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March 28, 2024, 06:24:34 PM

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A crappy Blue Jam mega mix

Started by M-CORP, February 19, 2021, 10:16:21 PM

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M-CORP

So a few days ago we were talking about the Blue Jam CD compilation and Spiral King mentioned the idea of doing a mix of all the sketches from said CD, but with the pieces of music that the sketches originally segued into reinserted, along with the original backing tracks from the radio show that didn't accompany sketches on the CD. I thought I'd give it a go, I've got Logic Pro, I wanted a bit of practice with audio editing, not to mention an excuse to put off boring uni work. So...

https://we.tl/t-LFxr1Gr9Pg

Make yourself comfy as the mix exceeds 2 hours, and I have my doubts as to whether Blue Jam could flow as well at twice the length, but it's a worthy experiment, and I think some of the segues actually work quite well. You can download the MP3 file via the above WeTransfer link, which expires 7 days from now because that's how it works apparently.

A couple of disclaimers. Firstly, audio quality. I should have used the 2014 FLACs (by olliebean I believe?) as these sound the best, but Apple doesn't like FLACs and large file size and so on. So I relied mainly on the older, more widely-circulated MP3s of the original broadcasts. They sound a bit mongy in comparison but they were my introduction to the programme and they sounded alright on headphones. They were just easier to work with being more compatible and smaller in size. And if anything, the lower quality adds a certain indefinable time capsule-esque quality, and other cliches.

(There are a couple of exceptions: The extract of episode 4 that opens the mix is the initial unedited MP2 of the 2014 repeat, and the Moyles sting and Blue Jam outro are both taken from rips of the CD that other people uploaded to YouTube. MP3 rips of the songs were also used occasionally to get clean segues.)

Then I wish to acknowledge certain liberties taken with the track listing: tried to stick with it much as possible, but it felt like suicide to muck about with the segue from Suicide Journalist into Club News. A couple of stings didn't make it, preferred to use the stings that actually preceded sketches, with the exception of the Moyles Sting, which is flown in especially because it's just too good.

What did I learn from this endeavour? Only what I'd already anticipated - that Blue Jam is wonderfully and exquisitely mixed. No special post-production touches were required beyond a compressor and an adaptive limiter, not even any EQing. It just sounds so good, even when you use slightly grimy MP3s and cut the programme into bits and rearrange it. Got to admire Chris Morris and Adrian Sutton for what they achieved - after all, making this mix was easy, but in 1997, computers were much slower and harder to work with.

Special thanks to Spiral King, Logic Pro X, and of course, all those who managed to preserve this show for future generations to enjoy. And fuck around with in Logic like the Philistine I am. I welcome your thoughts.