no problem, and here's the full article in case you wanna read it, it's quite interesting
August 11, 2002
BY BRIAN MCCOLLUM
FREE PRESS POP MUSIC CRITIC
Jeff and Mark Bass have been party to some of Eminem's most notable work. Among their best-known productions is "Kim," a dark, booming track in which the rapper spins a gruesome horror tale about killing his unfaithful wife. Released in 2000, it became one of the most controversial songs of Marshall Mathers' career, a track that Jeff Bass describes as "the most intense thing we ever worked on with him." It also provides a telling look into the trio's working process.
"That song wasn't even necessarily written for him," recalls Jeff. Long before Eminem had lyrics, it started as a drum track, played by Mark on a kit at Detroit's White Room Studio and edited into a big, banging rhythm loop. Jeff added a haunting piano line, a few "tripped-out reverse cellos" and bass guitar.
"It was still lacking something," Jeff says. "So we added big rock guitars to go with those big rock drums. At that point, we had the core groove. But we still needed a chorus."
That's when Jeff tucked in a section of morose violin played on a synth. Now they had a complete "clap" track -- Bass Brothers lingo for a classical-rap fusion.
Eminem wrote and recorded his part in a single session at the brothers' studio in Burbank, Calif. "He sat there with the headphones on and wrote it," Jeff says, "then cut his vocals standing by the mixing board." Unlike many vocalists -- who like a little reverb in their headphones -- Eminem records his raps dry. It's a simple setup: a single microphone and preamp.
Eminem is also the master of his own sound effects. During the "Kim" session, he dashed outside and returned with an armful of leaves, which he dumped on the studio floor. If you listen to the song at about the 4:20 mark, you'll hear what sounds like someone fleeing outdoors. It's not an overdub; Eminem ran his feet through the leaves while delivering the vocal. As with all his songs, the myriad background voices on "Kim" were recorded as he went -- he wouldn't proceed to the next verse until they were tacked on.
When Eminem's verses were finished, they moved on to the chorus, and initially discussed hiring Ozzy Osbourne or Marilyn Manson to sing the foreboding lines ("Sooo long/Bitch, you did me so wrong"). But ultimately it became "the first song where Marshall chose to sing," says Mark. "We said, 'Well, you can rap. But you can't really sing.' "
Undaunted, Eminem stepped up to the microphone and laid down the lines. Unlike some of his later singing efforts, which would be digitally tweaked to correct pitch problems, the "Kim" chorus went onto the album as is.
Recorded last was the song's deceptive introduction, in which Eminem sweetly coos to his young daughter before abruptly lurching into his spousal tirade. He wanted a very specific sound, but didn't know how to describe it. "What are those baby things?" he asked Jeff in frustration. "You know, those baby things!" Jeff finally got it: "You mean a mobile?" Jeff played some chiming tones on his keyboard, and the song was complete.
