Real Juice – Pimms & Beans: on wax
Music stories from clients who trusted Mind The Wax to press their music on vinyl!
Real Juice are high energy – no messing – band, delivering anti-establishment, no compromise, tongue in cheek Punk/Rap/Rock.
What genres, artists, or life experiences have shaped your sound the most?
We’re a mixed bag but at the same time all leaning in the same direction with influences such as: The Clash, Beastie Boys, Rage Against The Machine, Sleaford Mods, The Streets to name but a few. Shawzki (vocals, guitar) was actually a street musician (busker) back in the 90’s and definitely brings that kinda crowd approach into the picture. Otto is a seasoned bassist having played genres from hardcore to industrial metal, punk, funk rock – you name it as long as it goes hard. Emanuel (Drums) – feels like he’s been drumming from the womb onwards – From hard rock and fusion metal to street percussion and neo soul; it’s all intuition – he makes it up as he goes and it bloody works perfectly!
What’s one unexpected influence that might surprise listeners?
Probably the band Die Antwoord (Shawzki) not so much just the music but more in the sense of how they approach their whole dystopian concept both visually and lyrically. Can’t say I like all their stuff but some outstanding bangers in there!
What’s the heart of this album — the story or theme that ties it together?
The story (as the 3 album Segways ’beginning’, ’middle’ and ’end’ support) is based around the characters Shawzki, Janet and the ginger lady standing next to the goth (by the fruit machine). At least two of these characters are involved in an apparent ’Pimms & Beans’ incident that has escalated to the point of police intervention.
“The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth.”
Was there a specific moment or turning point that sparked its creation?
Yes. During a rehearsal Shawzki starting randomly riffing on the words Pimms & Beans over one of our song outros. At which point Otto and Emanuel declared simultaneously that that would be the next album title.
If you had to describe this album in one quote or phrase, what would it be — and why?
The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth.”
George Orwell, 1984
What’s one track on this album that feels the most personal to you — and why?
’World’s On Fire’ Apart from being the first track ever written by Real Juice we think this really sums up the sentiment and the message of what the album tries to put across.
What gear, instruments, or software were central to the sound of this record?
We recorded the album in a warehouse space that is mainly used to store tons of cardboard. This was interesting – as the cardboard is quite good at sound absorption – the very large space sounded quite unique. We also built our own vocal booth From blankets and about 16 stacked 220L plastic blue water containers. We then mixed, tweaked and then mastered the album In Emanuel’s Studio – yes our drummer who is also a kick ass sound engineer 😉
Emanuel says: The pedals used to create the bass tones were some of the most essential pieces of gear, that’s such a central part of the sound. But also just good instruments and microphones. The recording was done using UAD Apollo interfaces going in to Logic Pro, it was then produced and mixed in Logic, monitoring through a pair of Adam Audio A8H studio monitors with SoundID room calibration. Another essential piece of gear used were SSL daw controllers with faders to be able to physically control the balance of the mix using our hands and ears, rather than our eyes and a computer mouse. Being able to touch the music using real faders is a game changer.
Any memorable or unexpected moments from the recording process?
After our first mixing session with the track ’We Don’t Wanna Know’ we were exhausted by the end of the session. So, after listening to the final mix and agreeing on the levels, vibe etc… we went home and about our business. We all waited until the next day to listen to the mix and were blown away (now with fresh ears) at what we had achieved! This was a big confidence boost for the remainder of the mixing sessions.
One other lesson we learned (almost too late) was how important it is to listen to the early demos or rehearsal recordings of each track in order to make sure we catch the essence and feel of what originally inspired the track.
Did you collaborate with anyone on this project — musically or visually?
Yes! two of the tracks were directly inspired by a couple of demos that Shawzki had previously recorded with a Swedish producer and good friend Emanuel Berggren. These are ’Let’s Ruckus’ & ’Foot Soul Jar’. Shawzki and Otto had also previously played in the band ’All The Wrong Reasons’ with Emanuel Berggren whose role was beat master and triggering samples and FX.
Why did you choose to press this release on vinyl — what does the format mean to you?
We all love the tangibility and tactile nature of vinyl as music you can hold, an album is an object with it’s own aesthetic and design. Shawzki grew up buying records with his pocket money as a child and taping music from the TV with his cassette recorder (the old bastard) and has always harped on about how it was eventually gonna come back. Well I guess he was right 😉
Was there a moment when you knew this album had to be on vinyl?
From the very start – we’d been in many other bands / projects previously but the chemistry in Real Juice is insane and definitely justified putting it all on vinyl – above all else!
How do you feel hearing your music on vinyl for the first time?
Great! It evokes so many positive feelings especially for those of us who grew up with vinyl as a standard musical medium.
Can you share some details about the final product — the vinyl color, weight, packaging, or any custom features?
We* made the artwork and design in house and chose a translucent blood orange finish for the album vinyl… and damn! Looks amazing – reminds me* when I bought the ’So Lonely’ 7” single on red vinyl by the Police back in the day
(*Shawzki).
What’s the ideal setting for someone to drop the needle on this record for the first time?
Hard to say. But we can say that this is an album that is ’old school’ in the sense that there are no ’filler’ tracks – you can listen to it as a complete story or just pick the tracks you wanna play… hell – buy a cassette player and make your own mix tape in whatever order you like!
What was your experience like working with Mind The Wax on this pressing?
Seemless, smooth and a pleasure to work with! Mind The Wax (Georgios) were totally up front with costs – for starters – which when in a band on a tight budget is a life saver. From a point of technical advice and guidance during the process they were great and also available for very fast responses to our enquiries. Honestly I feel like I’ve gained a new friend after this experience.
What advice would you give to other artists considering a vinyl release?
Firstly, do it! Secondly, do your research on mastering for vinyl and further more work with the vinyl company you use in this regard and listen to what they say. Don’t rush it.
Where can fans buy the vinyl or stream the album?
The ’Pimms & Beans’ is available to stream on all the usual platforms. The physical vinyl is available by either contacting us directly (talk@realjuice.nu or +46766413866) or you can purchase it from these links:
How important is physical media to you in an age of streaming?
For us; Super important! We feel it’s going to be a massive revival and the way to go forward. Especially in terms of a band keeping control of their own music sales.
Are there any special editions, merch bundles, or upcoming live shows tied to the release?
Yes, a moderate amount of self screen printed T-Shirts and (of course) the physical album. But there’s more to come soon enough! 😉
What does it mean to have a tangible product your fans can hold?
Everything! It’s a direct physical connection to what the artist creates. It’s an entity unto itself, precious, collectable, beautiful – often involving an artistic collaborative cooperation with the cover art, the design and typography. An album can be celebrated, envied, borrowed, lent, displayed and most of all played – which means buying cool vinyl players and speakers… essentially, more gear!
Where can listeners follow you and stay in touch with your journey?
www.realjuice.nu is our EPK and also the main source of news regarding releases and gigs/tours. We have recently made a big decision to back off from social media such as Insta/FB/TikTok etc… however we still be reachable by DM there and more importantly via our webpage. Our YouTube and streaming presence will all be business as usual!
Any upcoming news or releases fans should watch for?
We shall be playing in the UK late May with one date booked so far at The Dublin Castle (May 28th) in London.
We have just finished writing – and are about to start recording – our second album ’Bulgarian Party Tricks’ which will be a double album [yes – Georgios we will be contacting you summer time on this! ;)]
Do you want to know more about Real Juice?
Click on the below links to stay connected and support their music!
Vinyl pressing by Mind The Wax
Interested in pressing your album on vinyl?
We would love to bring your vision to life!
Learn more at mindthewax.com
Get your quote today!