Adam Granduciel Quotes

In recording, you're trying to make something work sonically - getting the right inflection on the right guitar sound - and maybe a part that would be musically great doesn't sound as cool. On paper, though, it's all stripped back. The musical idea is the one that wins.

For me, it's always just about playing the song and recording it and giving it what it needs as a song.

Most great records really start with the drums.

I think it's his perception of knowing how to make a record build, keeping the integrity of the song in the music and really adding a lot of musical elements to compliment my voice and to compliment the song.

So I'll set a cycle in motion and pop it into record and I'll lay down a drum pattern, a bass line, a keyboard and guitar part, and once the groove is going I launch into the song and sing my song over the top.

We knew we wanted to put a lot of melody into it - a lot more than what we did on our first album.

By giving the public a rich and full melody, distinctly arranged and well played, all the time creating new tone colors and patterns, I feel we have a better chance of being successful. I want a kick to my band, but I don't want the rhythm to hog the spotlight.

You can do a lot to shape the feeling of a song by the way you record it.

The first nine albums there was never a Synthesiser, never any Orchestra. There was never any other player except us on the albums.

If you want to make people dance, you need to follow certain rules. Build-ups and breaks and stuff. I like to be free. On top of it all, I never really felt that I'm good at making fat-sounding dance tracks.

When I started out, even though you had your rhythm section, they were big horn sections, strings, live people laying on every part of the floor in the studio waiting for their chance to get on that one little track.

I love music more just in and of itself. I love harmony and rhythm.

You need a pulse in a film. If I see a film that doesn't have rhythm, it's like listening to music that doesn't have rhythm; it doesn't really work.

A great song has to stand on its own, just singing and playing, and the rest is frosting. But you have to pay attention to the frosting.

If we don't put some acting in a dance song, no one would be able to dance on it.

Obviously, I like the drums to be heard. I think they're important.

There's more to music than just words over tracks.

I think I put a lot of special attention towards creating interesting textures and unique sounds. Music essentially boils down to two main elements: rhythm and melody. I feel tones and textures often get overlooked, so I like to take my time finding the right sounds.

Good, effective pop music isn't just verbal language. It takes a good physical beat to make you feel something.

It's really important to me that my sound is a combination of beats and melody. I love hearing strong, confident beats in music because I love to dance. At the same time, melody is really important to me because I love singing.

When making any record, a producer has a list of things you hope an artist brings to the studio. Songs that are strong even without the bells and whistles.

I spend time editing and massaging each note. Then I start layering with different instruments, adding harmonies, counterpoint, and whatever the song calls for. Then I arrange it into a whole piece, and decide where I need to add live musicians. It takes a lot of time, but it is very satisfying once it is complete.

When I watch drummers, I always want to see energy. It's not about the proficiency of the musicianship; I'm just into the vibe and excitement of it. With drums, it's such a primeval thing.

And I like messing around in the engine room of music. Seeing what happens in the rhythm section area.

Rhythm is the life of space of time danced through.