Last night William Orbit, best known as Madonna producer, talked about sound as if he was describing the magic of falling
in love.
Interestingly, he said that it took him over ten years to come out with his latest album, "My Oracle Lives Uptown" because of technology.
"There's too much choice", he said. " I used to work on a track for so long and then I went back to the original and thought 'oh actually this is great the way it is so I deconstructed the track again. But I have also been busy with other projects in these years ... So, what was your question again?" Laughs, while his weathered face looks permanently content and weirdly wise.
When the first track of his album is played for the small audience gathered for the launch of his latest project, William asks to stop the music.
"When you hear your own music you can just spot all the flaws, it's really frustrating". But everybody else in the room loved his music, especially as it was played on vinyl. "We are compressing all types of music but MP3 really leaves out a lot of our music experience. We are missing out on the highest and lowest notes as we have been taught that we can't actually hear them, but you can hear by yourself the difference between MP3s and vinyl."
I liked the fact that he was very opened and would answer all questions with a smile and when he got lost into his own thoughts - God knows what - he just laughed at himself: "What was your question again?"
William said there's no difference about recording an album with the band in a room or in a studio, because producing a song after all is like editing a movie: you put together little bits and pieces but each of them has to be absolutely perfect; you must push yourself to an almost paranoid level to achieve this.
I asked him what he thinks about mash ups, just after he said that unlike a writer, a musician doesn't have endless possibilities to create.
I do agree on this, and this is why music is often considered the highest form of artistic expression / genius.
He replied with no indecision: "Yes, I am all in for mash ups, but just when they make sense, when they entirely subvert the genre they are taking from."
Later on during the night, William told me my question touched on a very interesting subject, and so did the managing director of Linn.
I feel like I should thank my tutor, Paul Caplan, about this! Everybody was terribly nice, and I had to celebrate an unexpectedly good Tuesday night.
As usual though, I overdid.
When the photographer emailed me the pictures this morning, I have also realized that William Orbit was not as attractive as I had believed last night!
But then again, those free drinks are always the most dangerous!
