There is a very happy and noisy Irish rock band this week, and its name is New Secret Weapon. The reason for the band’s collective state of exhilaration is American producer Steve Albini and his involvement in Mix With The Masters, a series of week-long recording seminars that are taking place this year at La Fabrique, a residential, high-end studio in southeast France.

Albini is one of several world-renowned mixers/ producers (others include Tchad Blake, Eddie Kramer, Jacquire King and Chris Lord-Alge) who selects up to 14 professional participants to come and observe him at work in the studio. He'll teach and discuss the work at hand, while putting manners on New Secret Weapon's next record.

Albini is known for his minimalist approach to recording. Among his 2,000-plus mixing/ producing back catalogue of projects, he has collaborated with the likes of Nirvana, Pixies, and PJ Harvey; his work with Irish acts include The Frames and Adrian Crowley. Albini will be at La Fabrique with his all-analogue recording and mixing tape machines.

For New Secret Weapon (The Ticket reviewed their debut album thus: "early Black Sabbath shagging mid-period Led Zep . . ."), it's a unique opportunity. The band applied online (via mixwiththemasters.com) specifically for the Albini sessions; the producer choosing to work
with them is not lost on NSW's David Griffin: "We are analogue babies, so we are delighted to be working with a longtime hero of ours."

NSW head out on February 9th. Expect a time-efficient, sonically lean new album from the band to be released later this year.