Elliott Smith

Either/Or

First released1997

Either/Or was recorded primarily at Smith's home studio in Portland, Oregon during 1996 and early 1997, with additional sessions at conventional studios including RCA Studios in Los Angeles. The album was largely self-produced by Elliott Smith with engineer Larry Crane, who also engineered at Portland's Type Foundry Studio where some tracks were recorded. Smith employed a lo-fi aesthetic featuring minimal instrumentation, often recording vocals and instruments directly to tape with limited overdubs, which became a defining characteristic of the album's intimate sound. The production approach reflected practical constraints and artistic choice, utilizing a combination of 4-track and 8-track tape machines alongside digital recording equipment. Either/Or was released in February 1997 on Kill Rock Stars and marked Smith's transition from solo bedroom recordings to a more widely distributed independent release, establishing the production template that would influence his subsequent work.