Clandestine Amigo reaches new Octave

The Longmont musicians known as Clandestine Amigo have been signed to Boulder-based recording label Octave Records. The album is set to release sometime this summer, dependent on reproduction schedules. This marks the first official album for the band, though they’ve recorded singles and videos for the group’s Patreon and social media.

Recording of the album began last August, with nearly all pieces completed before the shelter in place order came through in March. The last piece to be finished was the guitar tracks, which were finished by their guitar player in his home studio and then sent to the engineer to be worked in with the rest of the album. All that was left during the lockdown was to finalize the mixing and mastering, left in the capable hands of experienced sound engineer Gus Skinas.

Aside from the measure of success that a band achieves from signing to a label, Octave Records represents a whole new standard for the music industry. The label is an offshoot of PS Audio, a high-end audio equipment purveyor committed to enabling the best products for audiophiles all over the world. Octave is committed to not only providing the highest quality recording and production for their musicians, but ensuring fair pay for their artists and assuming the cost of recording and production to defray the costs for musicians according to PS Audio.

The engineer, Gus Skinas, produced the album using Sonoma Direct Stream Digital technology, a system he helped design. Skinas has worked with musicians from Otis Taylor and Neil Young to Yo-Yo Ma. “Working with Gus has been one of the highlights of my music career,” said Clandestine Amigo frontwoman, Jessica Carson.

With the exception of a few last minute additions like harmony tracks and the guitar, the album was recorded live in the studio to encourage a live, organic feeling. Vocalist Giselle Collazo and Carson recorded their vocals simultaneously standing in the studio together. “Our vocal phrasing and harmonies had to be tight with Jessica’s stylistic inflections because there was no ‘fix it in the mix’ or digital editing in those vocals. What you’re hearing is a live, unedited vocal performance,” Collazo elaborated.

Carson, an active member of Longmont’s music scene through her work with the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Development Association, was hopeful for the opportunity to reach a wider audience with the album release. Being a part of Octave Records and PS Audio ensures the highest fidelity for production. “Their demographic is audiophiles, listeners that seek the experience of music so well recorded, you feel like you’re in the same room.”

Though it may be some time before large gatherings allow for concerts and album release parties, some version of Clandestine Amigo will be playing on September 2 as part of the HOPE live stream concert series. The album release will be announced via website and social media.