MTF Week 10 (May 17th, 2007) "Genre Based Production II"

It is interesting to note that culture influences music a great deal, but it is more interesting that particular towns influence sound too it seems that if one ventures even just a few miles, that the sound and recording techniques change. Steve introduced us to the great variance of the British sound from Bath to Bristol, Liverpool to London itself. I wonder why this happens so drastically in densely populated areas such as Great Britain…

As a producer is it ok to go against structural cultural systems that determine a particular sound? For instance, take a look at how Kurt Cobain managed to accepted Butch Vig’s ideal understanding of Nirvana’s sound; still Grunge, but polished.

It sort of compliments everything others and I have been saying - finding a balance between too much and too little seems to be the key at complimenting the genre while managing to keep artist relations and financial well-being. However, if you honestly consider Grunge from a general publics point of view, 9 times out of 10 Smells Like Teen Spirit will come to mind rather then Big Cheese. The same applies to The Black Album; hell I bet even Green Day’s American Idiot founded Punk to some people.

It seems that while certain genres have their own characteristics, pop culture drives the ways of some producers. Because of this, people will tend to remember only the things that have a glossed up radio like representation over the original raw genre – in a sense that is what a lot of people like to hear, gloss!

An example:
Steve played us two versions of Wolfmother’s “Woman” and woh what a difference there was. This alone reinforces my beliefs that this effect is very much true to all music, which is driven by public demand. Common elements may include lots of compression and presence, in other words the equation to suck the audience in.

Some musicians “sound like they sound”[1] yes indeed, but when it comes to public demand and record company dogging, I think some producers will go to any length to press the sound into a nice neat little wrapped box.

References:

1. Fieldhouse, Steve, (2007). Genre Based Production II, presented at the University of Adelaide, 17th May

Further Reading:

1. Ken’s blog on being a jack and a master (finding that balance), accessed 21st May, 2007
http://plutoniumunderpant.blogspot.com/2007/05/10507-genre-based-production-styles.html