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Turning off Your Brain: The Key to Creative Decision Making?

    Sleep. It’s a complicated topic. And one particularly close to creatives’ hearts. In my experience, we tend to come in two different groups: the big sleepers and the little sleepers. The ones that can go for a full circle around the clock after finishing something great, and the ones grabbing only a few hours before the crack of dawn, waiting for sunrise as they start working on something new. I lean towards that second category myself. By the way, when I say falling asleep in the studio, I don’t mean the post-session naps. You know, the ones you take on… Read More »Turning off Your Brain: The Key to Creative Decision Making?

    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.

      The Only Secret to Writing Hit Songs.

        Wow, now that’s the most clickbaity headline I’ve ever written in my short writing career. I apologise for this, but at the same time, I do believe in what I wrote in this title. Let me explain. What makes a hit song? There’s many a theory about that. Years ago, some lads even developed an algorithm to find out if your song was going to be big or not. It was called hitsongscience.com, and it’s not online anymore. The program considered parameters such as key, bpm, chord changes… Then it would compare it to a database of hit tunes. Weird,… Read More »The Only Secret to Writing Hit Songs.

        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.

          Summer Break: Does Your Music Sound Amateurish?

            Here we are, The Summer Break Series, Volume 5. August is always a busy month for me. As the cities spill onto the beaches, studio rates go down. It’s the best time of the year to work on the indie-est of projects. I always try to take some time off as well, go see my family in France, and make some music for myself. That adds up pretty fast to a busy summer. This year is no different. Even busier than the previous one, actually. Not complaining: busy is good. Makes me feel alive. But I digress. Today I want… Read More »Summer Break: Does Your Music Sound Amateurish?