that, I don’t think I (personally) would be able to listen to that song more than once in the span of a week in that format without growing increasingly frustrated with every replay.

  3. David May 19th, 2009 10:32 pm

    I liked it!

  4. Jon May 20th, 2009 12:11 pm

    1.) I liked it too!

    2.) I really dislike audiophiles.

  5. J-Hob May 20th, 2009 10:07 pm

    I enjoyed that. I’m in support of eschewing modern recording techniques, they can encourage an over-clinical, over-produced sound. This is clearly the other end of the spectrum and I do think in her case it really lends it something extra – it evokes memories old 78s and sets the mood for her music.

  6. Woodshed May 21st, 2009 3:36 pm

    ronhale: I take it you’re on the fence about this issue! Obviously a lot of what she does is an affectation. But there’s no real difference between affectation and showmanship.

    rowrow: I’ve listened to that song (and many on the album) numerous times in less than a week and it doesn’t bother me a bit. The sounds become part of the song.

    David and Jon: I’m in the like it camp.

    J-Hob: Well put!

  7. Jon May 22nd, 2009 3:44 am

    I’ll have to admit to being a Madame Pamita fan. The thing here is that the wax cylinder recordings are artifacts. They’re not meant to be transparent reproductions. When Pamita performs she shows off one of her actual wax cylinders and explains about the recordings. Also, if you buy a CD directly from her, she includes a whole package of prognosticatory marvels. This is a tough concept for some people but the whole thing is meant to be “fun”. It helps if you like fun.

  8. Woodshed May 23rd, 2009 8:57 am

    Jon: I hate fun. But I still like Madam Pam.

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