While a whole slew of early 90s British bands were awash in hushed vocals and smooth pastoral guitar atmospherics, Toni Halliday and Dean Garcia of Curve were busy damaging eardrums and punishing the entire sonic spectrum with blasts of screeching guitars, thick punishing beats, and bootie-moving basslines. All of this dense musical mayhem was intertwined around Toni's beautiful melodies and dark menacing lyrics. Well, after a few years of dealing with some record industry entanglements, the duo is back with their most gorgeous record yet, Gift. We chatted with both Toni and Dean about the joys of studio work, their favorite guitar pedals, and what music to listen to over a bowl of Kellog's Corn Flakes.

GuitarGeek: Hey Dean.. Hey Toni.

Dean & Toni: Hello!

GuitarGeek: Let's talk gear! What are you planning on taking on tour this time out?

Dean: Well... for bass I use all SVT. You know, Ampeg stuff with their 8x10 cabs. I also use a Musicman bass. A black one.

Toni: It has to be black! (All laugh)

Dean: We haven't played live for quite some time so this is quite difficult to remember.

Toni: Ohhh...we use the same setup we've used for years.

Dean: Yeah, same bass setup anyway. I also run through a few Boss pedals like a Compressor, a Hyperfuzz, an old Boss T-wah, and a few more.

Toni: And then guitar-wise, we use a lot of different guitars in the studio. Different sounds for different songs. Our live guitarist, Rob, uses Gibson Les Pauls through a Marshall setup. Dean, what's that little gold preamp thing that Rob uses?

Dean: I'm not sure what it is called really. Some kind of gold Marshall top.

GuitarGeek: One of those rack space preamps? A JMP-1?

Dean and Toni: Yes!

Toni: But we use a ton of stuff in the studio. We're an effects band really. Ya know?

GuitarGeek: Sure. It seems like you take full advantage of technology.

Toni: We do! But for guitars we mainly use pedals for most of our effects. We're not a 'plug into the Amp Farm' kind of band. We are still very direct . We plug into pedals! Here's a Big Muff, here's a Blues Breaker, step on 'em and let it go wild.

GuitarGeek: How about amplifiers?

Toni: We've used a ton of various amp configurations over the years. Our all-time favorite amp has to be this old Vox AC-30 but we do use Marshalls from time to time. When we do nothing but sheer feedback we use an old Fender Twin. Nothing else works for feedback like that little Fender Twin.

GuitarGeek: Manipulating feedback is definitely an art.

Toni: I find it's best while lying on the floor.

GuitarGeek: Any special effects configurations when getting feedback. Multiple pedals and stuff?

Toni: Sure. It's usually a ton of various pedals all strung together. We aren't quite as bad as Kevin Shields from My Bloody Valentine. He'll have twenty or so pedals on the floor but we are working our way up to that.

GuitarGeek: He played on the new record didn't he? Those two tracks sound amazing!

Toni: He's really good at what he does. We have so many pedals in the studio and Kevin spotted an old one called a Fox-Tone. Have you seen those?

GuitarGeek: Yeah, the little furry things?

Toni: Exactly. The one with the blue carpet on it! Kevin spied it in the corner and he got all excited and said 'Ahhh hahhh, you have a Fox-Tone.' We collect them so this whole studio is packed with em.

Dean: We like pedals. Definitely!

GuitarGeek: Pedals are so much more immediate. You don't have to mess with menus like you would with a whole rack full of stuff.

Toni: It's all we use in the studio for guitars. Nothing can replace a pedal....you can hear the digital process on the rack stuff and it sounds just awful!

GuitarGeek: There is always that weird translation when a signal winds it's way through digital gear. It can certainly take things away...

Dean: The only one who know how to use all that rack stuff is the Edge and the guy from Radiohead. They both have ridiculous rack setups but they sound awesome.

GuitarGeek: It does fit what they do...

Dean: We're a little more rough than that... a little more punk rock. Their stuff is a bit more worked out. They know exactly what they're doing with this part and that part.

Toni: When we went to see Trent Reznor with Nine Inch Nails it was fantastic. They were so precise and all the effects changes are done via midi.

GuitarGeek: I saw them play in Phoenix one time and they had to stop playing because all the equipment was basically melting from the heat.

Toni: That wouldn't happen with pedals! We played Texas when it was 120 degrees and it didn't stop Curve!

GuitarGeek: It's seems you guys take a very organic approach when it comes to the guitars and bass but then you've got this very mechanical layer of sequencing behind it all. It's a nice balance of fluid sounds and very rigid ones. It comes off very nicely...

Toni: We think so too! (laughs)

Dean: We've always had our own sound. The sequenced stuff is the pulse of it all but it doesn't drive the band. We use the sequencer stuff to just fly in little bits that we did on the record but we are still very much a live band.

Toni: It's more for the atmosphere really.

Dean: If you were to just play the sequences you could probably make out what track it was. What we play on top of all that stuff is what makes things sound awesome.

GuitarGeek: It certainly does. Your live shows are very powerful and...uhhh loud!

Dean and Toni: Thanks!

GuitarGeek: I've noticed from all your liner notes that you two have always had a big hand in the recording process since the early days...

Toni: Yes, Dean and I do everything until we think we have a good record. We sometimes bring people in for the last 10 percent or something.

GuitarGeek: How important is it for you to have control of it?

Dean: It's very important. I think that's why it sounds the way it does. It wouldn't sound like Curve if we were to go into somebody else with just a guitar and show them the song ideas we had. The outcome would be nowhere near what it should be.

Toni: It would be a miscarriage of justice really. We are both quite skilled engineers at this point and quite skilled producers. We couldn't hand it over to someone else. I'm not interested in someone else's interpretation of our songs. When we do bring in someones else it is usually someone we trust. Even that can be hard sometimes. It's that last little bit where you may have lost focus on something and they are there to just pull you back. It's mostly for perspective really. Dean and I bring the song to this last point but sometimes a song needs something and you might not know what it is. That's when bringing someone in can be helpful.

GuitarGeek: I'm sure you've picked up lot's of recording knowledge along the way...

Toni: Sure. We are always working on enhancing what we do. We've gotten better and better at what we do over the years. For the most part we usually know what we want and how to get it. To hand over songs to a producer in their embryonic stage is just wrong. Most record producers are only brought in if you are a really untalented band. The great producers usually work hand in hand with the band but the band should always have the final say in what goes. Take Jason Pierce of Spiritualized. He brings people in to assist but he always has the final say in what the record is going to be. We are very similar in that respect.

GuitarGeek: Lot's of bands would have never broken through creative and sonic barriers if they didn't have their own hands on the mixing board so to speak.

Toni: True! Look at My Bloody Valentine! Go back to Kevin Shields! Wow! That "Loveless" record would have never sounded the same with a producer asserting their own vision.

GuitarGeek: Both Curve and My Bloody Valentine has such a brutal approach to sonics. Most producers or engineers would try to tame or water down some of those sounds.

Toni: They would make it acessible or commercial but sometimes that's not the intention of the band.

GuitarGeek: They probably have points or a percentage on the record.

Toni: They want it to sell...

GuitarGeek: Where do you guys record?

Toni: At our own place

GuitarGeek: What do you record on? Digital? Analog?

Dean: We've always used a 16 track 1' tape recorder. We've used that from the beginning. Right to tape and this time we transfered it into Pro Tools and then hacked it up a bit. Recently we've tried going straight into Pro Tools. It's a new and different thing for us. Either one works for us as long as it's capturing us and our attitude.

GuitarGeek: How do you like the digital enviroment?

Dean: It's just a different way to cut it up and mess with it. You know?

Toni: It sounds fine but I am really opposed to the whole Auto-Tuning thing. I won't have any of that. The digital enviroment makes things very easy but i still believe there are certain things you must put into it. Like if I sing something slightly out of tune I don't want it fixed. Some people Auto-Tune the whole tune and you can hear it on certain words and it just sounds awful!

GuitarGeek: How do you record vocals? Do you multi-track them?

Toni: Not usually. If we do it'll be for a chorus here or there or maybe a harmony bit. The lead vocal is usually just one voice.

GuitarGeek: That's a surprise! You must have a very breathy voice then.

Toni: I'm a good breather! I did a little training back when I was 19 and it has helped.

Dean: Plus Toni always records when the feeling is right for the song. It's not a stressy situation we have here. It's very creative to be in your own space. You can do as many takes as you need. You have the time to get it right and I think that makes for a better take.

GuitarGeek: You aren't watching the clock or feeling your wallet.

Dean: That's true plus we allow each other time and the space to do it. We don't rush it...

Toni: Sometimes I'll throw down a quick vocal idea so Dean can work around it musically and I'll leave. Other times I'll say 'Dean, it's 8:00pm. Why don't you go home and have a nice dinner while I do this vocal bit?' I'll get the vocal just how I want it without keeping him around waiting and he'll come in the next day and work around it.

Dean: And even if she doesn't get the right take at least she's got all her ideas down. She doesn't have to worry about other people.

GuitarGeek: Do you record vocals with compression to tape?

Toni: We go through an 1176.

Dean: It's a Urei 1176. It's always on the same setting! We plug in and it sounds fantastic!

Toni: That box is my voice!

GuitarGeek: Finding the perfect match of microphone and compressor for your voice is important.

Toni: It is. The only other compressor I like is a Fairchild. They are these really expensive and old... uhh and really huge BBC-style boxes. When we go to another studio to mix and they have a Fairchild I'll say 'OK put that one on me.'

GuitarGeek: What approach do you take in recording guitars?

Toni: It's always the Jaguars or Jazzmasters...

Dean: Those two or we use the Hofner or Gibson sometimes

GuitarGeek: What are your amp choices?

Dean: We don't use amps in the studio really. We mainly use pedals...

GuitarGeek: Direct into the board?

Dean: Yes, guitar into pedal, pedal into board, board to recorder...

GuitarGeek: Wow! I would have never guessed that...

Dean: Sometimes when we are mixing we might run a guitar out to an amp. Generally we go direct and that's the sound of it. That's usually the sound we like and that's it really.

Toni: Sometimes we'll mic up the old Vox AC-30 with an Shure SM-58 and throw a blanket over it.

Dean: Going direct has a great deal to do with where we are. We are restricted in a way because we can't be too noisy. We have a "sound issue" here and we kind of always have. We've learned to get around that tho'

GuitarGeek: It definitely makes things a lot more simple than setting up amps and finding the right sound.

Dean: Sometimes you can get too pancy. You know... getting the right amp and mic combination. We just plug into the pedal and mess with them and it's done! We can dial up what's right for the part and find the right resonance really quickly.

GuitarGeek: Recording direct has that presence you can't always get from mic'ing an amp.

Toni: We never go directly clean either. It's never just DI then to the board. That sounds like crap. We always mess it up with various guitar pedals. We do start with great guitars though. The pre-CBS Jaguars and Jazzmasters sound just brilliant! They are just gorgeous pieces of wood but still don't sound that great if you just went DI you know? We always have to go through some kind of effects pedal. We just line up a ton of 'em on the floor..

GuitarGeek: I like the sound of that!

Toni: A lot of them! We just mess around with them until it sounds wonderful.

GuitarGeek: Which one is your pet pedal?

Toni: Have you heard of the BluesBreaker? That's one of our favorites!

GuitarGeek: Of course, the older Marshall one?

Toni: Yes, that's the one! We have the new one but it's just not as good.

GuitarGeek: I've always been a big fan of the old Guv'nor too...

Dean: We've got that one too!

GuitarGeek: How often do you put effects on the guitars after recording?

Dean: The sound we put to tape is usually the sound we want. We just wack it all down. If you can make it sound better at mixdown by adding effects then that's great but we usually....

Toni: Commit!

Dean: Yes! We usually just commit it to tape.

Toni: We aren't the type of band that's really indecisive about what we want to sound like. We walk into the studio and can say 'that's good' and 'that's crap!' We make decisions right there and then as producers. That's what producers do when they work in the studio. We don't mince around really. I'd hate to work with a producer that says 'that's an ok sound but we'll see what we can do with it later...'

GuitarGeek: In the mix...

Dean: Forget that! We like to get it great now!

Toni: We tend not to use delays and stuff like that. We won't commit that unless it's really genius like the Edge or something. If the whole track is being built up around a guitar that has this delay on it then we'll keep it. As far as distortion and compression, we always commit that to tape. If it sounds brilliant for the track we'll go with it. You can't be a wuss in the studio!

Dean: We used to know someone that would always say 'we'll fix it in the mix.' That's crap...

Toni: They are 'tune straighteners'

Dean: You don't sort it out later. You sort it out now! If it sounds like crap now it'll sound like crap then...

GuitarGeek: Dean, how do usually record bass?

Dean: Same thing! Commit it! (All laugh)

Dean: Stick it through the pedal, turn it up loud, roll a little bass on, and then play it!

Toni: uhh... and be very talented!

GuitarGeek: Do you always go direct with that too!

Dean: Same thing. We never have a clean bass sound! It's always screwed up somehow. Our sound though...is very raw! When you record yourself that's the approach you must take. I listen to other people's music and get very annoyed with how they sound or with their technique. Screw everyone else... our way is best for us. We like to excite ourselves with new sounds and recording ourselves is the only way to get that.

Toni: What we are trying to say is they probably won't let us mix Britney Spears record!

GuitarGeek: Maybe that's what she needs.

Dean: I went through a stage where I thoughy music like that was just a pile of shit. Now I can appreciate it for what it is. You can't take that stuff seriously... it either cheers you up or it doesn't ya know? It's throw-away isn't it? You wouldn't want a Sonic Youth guitar all over a Britney Spears record would you? People want to hear throw-away music when they are out having a drink.

GuitarGeek: Some of today's pop songs are not that different from what darker and heavier bands do... it'll all how they coat the tracks.

Toni: Exactly! It all about the application isn't it?

GuitarGeek: There a a ton of Curve songs that could fit very nicely in the pop world but your abrasive treatment of the guitars and bass make it tough for some undiscerning listeners to handle...

Toni: True... but we are definitely pop writers. Our stuff is more dark and full of drama than most. I still think of them as pop songs. It's just a very big sound. It's more challenging than most stuff I guess. I mean...I could hear our stuff on the radio! I don't think it would offend anyone while they are eating their Corn Flakes or something. Like...mmm 'what the hell's that!!!' (all laugh) It's not like it's Black Sabbath or something!

Dean: Pop music is an escape. It's there to cheer you up really and that's it.

GuitarGeek: I find what you guys do very pop in a melodic way. It's refreshing to know that I could pull out an acoustic guitar and play your songs and they'd still stand up great without all the noise and effects. They are, at their root level, still pop songs.

Toni: Well, we are proper songwriters. Most of the memorable songs on our records are the ones that have that structure and a lot of melody. You can work them out on acoustic and sing them like a real song. They play like pop songs I think.

GuitarGeek: They do! I wanted to ask about the sequencer side of the band. What kind of gear do you use to pull all that off?

Dean: I use an Akai Sampler for all the sounds really. I've collected almost 15 years worth of drum sounds. Just banks and banks of different stuff. Then we just bang out beats from the keyboard. Although lately we've been using drum loops and a new program called Reason.

GuitarGeek: Ahhh that program is amazing. All that virtual rack stuff is fantastic!

Dean: Yes... It's very cool.

Toni: Dean's got a huge library of drum sounds

Dean: Yeah... stuff we've knicked or tweaked in the computer. Some of the stuff is from working with our drummer Monti in the studio. We'll make him play loads and loads of different beats. Drum sounds are a serious passion of mine really. I love the drums and I'm an avid collector of drum sounds.

GuitarGeek: So once you have the sounds do you compile them into drum kits?

Dean: Not really. The sounds are all over the place. It's all very random...

GuitarGeek: The beauty of midi is that you can plug in sounds wherever you like...

Dean: Exactly. We like to work very quickly and if it doesn't happen fast we say 'screw it!' and we're on to something else!

Toni: We aren't very precious.

GuitarGeek: Having your own studio has got to be a lifesaver when tweaking with sounds and drums...

Dean: It does. I'm not interested in going into a studio and paying 50 pounds to take a crap. It's mad!

GuitarGeek: On that fine note, it looks like our time is up! Thanks so much for your time Toni & Dean!

Toni: Alright. Take care!

Dean: Nice talking with you! Bye.

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