What does the Producer do?

This is a great question because it seems to depend on whether the project has a budget or not!

Record Labels almost always have an album producer for artists, unless they are proficient enough to do it themselves which even if you can do it, its misses the point of having a producer. Objectivity.

Not the only benefit but certainly the most valuable in terms of getting the most out of the project and the artists.

Because most artists only know how to create music. Some can’t even do that. Pop stars for example.

Bob Dylan, arguably the greatest songwriter of them all always brings in a producer to help him extract something new from his performance and his vision of the album. I read once with his album, “Oh Mercy” he presented the lyrics to Daniel Lanois and said that it was an album he was proud of.

The 5 things that a producer does that the musicians can’t

  1. Be objective.
  2. Tune the instruments!
  3. Provide direction and focus to the ideas in the song.
  4. Arrangement and even performances.
  5. A vision for the best that the song could be. Sometimes in stark contrast to the lead singer!
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Greenpeace video – Abi and Crizel, the Toxic Warrior – Soundtrack ~ Herrin

This video tells the heartbreaking story of the toxic remains from US Bases in the Philippines and one of its casualties, Crizel Valencia.

I was lucky enough to be asked to contribute music to this video and thanks go to Elaine Hill at Greenpeace for putting this one together.

Greenpeace. Stories that need to be told. :-(

You can find a link to the article on the Greenpeace website right here.

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My studio – image gallery

This is a look at my recording studio space and instruments.

It’s just fun to see how much can be done with so little. Not being into recording other artists for some time has meant that my studio does not need to be very big.

The challenge now is to focus more on the music, the production and the context, that is making sound that enhances and works in synergy with the larger perspective.

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Download my complete album now – no strings attached

Herrin LarkanThis new year coming I have decided to try something new and simply allow you to download and listen to my album free of charge. 13 tracks of passionate musical love in high quality iTunes format.

Yes, no crappy sounding MP3′s here. Only the best for you my anonymous friend.

So download it now and enjoy! :-)   The file is a 98MB zip file.

If, once you have listened it brings you some kind of pleasure and you want to show some financial love you can make a donation right here.

But it is not expected.

If you are new to digital music and need help you can download the Easy iTunes Music Guide PDF.

Feel free to comment below and tell me what you think, about anything you like really.

Kind regards,

Herrin

P.S. Feel free to copy the music and share it freely with anyone that you think will enjoy it.

Herrin Larkan

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Peter Gabriel – Digging In The Dirt (1992)

Amazing, innovative music set to a ground breaking video clip. This song was a revelation to my ears and still is.

Peter Gabriel and his the team of alien ability musicians, with the genius of Daniel Lanois producing make this song and the album “US” one of the most pure pop alternative albums of all time.

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Free Song Download – “Within Me” the english/spanish wedding song

Hey there people and small sponges with cognitive ability and small boomboxes.

I have just posted a new track that can be downloaded for free.

It is called “Within Me”

No, not because its rubbish, in fact quite the opposite.

Its a very emotive and well produced love song with acoustic guitar, bass, piano and programming by the bro Jai Larkan and all vocals by me.

I once played this song at a wedding where the groom had helped me translate the lyrics into Spanish. It went down very well and I did not forget any of the words!

So there is a Spanish version of this around somewhere I will have to find!

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