SELF PRODUCTION...

Current mood: INTROPUCING...
Category: INTROPUCING... Music

Following on from the previous few blogs and the couple from Roger The Record Producers that inspired them, here's one about production...


The role of the Record Producer is a curious one that is very much under-realised and underappreciated. In fact, I'd dare to say the producer is completely key to a records sound and of more general importance to a band than any one musical or vocal performer, on any record, of more or less any era ..

This is no more so than in todays global pop...

I mean, would anyone seriously argue that the sound of Toxic by Brtiney had anything at all to do with Britney???

Of course not, that record is all about production - the 'artist' is merely the pretty front of house sex angle. Even her voice is massively manipulated to fit the sound of the record...

Add onto this, that some of the biggest pop names these days are the likes of Mark Ronson, Dr Dre & Timbaland and it's completely obvious who pulls the strings. All of these are producers. If they touch you - you're bleeding gold..

Yes boss, that the ubiquitous Valerie, is made by Mark Ronson: Featuring Amy Winehouse says it all...


Then you've got the big Reggae boys like King Tubby, Lee Perry, Augustus Pablo, Coxsone Dodd. All were producers as much or more so than artists or musicians...

That particular era of Golden Jamaica, was all about producers. Singers and musicians were paid a session fee (if they were lucky) and that was that - the producer took all the fame, glory, money and credit from then on....


Well, today it occurred to me that the new and interesting bands I like at this present moment in time all self-produce...

They Came From The Stars I Saw Them, Colossus, The Van Allen Belt & Nonstop Everything & Clinker, not to mention all the electronic acts I've liked from the day dot....

So is the role of producer changing?!? And will everyone soon self produce????

I think the answer is most definately YES.

But it's not so much that producers are joining bands as that high powered computers are becoming the producers. Meanwhile the artists are joining together and breeding with the old school producers to make what...???

Musiducer Operators??

YES!!!!

(You heard it here first....etc...)

Currently listening : Faith By George Michael Release date: By 25 October, 1990

16:49 - 15 Comments - 10 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

	stEvil	i can't wait to hear lee 'scratch' perry's new album, being produced by andrew wk and all... Posted by stEvil on Wednesday, February 06, 2008 at 23:21 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	Are you serious?? I'd not heard this - and who in the hell is this Andrew WK??? Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, February 06, 2008 at 23:28 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	stEvil	serious as cancer. andrew wk is, like, my hero (along with many others... rich fulcher and paul giovanni come to mind)... cock-rock and more, but more fun and clever (possibly)... check at http://www.myspace.com/andrewwk for some sounds, but all three albums of his are incredible. i may possibly and legally change my name to stephen wk sometime in the near future. Posted by stEvil on Wednesday, February 06, 2008 at 23:32 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	KvKvG	Andrew wk was also once a member of wolfeyes: www.myspace.com/3801568 i like him, he once stagedived just to shake my hand. ( i had impressed him with a little dance i did). good man, great gig. sexyback. Posted by KvKvG on Thursday, February 07, 2008 at 00:01 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	Now that i think of it, wasn't your spazzer name StephenWK at one point??? I'll have a look and listen anyway. There's certainly never a duller moment with Perry.. Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, February 06, 2008 at 23:39 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	Oh and thanks for the citation. I am of course a perfect role model for all....(children in particular) Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Wednesday, February 06, 2008 at 23:45 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	stEvil	credit where credit's due, sir. Posted by stEvil on Wednesday, February 06, 2008 at 23:51 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Thursday, February 07, 2008 at 00:42 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Hijackalope	i'm DIYBIDHAF (do it yourself because I dont have any friends) Posted by Hijackalope on Thursday, February 07, 2008 at 00:43 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	You need to spend more time on myspace... Myspace is the place for friends.... Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Thursday, February 07, 2008 at 00:46 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Clinker	I'm no fan of Andrew WK, but i'd love to hear what he does with Lee Perry. I love self producing. Opening up my head and letting it all out. I'm sure TCFTSIST, Van Allen Belt/Non Stop Everything and Colossus feel the same. You can hear it in their music. Posted by Clinker on Thursday, February 07, 2008 at 10:28 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Nonstop Everything	and thank you. its all about finding a way to take advantage of your shortcomings. can, my favorite band, was self produced and didn't have a "proper" studio space. as a result, the acoustics of their albums sound the opposite of what was desirable at the time. and in turn, they have dated much better than their peers. (obligatory double kudos since you've shouted me out twice in one breath.) Posted by Nonstop Everything on Thursday, February 07, 2008 at 21:07 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :	I've never really understood the idea of producers being brought in on the back of what they've done with other records. I guess it's been that way in the past because the equipment was far more distinct and less user friendly - so a distinct specialist was required... It seems much more organic for the producer to be an integral part of the band and this is obviously far more possible now... Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Thursday, February 07, 2008 at 21:31 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	SPIDER	We self produce at the moment but thats slowly changing. Max Shire on our top friends is producing the next two songs of COLOSSUS and if you listen to the production on his tracks you can hear why. However if he had radically different influences to us he'd probably NOT be working with us at this stage...COLOSSUS is way to much of an experiment in terms of genre splicing to have an outside force further handle it's ingredients. Spider xx Posted by SPIDER on Friday, February 08, 2008 at 00:12 [Remove] [Reply to this]

: THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI :

I look forward to hearing these new tracks... Posted by : THE FUTUREPROOF MUSIC BLOG BY PIOUS GIOVANNI : on Friday, February 08, 2008 at 00:31 [Remove] [Reply to this]