Four Hundred and Seventy-Nine Unheard Of

The scalding hot water sprayed down through the shower, washing away the sore muscles and mental exhaustion. Renly couldn't help but closed his eyes, raised his head, and let the water droplets fall on his face, and the whole person gradually relaxed.

The first day of album production was a high-intensity operation. Compared to filming, it was even more difficult.

When it comes to the selection of the album tracks, both George and Herbert refused to give in an inch. George did not go his own way as a producer, but Herbert showed unmatched expertise as a sound engineer. To be fair, the scene was once sparkling and stalemate, and it was almost about to fight.

Even though Renly acted as an intermediary for mediation, the effect was still limited. After screening over and over again, the waiting list could only be temporarily fixed on the number "sixteen".

Sixteen songs, which is still too many for an album. However, this is already the limit. After the three-way wrestling, the compromise is the result. As a producer, George made the decision, and first invested in the arranging, recording, and post-production processes. After the complete repertoire was released, he selected the works with the best degree of completion and fit from the sixteen pieces, and included "Don Quixote" "This album.

So far, the preparatory work has finally come to an end.

However, today's work is still not over. The discussion of the three continued until seven o'clock in the evening, and after dinner, Renly entered the recording phase.

"Old Pine" became the first song to enter the studio. First, because the chords of this song are the simplest and the arrangement is relatively simple. Except for the notch-less folk guitar, it only needs tambourine, piano, and snare drum. , xylophone and other traditional folk instruments, the arrangement work took less than 30 minutes to complete, basically maintaining the original flavor of Renly's original creation, which also made the recording work relatively simple.

The second is because both George and Herbert have a soft spot for this song. "Old Pine" has the temperament of traditional folk songs, as casual and freehand as Scottish wanderers; at the same time, it also has the majesty of traditional rock.

Renly first spent more than two hours in the studio recording the instruments. Of course, this was not done by Renly alone. George invited two professional studio musicians to be responsible for all the orchestration and recording; then it took nearly two hours to devote nearly two hours to the formal recording of the singing part.

Recording work is not easy.

This is not like a live performance, everything comes from the heart, allowing the existence of flaws, and paying more attention to the fusion of emotion and atmosphere; standing in front of the recording microphone, all singing will be placed under the microscope, divided into countless pieces, a little To complete the details one by one, including pitch, rhythm, pronunciation, ventilation and other technical aspects of singing skills need to be studied slowly.

More importantly, the emotions can't be left behind either.

When performing live, the whole performance is completed in one go, and the emotions are like mercury pouring down the ground, coherent and smooth, whether it is good or bad depends on the performance on the spot. Even if it is not good, the bow does not turn back and the arrow can only be wrong, and the boat will go with the flow; such a relaxed mode gives the performers more freedom.

But when it comes to recording work, the emotion needs to be full and appropriate. If it is insufficient or too much, then it needs to be repeated. It is normal to record a lyric repeatedly dozens or hundreds of times. However, this method of repeated research has caused the whole song to become fragmented, and the emotional injection has also become countless fragments, intermittent and unsustainable, making the expression of emotions more difficult, and then forming a vicious circle.

Live performance is a test of talent, and recording work is a test of concentration. Both jobs have their own difficulties, but neither should be treated lightly.

Before midnight, Renly finally finished recording "Old Pines."

This isn't the first time Renly has entered the studio, having been impressed with previous recordings in Sound City; but this time it's not just two singles, recording an entire album, the workload increases while the , the difficulty of work is also increasing. Today is just the first day of recording the album, and there is still a long journey ahead.

However, the beginning of everything is difficult, and after taking the first step, the situation will open up. Although today's work is extremely hard, it is very smooth, and the cooperation of the three people is gradually completing the run-in. This is a good thing.

After turning off the shower head, I dried my body with a bath towel and left the hot bathroom. While wiping my hair, I walked towards the kitchen. I've been busy all day today, and I seem to be using my throat too much. I always wanted to drink water when I took a shower, and my throat always felt a little dry.

Walking through the hall, I saw a figure on the sofa out of the corner of my eye. If it was someone else, there would be an extra person in the family for no reason, and I would definitely be scared to death. , without pausing in footsteps, and said hello, "haven't you rested yet?"

Matthew Dunlop, who was sitting on the sofa, did not look up, and was still flipping through the contract in his hand, "This George Slender..."

In the hands of Matthew, it is the record contract that George is about to sign with Renly. Just as Matthew expected, the recording work started today. Before the official recording was started, George and Renly had a simple exchange on the contract. Both of them are the type that prioritizes art, and they don't care about the details of the contract terms. The conversation ended very smoothly.

After returning, Renly shoved the contract directly into Matthew's mailbox, and then went into the house to take a shower. Unexpectedly, Matthew actually came downstairs with the contract.

Entering the kitchen, Renly saw a large jar of lemonade on the stove. Obviously, this should have been prepared by Matthew in advance. Pouring a glass of lemonade, he walked towards the hall with the glass in his hand, "What's the matter, there is a trap in the contract?" Although it was a questioning tone, his expression was taken for granted.

Whether as an actor or as a singer, Renly is an authentic newcomer. When signing contracts, unfair traps are always everywhere, which is the fundamental reason why brokers and lawyers are needed to check, otherwise, you will sell yourself and count the money with a smile.

"No." Matthew's expression was a little weird, but he had not finished reading the contract, so he did not rush to speak, and asked with a dual purpose, "How is the work going today?"

"I'm not very satisfied." Renly took two pillows as backrests and lay down on the sofa, letting his limbs relax. "The efficiency is really too low. Sure enough, I'm still suitable for acting."

From Renly's point of view, he still lacks experience, both in acting experience and singing skills. Compared with the acting, the progress and efficiency of the recording work are far from satisfactory. Even after recording "Old Pines", Renly felt that the effect was not as good as when he was performing on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. If conditions permit, he hopes to re-record to see.

If George and Herbert knew what Renly was thinking, they'd probably be in awe. For a novice in the studio, Renly's performance was nothing short of astonishing.

From a purely technical point of view, Renly is undoubtedly jerky. He has only received basic pronunciation training. In terms of singing skills, he is a blank sheet of paper. It is rough and simple. During the singing process, Renly relies entirely on this book. / Can perform; but it is precisely this originality and simplicity that shows Renly's talent to the fullest.

The interpretation of emotions, the interpretation of emotions, the precipitation of thoughts, the resonance of the soul...especially the warm voice with a touch of hoarseness, which is as velvety and smooth as a cello, and conveys the vicissitudes of ballads, chic and wandering. , Casual, and free to hide in it, the singing at your fingertips is enough to make people cry.

It seems that under that 21-year-old skin hides the soul of a centenarian, who has seen the vicissitudes of life, walked through thousands of mountains and rivers, seen the clouds rise, tasted the ups and downs, the precipitation of years and the power of time. , all blended into the voice, and it was astonishing.

This is a born singer. It took two hours to complete the recording of a song, and it was still in the top recording studio, and it has undergone microscope-like analysis and testing. Even the most professional top singers are nothing more than that.

But... what? Renly still disliked the inefficiency? This is simply a fantasy! Presumably, both George and Herbert would be more than willing to give Renly a single "recording basics class".

Matthew also didn't know anything about the studio's profession, so he couldn't tell the truth from Renly's words, but he curled his lips slightly, "However, judging from this contract, George doesn't agree with your point of view."

Ren Li raised his eyebrows slightly and asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Matthew looked up from the contract, "I mean, this contract not only does not have any traps, but also fully protects your rights with absolute trust." Matthew adjusted his sitting position and turned over. Find the previous clause, "For example, your right to veto the album, that is, if you are not satisfied after the recording of the album, you have the right to request a re-recording, otherwise the album is not allowed to be released."

Even if Renly was a layman, he knew how bizarre it was. Just as actors have the right to veto movies, even Tom Cruise doesn't have that right.

"For another example, you have the right to decide on all aspects of album cover, font, pricing, distribution channels, publicity projects, etc. Without your consent, the publishing company cannot make any decisions casually." Matthew continued Throwing bombs out, this kind of treatment is unheard of for Renly. "For example, no one has the right to change your creation without your consent. That is to say, as a creator, As an artist, your original spiritual core is fully protected."

Shock, real shock! Such a contract clause can even be said to be an overlord slave clause, but the problem is that Renly is the slave owner, while George and the potential publishing company are the slaves!