recording

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.

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?

Redefining Music Production: What Does The Big Word Even Mean Today?

What is music production? Or its more colloquial variant, what the fuck do you even do? And why should I hire you, mate? Even people in our industry seem confused by the term. Especially artists. They pop the question a lot. It ranks pretty high on Google. Which is why I’m writing today, obviously. Be a lamb and say a prayer to the SEO gods for me, please. It seems like, if you have a laptop, an audio interface and a pair of headphones, you qualify as a music producer. That’s pretty much it. If you have an USB microphone,… Read More »Redefining Music Production: What Does The Big Word Even Mean Today?