BoA #1 in Japan!!

In recent years i've done alot of international work, which i really enjoy. I often mix songs in languages that i cannot understand at all (i just got a song in thats half French half Arabic, decifer that one!). Anyway, last night i was instant messaging with a Japanese producer I've done alot of mixing for and he told me that the artist "BoA" that he recently had me mix for, her album "Made in Twenty" just went #1 in Japan. Here's a link..... BoA "Made in Twenty" Chart

BoA is on Japanese major label Avex, which i've been doing some work for lately. The song was produced by incredibly talented producer Taishi Fukuyama who i've mixed for now many times (most recently the Masaya Wada project for Avex). Taishi also co-wrote the song with Haruko Ohinata AnythingMusic check them out at that link.

Incidentally, I also recently mixed for TaTa Young, who I've been told is like the J-Lo of Thailand, and big all throughout Asia. Does anyone who how her recent album did on the charts over there? I never found out but i'm sure the album was a big hit. I think i've also had hits with ELY from Quebec (i think she's biggest in France), I think Masaya Wada's album did well in Japan, and just recently i mixed a song for a new female Korean artist named "J Lim" who's produced by the same production team responsible for Korean megastar "Rain". Hopefully J Lim will be a big star too. I think i also recently mentioned i'm currently producing an Icelandic pop artist named "Snooze!" who's had several hits in Iceland. And don't get me started on my Caribbean production and mixing work, thats a whole nother blog, though i'll give a big shout out to Caribbean super producer Ben hud and the most recent mix project he's brought me, songstress "KK", who's album will feature Sizzla as well as Beenie Man! OK, back to production for me, hopefully i'll grab some chart success on the indie rock charts with this "Skidmore Fountain" album. super cool stuff.
-Ken Lewis

The Fallout

I just finished a mix for Fallout Boy. Turns out that Fallout Boy struck a deal with Kanye West, if Kanye remixed a song of theirs for their album, (the song i just mixed), they would remix a song of his for his album "Graduation", which will be Kanye's 3rd album due out at Christmas. And if the few roughs of songs i've heard from it so far are any indication, "Graduation" will be an all time classic hip hop album. I'm calling it now, though i'd expect nothing less of Kanye, nor would he deliver anything less. But back to Fallout Boy. I'm a fan. Actually though i'd never tell him personally, and i doubt he'll ever read my blog, i'm a big fan of Kanye's music as well, but i try to keep things on a peer level with my clients. Actually i've been extremely fortunate throughout my career to work with so many people who's work and music i truly admire. I'm lucky. Fallout Boy's last album, as well as both Kanye albums are a staple in my ipod, and I cant wait to hear Fallout Boy's new album coming out in a couple weeks. Their first single is currently #1. Not too bad!

Anyway, I kind of feel like i've been working toward this mix for 15 years now. (fusing hip hop and rock together) My entire career has been spent traveling down unrelated paths. Alot of people look at my credits and say "oh, he's an urban mix engineer", and I am. thanks for noticing, except that there are so many more sides. Currently, I just completed production and mixing on a pop rock album (Small Town Sleeper, signed to Upper 11 Records and also signed to my production company). I am in the middle of producing two different indie label rock bands. I also recently produced a Carribean Dance Hall Riddim that is about to blow through the islands like a hurricane (featuring such artists as Sizzla and Delly Ranx, and Beenie Man might jump on it as well). I'm currently mixing a song for Armageddon of Terror Squad, mixing an R&B album for "Paul G" that could really shake things up, I'm mixing an album for Carribean R&B soulstress "KK", who's album will feature Beenie Man and Sizzla on separate tracks, producing a song for Icelandic hit pop artist "Snooze!", i'm also doing a sample recreation for Common's new album and recently did a bunhc of work on Ghostface Killa's new album. And i'm mixing indie projects in about every genre imaginable. And thats just what i'm CURRENTLY or recently doing. you get the picture, I'm pretty darn versatile.

Alot of people are "Hip Hop" producers or "rock producers", or "pop mixers". I am a "music producer" and i am a "music mixer", and i am a musician and songwriter across many genre's. I listen to the music, whatever genre it may be, and figure out what it needs. Anyway, i think a Fallout Boy credit on my resume will definitely help people identify me in rock, and when they hear the albums i'm producing for Small Town Sleeper, Man On Earth, Skidmore Fountain, all very different artists, i think ears and eyes will start opening up more. It seems basic human nature to want to categorize someone, define them a specific way. Some people strive to be defined like that, and that is absolutely great if thats what you want. I want people to describe me with words like "musical" & "versatile". I want people when they think about me to say "there's not a record that this guy cant make well". And if you listen to my work and look at my credits, I hope you agree too. I love making records. Todays record was definitely a special one.
-Ken Lewis

Electric Guitar Recording Tips with Skidmore Fountain

Its been quite a while since i've done a tech post. This should be a good one. There are a million ways to record electric guitar, and so many variables that affect the overall sound, most important of which is who is playing the instrument. Having said that, the guitar, amp, strings, cables, microphones, speakers, plugins, EQ, compression, stomp boxes, etc.... all have an impact and alter the sound for better or worse. But i'm not gonna talk about all that stuff, I'm just gonna talk about a nice little trick i like to do to give the electric guitar some extra depth, sparkle, and attack.

Now i dont always do this, its difficult and time consuming to set up, and not always feesible or necessary for the song, but ok, I'll get on with it. First off, record the electric guitar how you normally would. If you are recording thru an amp, mic the amp, or if your going direct using Amp Farm or a plugin amp, record that on its own tracks like always. Then you must have a place where the guitar player can be in a relatively quiet room while he's recording. Put headphones on him for monitoring. Then place a mic in front of the guitarist facing the body of the guitar. I'm including a picture so you can get a better idea what i mean, as well as an audio example. The idea here is not to get a great sound off the body of the electric guitar, the guitar body doesnt put out much tone at all, but you do want to get whatever tone you can out of it. You will automatically get the crispness of the strings thru the mic, and you do not want to overemphasis that. The goal here is to get a balance between mostly the sound from the amp, belnded with just a bit of the sound from the mic on the guitar body. Record them to separate tracks so you can balance them in the mix. The blend of the 2 when recording a big loud distorted amp will add attack and definition to parts, and if done right when recording a clean guitar it can add more of a 3 dimensional depth and crispness to the guitar.




You'll notice from the picture that this guitar I'm recording is a Danelectro, which happens to be a very lightweight guitar and doesnt really have a solid body like a Stratocaster or Les Paul. Strangely enough, this gives the Danelectro more tone off the body of the guitar which blends really nicely on this clean guitar example i've included.

This Audio clip is from the beginning of a Skidmore Fountain song i'm currently producing. By the way, Skidmore Fountain is an indie rock band from New York City. They are about to embark on a national tour and major radio and promotional campaign this spring, and we're currently digging in and finishing up all the recording. I'll probably blog about them many more times. Check them out at MySpace.com/skidmorefountain. Now the clip you are going to hear is from the intro of a song, first half is with drums so you can hear how it changes the mood of the song. I'll play several seconds of the amp only, followed by several seconds of amp and guitar body mic, the of the guitar body mic only, then the full blend again,etc.... See what you think.

KLBlogElectricGtrXmpl.mp3

-Ken Lewis

The White Rapper Show

OK, first off, man has it been a while since i've posted. I just havent been in the frame of mind to write about all the shit going on lately, and on top of that, i've been working incessantly hard, except for those days where i've been sick as a dog. Its been a rough start to the new year, but I think i'm just trying to get all the bad stuff over with so the rest of the year can become the amazing year that i will be. I feel so good about 2007. Really good. Its going to be a banner year, and I've had some banner years. I just feel it, so many things converging on so many different fronts. There are just too many good and great things going on for this year not to be great. Happy New YEar everyone, how is your 2007 going to be? I plan to blog like crazy this year. On to the White Rapper Show!

OK, i HATE reality TV. Actually, i cant even say that. I've never watched reality TV. Ever. But personally, i just dont get it. I especially dont get American Idol. Now dont get me wrong, they definitely create bonafide stars who's talent deserves the stardom that comes with winning. My problem with American Idol is that they take people who (as crazy as they are) have a musical dream. These people audition for the Idol judges who proceed to crush their dreams into a million little pieces. I think the beauty of music is that anyone can enjoy singing or playing an instrument. You dont have to be the best in the world at it, in fact, the overwhelming majority of people just do it for the love of music. Music is the universal language and is often the way people (like me) identify themselves. OK, so, some of these people should definitely not be getting up in front of an Idol judge, but i just cant watch a show that half its premise is to crush the dreams of a musical person. Its wrong. Of course, I would mix a song for one of those Idol winners any day of the week!!!

OK, enough delay. Has anyone seen the White Rapper Show on VH1? The name is self explanatory, the "search for the next great white rapper" as seen on reality TV. Anyone remember my blogs from a while back about Sullee? Yup, Sullee is on the show! Not only is he on the show, but in my opinion is far and away the best person on the show. Anyone who's spent an hour in a room with that kid knows he sweats charisma out of every pore, and nothing about what he does is an act, or fake. Its all him, and he is very talented both as a writer and a rapper. Full artist package (of course i'm not biased :-)

So, it took one of my clients to drag me into watching reality TV, and at least for this, i'm hooked. The White Rapper Show is on every Monday at 10PM EST. I'm sure they re run the hell out of it. Check it out, it wont be hard to spot Sullee, I'm picking him to win. And all of you international readers, you can check out highlights from the show at VH1.com.

-Ken Lewis