DJ, Producer, and Songwriter Diplo offers some helpful insight into his interesting creative process as well as some of the insecurities that most artists grapple with as they enter “studio” mode. Check it out here. It is from The Creators Project series, which is definitely worth a look.
While Diplo is involved in numerous cool, fun projects, he is probably best known to date for his work with MIA and the track Paper Planes.
Making decisions about recording and mixing options has always had the potential to bog a musician down with variables. Even home-recording rough demos can now invite the use of multi-tracking, countless effects, plug-ins, mic choices, etc. For an artist this often invites the opportunity to drown in options. By obsessively reviewing variables that often do not contribute to the material, you are distracting yourself from an important objective: finishing the song.
When considering any choice you make during the recording process, you can avoid missing the big picture and simplify things by asking yourself, “Does making this change in the recording improve the song?” If the answer is no, obviously leave it out. Importantly, if you truly can’t decide whether it improves it or not, then the answer still is leave it out. Every sound on your recording, every arrangement decision, every vocal, every mix technique should propel the song forward. Flourishes that are pleasant but not helpful only drag down the impact of the important elements of your song.
Tom Petty believes his pop anthem “Free Fallin’” was greatly improved when producer Jeff Lynne simply suggested he remove some pleasant but non-integral chords from the song. The advice was valuable enough that Tom gave Jeff a co-writing credit.
Often the adage is true that less is more.