From the Black Constellation to Eyvind Kang to Newaxeyes, Will Smith is mixing with some of Seattle best musicians.
  • Tyler Coray
  • From the Black Constellation to Eyvind Kang to Newaxeyes, Will Smith is mixing with some of Seattle's best musicians.

Seattle quartet Newaxeyes are one of the city’s most interesting and exciting bands, as I outline in this week’s paper. In that feature, Newaxeyes praise Will Smith, who handles their live sound and produces their recordings. (He worked the boards for Newaxeyes’ debut single, “Assange” / “Church,” which you can hear below.) Beyond these duties, Smith also runs 4th Street Records and Hatchback Recording, the latter a mobile audio company that did sound for the recent Black Constellation event at the Frye Museum featuring Erik Blood, Shabazz Palaces, and OCnotes. Smith also cut a grindcore Christmas album with Newaxeyes guitarist Will Hayes last year. The band members made Smith sound so fascinating, I decided to interview him, too.

Newaxeyes consider you something of a fifth member. Please describe what you do for the band and what you perceive as your role with them, both live and in the studio.
My role is the same live as it is in the studio. I'm there to make sure their equipment behaves and that everything sonically fits together. I don't have any input on the music itself, other than dynamic and spatial balance. I ensure that they are able to play the way they want to play, and that the sounds fit together the way they intend.

Will Hayes says that you and he studied at Cornish under Wayne Horvitz. What did you learn there that you apply to your musical activities now?
I'm actually still studying there until the spring. My time at Cornish has taught me to listen to what a piece of music is asking for, and to try not to project what I think it needs. Wayne taught me a lot of practical arranging and notational skills, and also to be more critical when revising my own work. Lately I've been studying with Eyvind Kang, who has been helping me refine my compositional style as well as my improvisational skills. I'd say the best thing Cornish has given me is a leg up into Seattle's music community.

Do you have an overarching philosophy with regard to audio work, something that guides you through every job or circumstance?
Not in any technical sense, no, but I like to think that my job as an engineer is to express the music as clearly as possible, so that the technology involved achieves transparency.

The music I’ve heard on your Soundcloud is excellent. Do you ever play out?
I perform on occasion, but most of the music on my Soundcloud is stuff I've never played live. Most of the live shows I play are one-off gigs as a cellist.

Can you discuss what the concept is behind Hatchback and what other events besides Black Constellation you’ve recorded? Will there be a physical or digital release of that Frye performance?
Hatchback is a professional location recording service formed by Ben Marx, another Cornish alum, and myself. We provide a studio-quality tracking service in any location. The idea was that we could capture site-specific or one-night-only performances in venues that were not equipped with recording systems, and do it with the same gear and at the same quality as any pro studio. The Black Constellation event was a great test for our new rig, and the results were even better than we we expected. We recently recorded Will Hayes' performance with Ariana Bird, members of the Pendleton House, and Portland/Oakland noise group Cvbe Ov Falsehood at the Chapel Performance Space. I can't comment on the future of the Frye recording until the artists have discussed what they want to do with it.

Newaxeyes say you have a “relationship with Avast [Recording Co.].” Can you elaborate?
My relationship with Avast is that I love mixing in Studio B and try to take every project there if I can. I went there with Eyvind Kang once and was hooked. They have a world-class collection of microphones, great outboard, and great staff.

Newaxeyes play Fri. Oct. 31 at Vermillion and Triple Door at Hypnotikon II Sat. Nov. 15.

Newaxeyes' single is available digitally here and the 12-inch version (180g at 45 rpm) can be pre-ordered here.