Daniel Lanois
Legendary Canadian producer, songwriter, and seven-time Grammy-winning musician Daniel Lanois is one of the world’s most influential music makers.
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Rolling Stone magazine who once declared Lanois “the most important producer to emerge in the ’80s,” also has a prolific solo career.
His new studio album, Belladonna Nocturne out Friday, June 19, showcases Lanois’ masterful approach to layered sonic ambient textures and cinematic atmospheres.
While some may shun the use of cutting-edge technology when creating music, Lanois doesn’t, as he believes it has a place in music.
“When new technology comes our way, and no matter what we say about it, we always get used to it somehow or other,” he said.
“I can remember people bitching about synthesizers and that they were replacing real instruments.
“Well, how well did that go?”
With AI evolving at such a fast pace, Lanois has already seen the value it can bring to music production.
“We’ve had nice results recently, where we took an old Aaron Neville vocal that was recorded back in the day and eliminated the background,” he said.
“Because it was a live vocal, the instruments were spilling into it and causing leakage, but we were able to isolate the vocal almost 100 per cent.
“It turned out to be a great thing.
“I was then able to frame Aaron’s music with all new sounds.”
Lanois has toured Australia previously, his last visit here was in 2007, so does he have any plans in returning sometime soon?
“I had such a good time there,” he said.
“There’s no reason not to come there other than I’m busy doing stuff in Canada and Europe.
“But we’ve done Japan and Australia, so maybe it's time to go back.
“But it is a long travel.
“If I was to come back, I’d make sure I show up with enough time to get some rest.”
Lanois’ passionate approach to making music is underscored by a sense of optimism.
“I try and see the good in everyone,” he said.
“Even the most worn out, tired, satin tour jacket wearing cynic, is a nut that I want to crack.
“We all got into this [making music] because we love music and let’s not forget that.
“And though there will be bumps in the road, I remain optimistic as there’s always a new discovery to be made.”
For more on Daniel Lanois visit: https://www.daniellanois.com/
This week’s music quiz
Q: In the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, “The Dude” played by actor Jeff Bridges, states that he can’t stand which American band? See answer below.
Music news
John Fogerty, who is better known as the lead singer of 70s outfit Creedence Clearwater Revival, has a movie based on his life in the pipeline.
Taylor Swift continues to break records. This week, she earned her seventh UK Number one with her latest single I Knew It, I Knew You, which debuted at number one.
Seventies songstress Carly Simon has a new album coming on August 14.
Titled Comes In Waves, it is the 82-year-old’s first album of all original material in 18 years.
Black Sabbath’s guitar legend Tony Iommi has been awarded a MBE (Member Of The Most Excellent Order Of The British Empire) in the King’s Birthday Honours for his services to music as well as charity.
Famed US YouTube personality, producer and musician Rick Beato is heading to our shores for the first time this October.
In a new interview with UK’s NME, Sparta front man Jim Ward reflected on his firing from post hardcore band At The Drive-In, the outfit he co-founded in 1994, and remained with until their split in 2001.
Ward rejoined the group in 2012, but was fired from the band during rehearsals for At The Drive-In’s 2016 reunion tour.
“Even if all five of us talked about it, I’m not sure we’d understand what happened,” Ward revealed in the interview.
“What I do know is that I wasn’t in a good place mentally, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t have done my job. But I think getting kicked out, as painful as it was, was probably a blessing in disguise.”
Musical landmarks #2 – Dean St Studios, London
First used as a film studio back in the 1950s, Dean St Studios as it’s called today, first became part of music history when producer Tony Visconti took over the premises and renamed it Good Earth Studios in 1976.
Under his watch, many of music’s iconic artists recorded at the studio.
Everyone from David Bowie, and T-Rex, to Moody Blues and Adam Ant, to name but a few.
The studio saw artists such as Tina Turner, Wham! and Duran Duran also hire the premises for recording sessions.
Visconti sold the studio in 1989, and though the studio continued to operate, it wasn’t until 2007 when new management took over and the studio was relaunched.
Since then, it has remained one of London’s premier studios with everyone from Noel Gallagher, John Legend, and Florence + The Machine coming through its doors.
During my recent visit to London, I paid a visit to the studios, and one thing I noticed, is that unlike some studios, it’s a studio with lots of heart and feeling.
It radiates with a truly inspiring atmosphere, where creativity and making music can thrive uninhibited.
I was also privileged to stand in the original control room and recording room where Bowie and Bolan once stood.
For more on the studio, check out: https://www.deanst.com/
This week’s global music charts
Australia No.1: I Knew It, I Knew You — Taylor Swift
The US No.1: Hate That I Made You Love Me — Ariana Grande
UK No.1: I Knew It, I Knew You — Taylor Swift
Fun fact
None of the three songwriters of John Denver’s 1971 country hit, Take Me Home, Country Roads had ever visited West Virginia when they wrote the song, so used an encyclopedia to look up facts about it for the song.
And though the song was inspired by one of the songwriter’s early life in Springfield, Massachusetts, they changed the place name to West Virginia because they didn’t think the word Massachusetts was musical enough.
Quiz answer: The Eagles