Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Get to know the people behind the music.

Peter Banning

The new ABC album had me doing a lot of searching throughout tracking and mixing. I studied up on known industry figures and came across other interesting characters in the process. These people aren't my heroes nor did they inspire me to make a great album, but it was enjoyable to study up on their own accomplishments and hear their stories. 

I'll share a few of my favorites...

1. Hans Zimmer - Composer: 

This guy is a monster composer. Credits include Blackhawk Down, The Dark Knight, the new Pirates of the Caribbean and my favorite, Inception.

Listen to "Time" from Inception at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srrAm9Eiqcw

I'd never worked on an album that was a score, but Zimmer's music provided insight into getting the job done right. 

2. Rick Rubin - Producer: 

He probably produced your favorite record. This Def-Jam Records co-founder uses simplicity in music, but does things to the max. It's rumored that he places vocalists in a Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber if they aren't delivering during recording sessions. 

Learn more about Rick Rubin at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Rubin

3. John Feldmann - Producer/Engineer: 

If Rick Rubin didn't work on your favorite record, John Feldmann probably did. The first Feldmann album I bought was Story of the Year's, "Page Avenue". Even though it was released in 2003, it's still one of the best sounding records I can think of. Feldmann's drum sounds, although they are samples, are incredible. They are a testament to his mixing abilities.

Check out Feldmann's credits at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Feldmann

Take the opportunity to learn about the people behind your favorite music. A lot more went into it than just a pretty face singing into a microphone. 

-Peter

1 comment:

  1. I also love Hans Zimmer! Wow, you guys are getting cooler by the minute! I mostly love him for composing the score for Pirates, but I also love his work for Sherlock Holmes, and how all the pieces are named for lines in the movie. My two favorites are "I've never woken up in handcuffs before" and "Not in Blood, But in Bond".

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