Today, we’re diving into the fuzz-drenched, lo-fi world of Acid Smoothie. This is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Paul Dunne, an artist whose eclectic musical past includes adventures like A Case of Mistaken Identity, javahead and Franciscan Honey. Now he’s releasing his second full-length solo release, titled Faxing The Vatican, which hones in on a chaotic yet strangely intimate sound. Recorded entirely in a bedroom but bursting with livewire energy, the album combines gritty distortion pedals, nostalgic lofi production, Dunne‘s raw vocals and a distinct humour. Through stripped-back production and conversational vocals, the album explores a deeper self-awareness that builds on the artist’s previous release while holding onto the beautiful messiness that defines Acid Smoothie. We caught up with Dunne to talk about chasing those fuzzy tones, embracing outdated tech and why Faxing The Vatican is a weird, wonderful step forward.
Welcome to Unrecorded! For those who aren’t already familiar with Acid Smoothie, can you introduce yourself?
Howdy,,, I’m Paul and I’m behind the solo project Acid Smoothie. I’ve been trying a little bit of everything over the years across a handful of projects – A Case of Mistaken Identity, Franciscan Honey, javahead, some others here and there. Acid Smoothie is a more permanent fixture compared to the rest, something I’ll build on for the foreseeable future.
Our attention was instantly grabbed by the title of your latest release, Faxing The Vatican. What’s the story behind the title?
I faxed the Vatican, a few months back. I was trying to find information related to some lore and they didn’t have an email address or anything similar to contact. Just fax. It made me realize the divergent experiences of technology available in the world, especially within communication and media standards. It’s also a bit funny because a couple weeks ago I finally did find an email address.
As your second full-length record, how does it build on or diverge from your debut album?
It’s a continuing theme of feeling a bit lost, but the first album was definitely more a collection of songs than a cohesive album. It was all the tracks I had written over the course of a couple months without much thought to its identity. With this second album there’s a little more certainty of the self, not always positive but a sort of sonic confidence that I haven’t been able to always grab.
You recorded and mixed this entire record in your bedroom, so how do you capture such a massive, live-energy sound in such an intimate setting?
I’ll use a lot of early takes when recording. Often I’ll record the scratch guitar and just listen to those mixes for a week to be able to fall into the recording. There’s always some desire to sound like every instrument is chasing after each other. I write a lot of hurried atmospheres but I think that adds a lot to the live feel.
How did you shape the unique production here to create a balance between chaos and precision?
I tried to mix with plugins as minimally as possible. Pro Tools stock plugin EQ and compression, not a lot of treatment otherwise. I’ve mixed 25 albums in the last six years, all with different results, but rarely have I stepped back this much from the depth and details of shaping the tone after recording. All the work went into dialing in the distortion pedal settings, really. It’s familiar territory, the live chaotic fuzz, so it feels like returning to an old home.
Why did you opt for a more conversational than melodic vocal style?
It just felt more natural this time around. When I’m writing lyrics and melodies I’ll drive around listening to the instrumental mixes and sing along until something clicks – the end result was that style.
What kind of gear or pedals were key to sculpting the fuzzed-out nostalgic identity of this album?
I ran the guitars through two of my essential pedals (the OCD Overdrive for rhythm and bass, and layered with a Ffuzz Warr Overload for lead), all DI with my Steinberg interface’s Neve transformers turned on. I shaped them with a little EQ and that was it. It reminded me of how I’d play live and I kept it that way for an authentic experience when listening.
You’re doing a limited release on a floppy disk, which feels like such a blast from the past, so why are you resurrecting this retro technology?
It’s really, really pleasant to handle a floppy disk. It’s fun. The audio quality isn’t great but honestly it sounds like a cassette. I have all these colorful floppy disks in a telescoping case and it’s a physical media format I haven’t ever encountered. Maybe I’m bored, a little crazed, whatever. It’s a blast.
What’s one thing you learned about yourself through making this album?
New technology is not necessarily the best technology. I find solace in the VCR or tape deck or whatever else that still works because it reminds me that I can persist.
What’s next on the horizon for Acid Smoothie?
I’ll probably start plugging away at LP3 in the next couple months. I’m traditionally very prolific with my output but I want to truly take my time with an album.
You can listen to ‘Soft Fraud’ in our Indie Rockers playlist.
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