Episode 44 - Grammys
Show Notes:
Live with Matt Rad - Episode 44
Mar 16, 2021
w/ Jon Castelli - Week 41
Show notes by: Bradley Will
There is a distinction to be made between compression and compressors. One is a process, the other is a tool.
The David Whyte approach to meditation: A more poetic, philosophical approach compared to Sam’s more spoken-word conceptual practices.
So much of what we do as record makers is shifting back and forth between the macro and the micro details.
We also need to be in the space of not touching something. We need to be comfortable not doing something.
Nutrition and Fitness are both “Loud” spaces on the internet right now. Audio engineering is on it’s way to being there too.
Q: Thoughts on the Grammys?
Q: If someone touched an album, should you get an award for it?
Yes. It’s very rare that one person is the only one working on an album.
Matt:
Trophies for art is dumb
He’s happy when his friends are awarded, but otherwise is uninterested otherwise.
Athletics are a meritocracy with clear, objective winners. Music is not.
Jon:
If we get rid of the Grammys do people start making records for different reasons?
If the Grammys go away, would there be any improvement to the music making community?
Having events that promote artists big-upping each other may ultimately be a positive thing.
Q: What do you think about vinyl?
Jon:
Jon never had a true affinity for it until the pandemic when he got himself a nice setup.
He uses solely to be a fan of music. He never puts his own projects on.
You end up listening to it more closely.
If people listened to a piece of 60s vinyl, people would probably understand Jon’s mix philosophy better.
Example: Ethiopian jazz records, Mulatu Astatke
Matt:
The process of mastering for vinyl. You need to be someone who has the specific experience of doing this. It has very particular requirements and expertise.
If you simply put your iTunes master on vinyl it will not sound good.
The record is for inspiration and joy.
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Are there records being made today with the same level of depth as the past? With enough to discover that you can replay and hear different things each time?
Is there something that is lacking in contemporary records that needs to be brought back into the fold? Are they engaging young listeners in the same way and with the same attention to detail that we had in our youths?
Spyder asks in chat: How culturally ubiquitous is deep listening?
Once recording technology came out in the 30’s-40s, it narrowed the ability for people to have communal experiences. There was no recorded music. You had to perform the music in your home.
It was probably a highlight of these people’s times to sit around the piano with someone who was proficient and singing a song together.
We are simultaneously getting short attention spans, dopamine hits, and instant everything, but yet the most influential media person is someone who is is doing 3hr one-on-one long form interviews.
