May-September 2011 – Pumpkinland II

From SPCodex, The Smashing Pumpkins wiki
May-September 2011 – Pumpkinland II
Oceania whiteboard
Studio session of The Smashing Pumpkins
ArtistThe Smashing Pumpkins
AlbumOceania
FromMay 2011
ToSeptember 2011
LocationPumpkinland II
Producer(s)Billy Corgan, Bjorn Thorsrud
Engineer(s)Sam Wiewel, Ryan Grostefon

The May-September 2011 Pumpkinland II sessions were the proper recording sessions for the Oceania album. Inspired by the power of his new lineup of Jeff Schroeder, Nicole Fiorentino and Mike Byrne, Corgan wrote a new set of songs meant to be it's own entity, while still a part of the Teargarden by Kaleidyscope continuity – what Corgan called "an album within an album".

Tracks recorded[edit | edit source]

All recordings are unreleased.

Equipment[edit | edit source]

Guitars[edit | edit source]

"Kimberly Kay" resting on a chair with some stomp pedals on the floor
70's-era Stratocaster with DiMarzio pickups

Guitars used throughout Oceania vary song by song, the primary axe being recent-issue Fender Jaguars. On "Violet Rays", Corgan used a Reverend tuned to G. "Pinwheels" saw the use of a vintage Harmony with Alembic pickups. Other songs employed a mid-70's Stratocaster with DiMarzio pickups that he says is closest to his Gish-era Strat that was stolen in the '90s.[1] On "Panopticon", Corgan used his Kimberly Bison guitar (nicknamed "Kimberly Kay"), which was also used on "Mayonaise" and "1979".[2] Meanwhile "The Chimera" employed Corgan's famous Bat Strat.[3]

An old Roland guitar synth pedal was used on "Glissandra", as well as a Boss pedal that acted like a whammy bar.[4] "It’s one of my favorite sounds on the record", Corgan told MusicRadar.[4]

Oceania is noted for its use of VamPower amplifier with a fuzz mod.[1][5] On "Quasar", a Marshall Super Tremolo amp was used with four rhythm guitars, while other guitars went through a Reeves Custom Jimmy head.[4]

Bass[edit | edit source]

Prior to these sessions, Fiorentino typically played a Fender Precision bass, but "fell in love" with Fender Jazz basses that Corgan had lying around in the studio. She has said she used a 1963 Jazz bass on about 75% of the record.[6]

For amps, she used a Reeves 400, along with a Mesa Big Block Titan head and a Mesa 8x10 cab. For effects, she employed a Electro-Harmonix Neo-Clone chorus, a Electro-Harmonix Bass Microsynth, and a Subdecay Baby Quasar (which was in fact used on "Quasar").[6]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Dirks, Rebecca. "Rig Rundown - Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan". Premier Guitar.
  2. https://glittercop.blogspot.com/2009/09/old-friend-stopped-by-studio-today.html
  3. https://yourlifeisnotyourown.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/chimera-meets-billys-bat-strat/
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Joe Bosso, "Billy Corgan talks The Smashing Pumpkins' Oceania track-by-track". MusicRadar, June 13, 2012
  5. Brewster, Will. "Gear Rundown: Billy Corgan". Mixdown.
  6. 6.0 6.1 July 2012, Joe Bosso 24. "Interview: The Smashing Pumpkins' Nicole Fiorentino on Oceania, Fender basses and more". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2020-07-05.