MTF week 3.

The producer is to an album what the director is to a movie. Place of origin, music heard whilst growing up and people worked with all play a role in the development of an individual producer’s style. Some producers develop a trade mark sound for which they are sought out by aspiring artists (however, a producer that possesses versatility in recording style is preferable). This sound can be a result of the choices made when miking up, a tendency to create bright/moody sounding recordings or using (or abstaining from using) heavy effects post production. The producer does five key things. He/she is responsible for the overall sound of the product (playing a part in the decision whether or not to create an album that reflects the artists’ sound or alters it). The producer decides what songs will be used, the order they will appear in and the instrumentation that will be used (the producer may also get royalties for these efforts). The producer takes care of budget distribution and ensures that the recording is finished on time. It is crucial that the producer has good communication skills. Stylised production ranges from the raw basics of the instruments recorded to heavily synthesised and affected audio. Examples of raw recordings include AC-DC, Queens of the Stone Age and Primus (the Brown album). Albums featuring heavy post production include Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’, songs by Muse and PJ Harvey. In the field of Dub music, the role of the producer becomes that of the artist as the finished product is the result of much, tasteful cutting, pasting and editing. A prominent Dub artist is Bill Laswell. Employed by Sony, Laswell travels the world getting traditional musicians together for massive ‘jam sessions’. He mixes these ‘jam sessions’ down into marketable tracks with plenty of bass and a techno overtone. Producers often employ little tricks to create a sound that is unique. A favourite of these tricks is to begin a track quietly in the hopes of tricking the listener into turning up their stereo, 30 seconds into the song, the listener will be hit will the full force of the song. This trick is especially useful in the case of radio for ensuring that the song is actually listened to.