Ableton Forum

Some lists look like producers, some look like electronic music programmers, some are a mixture.

What is a producer, anyway?

hambone1 wrote:Some lists look like producers, while some look like electronic music programmers.

What is a producer, anyway?

It depends on context. In techno/house/electro the artist/producer/"programmer" are often the same person.

So a guy in his bedroom with a laptop and bootleg copy of Live/Fruity Loops is a 'producer'?

Kinda cheapens the job title of the George Martins of the world. Too bad they couldn't have thought up a different word...

hambone1 wrote:So a guy in his bedroom with a laptop and bootleg copy of Live/Fruity Loops is a 'producer'?

Kinda cheapens the job title of the George Martins of the world. Too bad they couldn't have thought up a different word...

It's just a word

robin wrote: It depends on context. In techno/house/electro the artist/producer/"programmer" are often the same person.

Whereas the original definition of the term 'producer' is closer to that of a film director - someone who guides the overall project, organises the resources & budget, song selection & arrangement and encourages the best from the performers for the material. This last in particular is a talent rarely found these days with individual vision being the sole driving force behind most projects - not a bad thing in terms of that individuals satisfaction but not always the best thing artistically for the overall project. YMMV

hambone1 wrote:So a guy in his bedroom with a laptop and bootleg copy of Live/Fruity Loops is a 'producer'?

Kinda cheapens the job title of the George Martins of the world. Too bad they couldn't have thought up a different word...

are you sayiing kid koala or Amon tobin are not as creative a G MArtin?

I beg to differ.

Overtime the meaning of words change, get over yourself

I never said a thing about creativity.

I'm only wondering what a 'producer' is.

Nod wrote:

robin wrote: It depends on context. In techno/house/electro the artist/producer/"programmer" are often the same person.

Whereas the original definition of the term 'producer' is closer to that of a film director - someone who guides the overall project, organises the resources & budget, song selection & arrangement and encourages the best from the performers for the material. This last in particular is a talent rarely found these days with individual vision being the sole driving force behind most projects - not a bad thing in terms of that individuals satisfaction but not always the best thing artistically for the overall project. YMMV

I'm not disagreeing but as an example Derrick May could be said to be fullfilling all those criteria (OK when he was actually putting stuff out. It was rarely all him remember). As well as being the label boss and DJ who promoted the productions.

I wouldn't say the way he goes about it makes him any less of as producer than George Martin.

hambone1 wrote:I never said a thing about creativity.

I'm only wondering what a 'producer' is.

I get your point. As technology has changed so has the meaning of the word.

Nod wrote:

robin wrote: It depends on context. In techno/house/electro the artist/producer/"programmer" are often the same person.

Whereas the original definition of the term 'producer' is closer to that of a film director - someone who guides the overall project, organises the resources & budget, song selection & arrangement and encourages the best from the performers for the material. This last in particular is a talent rarely found these days with individual vision being the sole driving force behind most projects - not a bad thing in terms of that individuals satisfaction but not always the best thing artistically for the overall project. YMMV

actually that sounds a little more like what the 'producer' of a film does not the director. except for the "encourages the best from the performers for the material" part.

hambone1 wrote:So a guy in his bedroom with a laptop and bootleg copy of Live/Fruity Loops is a 'producer'?

Kinda cheapens the job title of the George Martins of the world. Too bad they couldn't have thought up a different word...

aaron funk
prince jammy
richard james
coxsone dodd
trentmoller
willie williams
ceephax
scientist
Andy Turner/Ed Handley [plaid]
vivian jackson [yabby you]
the rza
jackie mitto
eazy e [no one does sinister like eazy did it]
scott herren
quincy jones
lee perry
king tubby

and last, but certainly not least

kruder & motherfucking dorfmeister




I'm pretty sure 90% of those folks started off in their bedroom, running cheap/homebrew/stolen/bootleg materials

robin wrote:I'm not disagreeing but as an example Derrick May could be said to be fullfilling all those criteria (OK when he was actually putting stuff out. It was rarely all him remember). As well as being the label boss and DJ who promoted the productions. I wouldn't say the way he goes about it makes him any less of as producer than George Martin.

Yep - the term, like the technology, has evolved to mean something more & also something less

As just one example of another classic role of the producer, which can cross over into engineering, is studio psychology: the talents in a rut, it's spending money hand over fist and you're job is to motivate them before the label repo your backside. Some talent responds well to the big stick & others like being flattered. Others will be adamant that the sphincter clenching vocal/guitar/bass/keys/drums part they've just vomited out is the best thing ever written by the human species. Your job, before that unmitigated horror is committed to the final master for future embarrasment, is to laterally work them into thinking that they've decided it's actually a really bad idea and they can do better. No easy task

more seriously, for 'eclectic all time':

Was (Not Was) (David Weiss and Don Fagenson)-- when I first heard them, their 'collage approach' to production blew me away. They were never super big in the US, too esoteric, but apparently much more popular in the UK.

Really ahead of their time.

halfadder wrote:actually that sounds a little more like what the 'producer' of a film does not the director. except for the "encourages the best from the performers for the material" part.

Again agreed - it's just now the duties can be a lot less specific. It used to be the case that production and engineering were completely seperate disciplines - the latter generally featured white coated boffins fawning over Calrecs & EMI's rather than bald, white tshirted boffins fawning over laptops and calling themselves producers http://www.mercenary.com/emitgconsole.html

MORE COWBELL!

Simon Posford - for continuing to make truly psychedelic music, even after the genres he helped found have become saturated in commercialism.

Aphex Twin - for continuing to amaze me even with stuff he made 15 years ago.

BT - for having tons of fun being a badass, keeping his hair ghey, and for freely sharing his knowledge for the betterment of the music.

Wayne Coyne - for being the driving vision behind the Flaming Lips, staying in Oklahoma, and for keeping it weird!

ethios4 - for making all the music I want to hear, but no one else is making!