Off the Record: May Edition.

Songs are alive.

Wait, what? Some fiction writers say that their characters make their own decisions. Songs are similar. They will take on a life of their own.
It’s a good thing. Because, most often, they will tell you what they need.

Artists are supposed to create, right? Right. All the time. ‘Rooound the clock. 24/7 365.

But a big part of being creative is actually just sitting there. I’m not talking about waiting for the inspiration to strike and that kind of bullshit, no. It is about hard work, but not always. There are moments when you shouldn’t do anything.

Let the work breathe. Leave room for something to happen. Open the door and allow magic to come in. Quincy Jones used to say: “Let’s leave space for God to come into the room.”

It doesn’t matter what you call it, as long as you understand it’s part of the process.

I always strive to have a first draft as soon as possible. When I get an idea for a song, an arrangement, or even a single part for an instrument, I lay it down fast. As fast as I can.

It gets a bit hectic sometimes. I record everything I’m hearing, trying to reach that sonic picture that looks so crisp in my head. As soon as I’m done, I export a file and close everything.

That’s when you let it rest. Many will keep working for hours. Fine tuning or adding more and more parts.

It’s a mistake. Step back and let the work breathe. It’s the only way you’ll get some perspective. Let it go. Work on something else. You’ve said everything you had to say on that one. You wrote it all out. Bravo.

Once the rest period is over, you’ll listen again. And then, the song will tell you what is unnecessary. What needs to go will jump out of the track. What’s missing will be crying from the holes in the arrangement.

Now that it is obvious, fix these problems. But don’t do more. Close the session again. The less you do, the better. It’s about what the song needs, not what you want to add.

But then again, what do I know…

Super Asymmetry

When learning how to produce or mix music, one word gets thrown around a lot: balance.

While I am a balance enthusiast in all parts of my life, it sometimes is a little overlooked. Oh, the mighty balance, master of order & symmetry. It does feel great in our ears, doesn’t it?

But like everything else, you can have too much of a good thing.

Ever heard of wabi-sabi? It’s a powerful concept in traditional Japanese aesthetics. It’s about appreciating the beauty of the imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. Simplicity, roughness, and asymmetry are some of its most important characteristics.

Occasionally, you have to break the balance. Make something too loud, or too much to one side, or too mono, too quiet, too dry, whatever. It doesn’t even have to last long.
The hard part is to destroy the balance in a way that serves the song.

Then, bring it back. You’ll appreciate it so much more than if it had never left.

Flea

When Annie dropped Flea a month ago, I decided to conduct a little scientific experiment.

There are many great things about this song, but what makes it so freakin’ cool is this huge drum kit. So, I played it to a handful of musician friends, and asked them to guess who performed the drums.
Sounds tough?

Well, they all recognised the drummer, and waaay before the end of the song.

There is something so distinctive about this touch, this tone, and above all, that drag. This drummer is pulling that song back hard. And that’s what makes it feel so good.

If you haven’t heard it, please, play the game with me. Have a listen and reply with your thoughts.

At the end of the day, this might be the greatest achievement of all. To become so freaking unique that you’re recognisable after a couple of bars. And to pull it off on drums? Very few did.

It ain’t about chops. It’s about tone and feel.

From the Vault

Like what you read? Explore longer articles on my blog. Today’s pick: From Jazz with Love: On Capturing the Moment.

Fare Thee Well

As May is settling in, and hopefully the weather with it, I’ve got one simple question for you:

Are you finishing this song, or making up problems to delay the release?

Our favourite songs are full of mistakes. Why not leave some of them in?

P.S.: if this newsletter has left you feeling inspired, do me a huge favour and tell one person to subscribe.