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From Jazz with Love: On Capturing the Moment

    I love jazz. It’s no secret at this point. It didn’t use to be that way, though. For the longest time, I was very intimidated by it. The players’ skill and the complexity of the music was scary to a self-taught, alt-rock musician. I was trying to understand the music, but couldn’t. I thought it was show-offy and too complex for no goddamned reason. Then, at some point, it flipped. I started to enjoy it. I understood. I understood there was nothing to understand. Some sub-genres of jazz are quite intellectual and still too complex for my taste. But most… Read More »From Jazz with Love: On Capturing the Moment

    Reverb & Dirty Talk: A Short Essay on the Venice Bitch.

      Disclaimer: contains swearing and non-PC content. Read at your own peril. Elisabeth “Izzy” Woolridge Grant, better known as the flamboyant Lana Del Rey, has been in the industry for almost 20 years now. Time flies, doesn’t it? While I used to casually enjoy her vibe, I’ve learned to appreciate her work more and more. As the years go by, the absence of stylistic compromises speaks to me. I love her signature sound much more than I used to. I’ve quieted down myself, I guess. I’m not as angry anymore. More sarcastic than before, definitely, but oh well. It’s a defence… Read More »Reverb & Dirty Talk: A Short Essay on the Venice Bitch.

      Layers: A Brief Chat on the Lost Art of Arranging.

        Arranging is a hard way to make a living these days. It used to be a proper craft, but people don’t even think about it anymore. Nowadays, it’s one of those things that, as a producer, you need to do, but don’t really get credit (or get paid) for. Yet you have to do it. A song without an arrangement is like a bloke who went out shopping for clothes. He bought loads of nice things, but he doesn’t have a clue about how to put them together into a coherent outfit. I don’t care who you are: if you… Read More »Layers: A Brief Chat on the Lost Art of Arranging.

        Do You Want to Write Better Songs? The Answer Is in the Bathroom!

          I’m clean shaven. While that’s not the rarest look in the book in the general population, it’s much more uncommon in the music business. Most of my colleagues proudly wear a thick, full beard. (Or a moustache, but that’s a conversation for another day.) They took the time to grow it, and trim it more or less regularly. They would never go back to the plague of everyday shaving. I’ve always been the odd one out in this case. Okay, not only in this case, but bear with me for a sec. I’m a bit old school, you might say.… Read More »Do You Want to Write Better Songs? The Answer Is in the Bathroom!