FRANK: There are some things I'd like
to clarify about my editing technique. The editing technique is
an extention of the composition because, as I have so much to do
with the actual production of the records, as a composer it
gives me a chance to exert even more control on the musical
material from start to finish. Like... I've already written a
piece and had it performed, I get a chance to mix it, you know,
I get a chance to enhance it or even alter it radically by the
volume balances of the different instruments. Then, after I've
got that onto a piece of quarter-inch tape, I can examine it,
chop it up, integrate it with non-musical material or material
not produced with musical instruments, and include that material
which would otherwise be considered as noise or environmental
bullshit into the musical structure, and use that as rhythmic
counterpoint or as actual musical material as was done in 'Lumpy
Gravy'. To call that 'editing technique' sounds like somebody
sat there and cut out all the mistakes.
I
just wanted to make that point about editing being an extention
of the composition, because it took me a long time to get used
to handling a razor-blade like that. I just recently purchased
my own machine that will enable me to do that work at home, and
now I spend sometimes ten or eleven hours in a row just sitting
in front of that machine chopping tape up. 'Cause I really like
to do it. (read more @
IT Zappa)
