Dan Rathbun: Tamer of Dangerous Sounds
For the last 10 years Dan Rathbun has been writing, performing, producing and recording some of the most distinctive music around. He co-owns and operates Polymorph Recording, in Oakland, CA, with fellow musician/engineer Mark Stichman and electronics maven Lawrence "Rance" Fellows-Mannion. The studio has seen many well-known San Francisco Bay-Area artists (The Mommy Heads, Ralph Carney, Papa's Culture), plus countless punk rock and avant-garde bands (many on Vaccination Records, also based in Oakland). Several of Dan's personal projects have also been tracked, mixed and mastered there, including CDs by the late Idiot Flesh "Nobody Rocks Harder... three to seven measures at a time", the current Charming Hostess "Bulgaria-go-go with brains, brawn and beauty", and compilation and mastering of the first ever Residents tribute CD "Eyesore: A Stab at the Residents". The studio itself features a Trident 65 series board, a Tascam 58 8-track and a Tascam MS-16 16-track synched for 22 tracks (both of these are slated for replacement with a 2" machine), many "warm and fuzzy" electronic devices, and a few "cold and clean" ones. Among the many microphones Dan finds himself using an AKG C-414 and a Neumann U87 the most. The recording room and the control room were designed cooperatively with Rance's technical expertise, Dan's construction skills, and Mark's many years of recording experience. The design maximizes effectiveness and versatility within the somewhat limited space (less than 500 sq. ft.). The site also features a separate editing/mastering room and Rance's repair shop. We spoke recently while he was taking some time off.
