Ok here’s something really cool. This is the new music video for “Dirtier Dancing”, a song from Alexy’s “Last Man” EP that I produced this past fall. The song will also appear on his full-length Paper Moon record next year. This video was shot in one, continuous mayhem-filled take! Without further ado…
-BP
Well, I am pleased to announce that our friend Christine Aziz is kickin’ butt with her new Toronto Fringe Festival show, “ELLAmentary”.
It’s a one-woman show featuring her young alter-ego, Ella Salmon – and it’s really funny.
It has great dialog, song (I helped write/produce the music), and audience participation elements. Very cool indeed. All that said, from opening night at the Annex Theatre it was clear this show was going to go places… and now it is!
ELLAmentary has just been selected for “Best of the Fringe”, and will extend to larger performances at the Toronto Center for the Arts on August 3, 4, and 5, 2011. Showtime is 7pm and the tickets are $15.
See here for more info: http://www.tocentre.com/studio/ELLAmentary , and http://www.ellasalmon.com/
Go check out the show and see a true star on the rise. You may just pee your pants in the process.
-BP
Hello again peeps!
I thought I’d share a cool little video preview of the making of Alexy’s new album “Paper Moon” with you. The clip highlights some BP producing, as well as Kensington Sound in action during Alexy’s recording process.
Side note, the cool loop you hear in the background is from one of the album cuts.
Enjoy!
-BP
Hello everyone!
In such a busy season producing albums, I have found it hard to squeeze any blogs in.
Having said that, I look forward to getting back to it now that I have this sweet WordPress iPad app.
First up is this excellent piece written by my Kensington Sound peeps Vezi and Adam Debevc.
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HOW TO CHOOSE A STUDIO
Rapidly developing technologies have completely changed the dynamics
of music production. The immediate exposure and marketing tools that
the internet provides, combined with the ever-expanding myriad of
recording tools available to the everyday consumer, make it possible
for any artist these days to produce a respectable ‘demo’ or CD
completely on their own. But if all of these advantages are available
to everyone, how does one stand out in the crowd and make heads turn?
Think of your debut CD or demo as being your audio business card.
First impressions last forever and you will probably not have many
chances to wow that one individual or organization. You want to put
your very best foot forward. Don’t forget that you are competing with
hundreds, if not thousands of similar presentations to those in the
industry who have heard it all before. It is not realistic, or
sensible, or wise to think that the expertise, experience, and unique
talents of a professional studio, engineer or producer are so easily
replaced by the simple move of a mouse. Any of these facets chosen
correctly can take your music to a higher level you never dreamed
possible.
The easiest way to get started is to simply ask around. Perhaps
musician friends of yours have just had a positive recording
experience or you’ve heard a CD locally produced that really knocked
you out. Check out the credits and make a note of the studio, the
audio engineer and the producer(s) involved. Compile a list. Talk to
bands, musicians and industry people you know and see if they’ve heard
of any of your selections. If you apply enough street research on your
own, you should be able to narrow it down quite a bit.
Choosing a studio is probably the most difficult part of the process
as your choice will also usually include the audio engineer you will
be working with although there are studios that will allow a
free-lance engineer to run the sessions if you want to separate the
two. Given the current technologies available, almost all the studios
you visit will have competent recording equipment. The variables to
look out for are microphone selection (you want a varied list to
choose from: condenser, ribbon to dynamic, vintage to the latest
flavour of the month), interesting outboard gear such as old
compressors or kooky outboard stuff that might add a new dimension to
some of the tracks and any desirable musical instruments the studio
offers itself.
The main console or mixing desk (digital versus analogue) is also an
important factor. Depending on the style of your music you may want
something older, more vintage-sounding ie. analogue (be aware this
might be technically challenging and require a little patience) or
instead the pristine sound of the latest in digital technology (this
will be a quicker and sonically trouble-free process but expect to
have to work harder to obtain colour or warmth).
A firsthand visit to the studio and a short interview with the
engineer (make sure he/she will be the same you will be working with!)
is absolutely mandatory. How does the space feel? How do you interact
with the engineer? Your comfort level is hugely important; to be
honest, it’s everything. Hopefully during this time, you will feel a
connection and rapport with the engineer and the space itself. It is
undeniably tempting to become swayed by swanky opulence, the latest
cool recording gizmos and to be intimidated by the star engineer with
a ton of credits under his/her name. But if you feel nervous or ill at
ease in the studio itself or you feel like you’re not being taken
seriously by the engineer, this will without a doubt, affect how you
actually perform in that studio with that engineer behind the console
and how well you perform is the bottom line – it’s all and everything.
If you keep this singular concept squarely in your mind and make your
comfort level the main priority it should be, you will find that this
is the magic key to a successful recording (if there is one at all!).
An expensive and technically precise recording of a nervous, rattled
and unhappy band will always suck, despite all the pricey bells and
whistles, whereas a lower-budget recording of an inspired, smokin’
band or a passionate singer who was simply on fire will destroy the
competition ten times out of ten.
Ask those in the know – on this there is no argument.
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-BP
Hello everyone!
Here is a lovely video of Carey Ott professing his love for Kensington Sound, and the working relationship between me and him. What a lovely soul – thanks so much Carey! It was an absolute blast working with you, brother. To many more! 
Simply click on the picture above to link out to the HD Vimeo video.
If you haven’t already checked out the Human Heart record, you can buy it on iTunes here: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/human-heart/id401390544
Or on his website here: http://careyott.com/store/human-heart
Grab a copy and give yourself some ear candy…this record kicks from start to finish!
-BP
Hello everyone,
Here are some first reviews of Carey Ott’s “Human Heart” record that I co-produced and mixed this past summer at Kensington Sound.
I’ll add more as they trickle in! Without further ado:
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The Daily News – Stamford, Connecticut
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2010
CAREY OTT, “Human Heart” (Discover Rock) ✰✰✰ — They say you should write about what you know, which is why most singer/songwriters tend to pen tunes that deal with their own
experiences. Nashville-based rocker Carey Ott followed that blueprint on his “Lucid Dream” debut. For the follow-up, how- ever, Ott has made a concerted effort to connect with listeners on a personal level and the ambitious “Human Heart” is the result.
There’s a superb album to be found here, but because “Human Heart” is about twice as long as it needs to be with 20 tracks clocking in at 73 minutes, it’ll take some searching to find the dozen or so really good tunes. Ott’s talent is obvious on keep- ers such as “Save My Life,” “Coming Up for Air,” the title track, “Under Control,” “Curiosity (Killed a Man)” and “Last Train Leaving.” But too much filler (“Wish I Could,” “Bigredbutton,” “Getting Thru”) prevents this good album from being great. (JS)
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
@Province_EToday Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Taking up residence in a cozy nook of The Province newspaper, E-Today is Vancouver’s best daily source of lively arts and entertainment coverage.
http://www.theprovince.com/entertainment
www.theprovince.com / vancouver’s mainstream newspaper
CAREY OTT Human Heart (Discoverrock)
A CD with this many songs, 20, and this long, nearly 80 minutes, shouldn’t work. Oddly, this one does, due mainly to the fact Ott is a talented songwriter. Ott also takes several different approaches that make him unpredictable. Case in point is that Ott nails you with the sincerity of the folky tone of opener “Anyone,” but then immediately goes electric with “Save My Life” and then wages a Jack Johnson-like singalong by third track “Ain’t No Upside.” B
- Tom Harrison – The Vancouver Province – E-Today – Tuesday, January 17 / 11
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-BP
DISCLAIMER: If you are an artist who has recorded your first record with me, this blog entry is not intended to put you down in any way. This is simply an informative piece for artists on managing first album expectations. If you dare… READ ON!
I call it the infamous “First Album Syndrome” (or FAS for short).
Countless times I have worked with solo artists and bands on their first-ever foray into studio recording – producing their single, EP, or full length album. (I seem to have been blessed with an other-worldly measure of patience for this.) All too often theses artists start their projects with no idea of what to expect, in real-world terms. I mean – they’ve seen it in the movies, but recording an album in real life is no drunken party! (For the most part.)
Here’s a typical scenario:
On the first day of pre-production, the artist arrives at the studio with high hopes, and a rather “exact” idea of how everything should sound. They go into great detail on the albums they love, and the artists they would like to “emulate”. (Now, I make notes on this stuff you know.) They start “describing” their desired sound-palette for the album. With no studio experience, however, newbie jargon is completely different than how we pros converse. Someone can tell me that they want something to sound “warm” when they really mean “bright”. I think I’ve even been told to make something sound more “raspberry”. Yes, you need to be a damned fine interpreter indeed if you’re a producer working with first-timers.
One of my experiences:
I recall one occasion where a band had told me that they wanted to make a record with the same kind of sound and vibe as the Who and Led Zeppelin. After tracking, I started on mixes for them – and dutifully applied the “retro/groovy/stadium” sound. Upon hearing my first draft, they *ordered* me (I know, right??) to remove all of the reverb sounds! Now listen to Led Zep and the Who and tell me that there is no reverb used. NONSENSE! It’s drenched – this is a HUGE part of the sound! The band then proceeded to complain about how the sound of themselves recorded didn’t sound like “them”. Well, this is interesting considering that once the reverb was removed, these were totally un-effected mixes, undoctored as can be. It sounded exactly like them. “So you don’t want to sound like the bands you told me you wanted to sound like, and on top of it all – you don’t like the sound of yourself recorded?” I’d poke and prod. “Well, uh, you know – we just don’t want to sound over-produced,” they’d snap back. Fair enough. Sounded like maybe they shoulda’ stuck with their live shows instead of makin’ a record. Get with the program.
“Why Doesn’t It Sound Like It Does In My Head?”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this line. (Use this line on me and we’re breaking for lunch.) Songs will NEVER, EVER sound the exact same way recorded as they do in your head. Maybe this is a good thing. What a good producer can do, however is make your songs sound the best they can (in the real-world, non-dreamland version). If you’ve uttered these (un) magic words, you probably just needed to warm up to the sounds and ideas. Maybe you even had a bad case of “demo-itis” (*cough cough*). In any case, I understand. But for the future – let the song run its due course. Songs have a mind of their own! This is due to a number of factors, including the vibe of the recording day, the musicians and their performances, technical limitations, etc. If you decide to be open-minded, you may just be pleasantly surprised in the end.
First-time album artists need to have realistic expectations about the recording process.
Take a deep breath. This process is going to take some faith. For your first album outing, you will get the absolute best results by picking a great producer, and then trusting that person to guide you through the recording process as it unfolds. Let them have the final say, and trust their judgment. Expect that the producer knows what they are doing and don’t question everything he/she does. They are ultimately in charge in their natural habitat (the studio). It is important to communicate with them, but it can be rather unnerving to a producer when everything they do along the way gets questioned. They know how to make you sound good! They will oversee all details pertinent to making a great record for you. Always be prepared to listen to their crazy ideas and try anything – as you never know what happy accidents can happen along the way that will give your record those “magic moments”!
Understanding the totally unconventional time-lines of the music industry is a must.
Hurry up, and wait! Story of my life. The industry will make you wait a year and then suddenly need your product a week from yesterday. Making a record involves a healthy measure of compromise, patience, and trust. It may take a month, or it might take a year – the important thing is to make a killer product. You may need to push a deadline or two back in order to do things right. Bearing that in mind, asking for endless changes, additions and mix revisions can also be totally counter-productive. Please don’t ask why the process is taking so long if you’re the one holding it up! If your producer, engineer, and outside listeners (meaning friends and family – that is, if you have any left by this point in the recording process) are confident that it’s great – go with it. It’s hard to be objective when you’re so close to something. Don’t ignore your gut, but don’t ignore the listener, either.
The second record is way easier, I promise.
Recording your first album is ultimately your biggest leap of faith as an artist. Once it’s released, you will have a product to show for. This will of course remove the stress of not having something in hand (or online) when people ask you for a taste. Pressure’s off… you may have just cured your sorry “FAS“. You’ll be glad to have spent all of that time, money, and effort on a first album that you can be proud of. Remember that once you release a record, your sound will be immortalized in digital files (or analog medium) so do it right the first time and make it count.
-BP
Let’s take a poll:
