Trevor Horn - The Art of Record Production
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- Опубликовано: 5 июл 2024
- Trevor Horn is one of the world's most successful and innovative record producers, sometimes referred to as the man who invented the '80s. We talk to Trevor and get some great stories from his past and present, as well as learn about the techniques used in some of his classic earlier recordings.
As an electronic music pioneer, Trevor was a lucky recipient of one of the first Fairlight CMI synthesizers in the UK. He talks about music production techniques, experimenting with music technology, the struggles of early sequencing, and how any time spent in a recording studio can be valuable.
If you enjoy this interview, watch Trevor talking about how the YES track "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" was recorded: • Trevor Horn - YES, “Ow...
Chapters
00:00 - Start
00:41 - Beginnings As A Bassist, Yes & The Buggles
01:58 - Experimenting With Music Technology
02:57 - Getting In A Studio To Learn The Craft
04:21 - Trevor Horn's Synth & Sequencer Rig
06:04 - Vision Of Electronic Music In The Mainstream
07:01 - Using The Fairlight CMI & J.J. Jeczalik
08:02 - Early Digital Audio & Multitracking In 1983
10:16 - Sound Of Sampling In Records
10:53 - Island Records & ZTT Label
11:43 - SARM West Studios
12:53 - SARM Music Village Recording Studios
14:16 - Modern Songwriting And Music Production
15:22 - Role Of Producer vs Engineer
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What an interesting guy, he is not boastful of his accomplishments and gives credit to everyone who helped him on his journey.
You can tell he's a bass player. His tracks groove
2 Tribes bassline is a masterpiece
Trevor comes across as very gracious and gives credit to people who he employed where credit is due. Comes across as very assured but modest & on the face of it devoid of ego considering his ongoing evolving place in music history. The man is an icon.
Instablaster...
when you are in the room with great artist its real ease to pretend you're great too
@@stevefields187 But generally you only get in the room with the great artist if you're great too. Talent attracts talent.
Trevor and Jill gave me my first studio job as tea boy at Sarm West in 1983.
I'll bet you have some stories! : )
@ᚱᛰႮᛠᕮᚱ ᚦAᕮᛖᛰᚤ Tea boy is an opening position at a recording studio. Making tea is but a small part of responsibilities. I began as a "runner" and we did various things for clients like running to the store, aligning tape machines, preparing coffee etc. But as we moved up in rank we also got to sit in on sessions and 2nd engineer. Pretty cool memories/stories of those days!
I would never leave a tea boy and coffee maker to my tape machines.
@ᚱᛰႮᛠᕮᚱ ᚦAᕮᛖᛰᚤ Ha, you got it! I was once refreshing the studio (Cherokee Studios Hollywood, CA Circa 1987) during a Bernard Edward's session (Bassist/Producer of Chic/Power Station amongst others). Everyone but myself went outside to catch some air while I took tapes to the vault, refreshed coffee, cleaned up. I decided to pinch a Marlboro "cigarette" from Bernards stash and before I knew what happened, I had passed completely out on the floor! Luckily one of my co-workers came in, found me and revived me with some cool water. WTF had I just smoked?!? Upon further inspection, the cigs were all hard & crusty apparently "dipped" in what I imagine was PCP or some other controlled substance my body was NOT used to... : ) Good times, great memories - those were the days / stories I was alluding to. 😉
You would have done if it was 1983 and you were paying the teaboy only UKP2 an hour! :-)
I wish there was another 100 or so hours of Horn discussing technical stuff out there or a biography specifically for musicians/producers/engineers to read
@ᚱᛰUᛠӖᚱ ᚦᗩӖϻᛰᚤ LMFAO...yep, that sounds about right.
Checkout "Good Vibrations: History of Record Production
" by Mark Cunningham
amzn.to/31XaHc3
join masons, sleep in coffin, fuck goat, secrets yours
hail our in sect overlords
and free west papua mmkay (pull you finger out, sixty years, you listen records)
Tell me about it. Trevor Horn is such a tasteful producer. His choice of sounds, arrangement, processing, EQ and mixing, not to mention songwriting, are always beautifully balanced. I love everything he's produced.
Your wish will come true in October. His autobiography will be released.
this guy Is Living Legend.
14:15 Some really wise words from Trevor Horn about songwriting and recording. If you start with a pattern, say a drum or synth sequence, then you usually end up writing a backing track in 4 and 8 bar patterns, which can be very boring and uninspired. However, if you begin with a lyric, then you are more likely to take the music in more unusual and innovative directions to accommodate the lyric. This is not the _only_ way to write good songs, but the advent of sequencers and drum loops _did_ promote a lazy copy/paste approach to songwriting. It also eradicated all the natural dynamics and inspired improvisations that occur when one plays the whole song from start to finish; one has to fabricate the excitement of a live performance.
Trevor is the MOST IMPORTANT living person in 80's music. As a complete Pet Shop Boys fan, and just as I admire his records more than anything, I admit that this man had a more deep impact on the musical world of sounds of the 80's than any particular artist for me. Not just the sound, also the concept of what a 12" mix was..and ZTT was unique and magnificent at this subject. I had the IMMENSE honor to meet Trevor briefly few years ago (at the exit of the "Luna Park" stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the end of the "Dire Straits Legacy" concert where Trevor played the bass.).just to get a few signatures and a raw pic with him. I have many artists autographs and pictures with...but this was my TOP moment about that. a COMPLETE HONOR. No other persons were waiting for him there, only me...amazingly, the other people waiting there were only interested on the Dire Straits members, ignoring that the most significant person there was this gentle man with round glasses.
"Is 'this' the final mix?"... Love that.
As a producer, Trevor Horn was a master craftsman
you are not a producer.
Horn opened my eyes to the fact that my taste does not go along interprets or bands, but producers/composers. Pretty much all of his tracks from the 80's are my favorites, while I often not care much about the other tracks from the artists (like Grace Jones, ABC, Art Of Noise). The tracks he produced had the most polished, timeless sound. "Slave To The Rhythm" is a masterpiece in music producing, a track that is of the 80's but transcendences the time and still sounds fresh today.
Really agree with this - the sound Horn and his engineers created is brilliant IMHO. I have a similar thing with Quincy Jones, just bc of the sound and compositions he created.
Back in those days I followed producers as well as bands. It was a very fun way of discovering new music too. And producers/engineers actually brought their sound to a band’s project. It was a very creative synergy and a lot of great music was created by that combination of artist and producer/engineer working together with that art as their focus.
Yeah totally. He was the creator of all those beautiful soundscapes we love, I'm with you. I become something of a Trevor horn completist. He had a natural artistry about hw he did it, despite it all being so tightly controlled, I think his ideas were all oddly instinctive... They were all so sensual sounding, his works.
it all came down to “owner of a lonely heart” even today its an amazing piece and jumps out of the speakers
Joe Kirby great album ,
Trevor Horn is one of my favorite producers of all time…
after watching countless of these videos over the years, i have to say he is the most sympathic, humble and natural characters i´ve ever seen. i could watch and listen for hours ...
Trevor is a great singer and has his own kind of soul
'83 I was 16/17 and we listened to punk and I wanted to hate his stuff but I couldn't. Instead, my entire understanding of music changed. A real legend and innovator.
Lot's of TH productions still stand today as if they were made yesterday...for more than 35 years he's my favorite producer.
I'm just sitting here actually droooooling over that Wunderbar behind him. That is my dream console.
`welcome to the pleasuredome` and especially `slave to the rhythm` are still monuments of producing.
I didn't realise I had been a Trevor Horn fan all this time!
This guy is a goddamn genius.
So much respect to this man~ A true pioneer!
90125 is still one of my favourite albums. I wore that tape out in the 80's!
Leave It is an amazing track.
This video has made me excited about producing again!
I remember everyone at our Blue Light Discos, pinching their nostrils together to start singing THAT epic song. Still a fave of mine 🇦🇺😆❤
A truly creative and innovative mind. From Yes to Seal, Grace Jones and beyond, his productions still sound just as satisfying and relevant as they did when first heard. There's so much to learn from them from a songwriting, performing , recording/ mixing /engineering standpoint.
Oh yeah Slave to the Rhythm he really experimented on that one it was his landscape
Big thanks to SOS for posting this. I had no idea what a producer was when I was 12 or 13, but without knowing it, as I never read the credits, I was actually listening to a lot of Trevor’s work back then. ABC, Yes’ Owner of a lonely heart was a favourite, Art of Noise, Malcolm Mclaren, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Grace Jones Slave to the Rhythm etc. I remember buying the Welcome To The Pleasure Dome 12” and being amazed at how long it ran for.
Are you me? ;-) It was absolutely the same story for me.
xxxxxxxtra Haha, good to hear!
No big surprise.. Absolutely everybody our age was listening to those tunes at that time! :-)
You missed the best, Propaganda.
COULD LISTEN TO HIM FOR HOURS ON END
there are times i miss the old school recording... the time when its not all about DAW and Plugins, Editing or Programming.. the time when we are more focus with music, sounds and art themself..
For my taste he is THE BEST!!!
HI Trevor. My Dad was a bass player. John Macdonald, long gone now.
This man gets it!!!!!!!!! He understands (and never forgot) producing and recording from a a songwriter's perspective. It sounds like he tries to keep the costs down so that new artists can afford to record as well. He also wrote and performed one of the most underrated musical gems of the last 50 years.
Owner of a Lonely Heart is simply a genius recording. Those collage-like samples were absolutely unlike anything that came before it
Trevor's work with Simple Minds the Street Fighting years is a masterpiece also his works with Seal Art Of Noise and having the amazing Anne Dudley as a part of the team her input too produces just brilliant works
I am a huge Trevor Horn fan..All those mentioned records are amazing, yea, Street Fighting Years, a masterpiece..I worked as a recording engineer in NYC back in those days and would use Trevor's records to check my mixes for balance..
He gave Seal such an awesome sound in his early years!
Anne Dudley is a musical genius.
I’m honored to be here thanks 🙏
Love ZTT!!! Trevor Horn is the very embodiment of the 80s. Please more content about the 80s production
He has been one of the most interesting musician and producer of all times for me
Agreed!
"When designing a studio for modern times" we see a '73 Wurlitzer electric piano and a Steinway grand (maybe the nicest-looking Steinway I've ever seen). I'm with him on that; I don't have space for the real things, but I got a Kurzweil specifically for its excellent piano sounds, electric and acoustic.
Easily my favorite producer, even if only for Frankie, Art of Noise, Seal, and ABC.
Nice video. Hope there are more in the series.
I enjoy listening to the layers of the music. Bass first, then the percussion.
That anecdote at the end about a producer being no fun when working a computer is an important point I haven't seen raised before. When you have to give an artist divided attention, it comes across like you're not in the moment with them - and the vibe suffers. Having a dedicated person in the room who does all the technical mumbo-jumbo makes a huge difference - be that an engineer, Pro Tools op, or even an assistant.
I even think the blaring blue light does something dulling to the person at the computer. also the subconscious effect of knowingly/unknowingly restricting your hand and eye movement to a 12 x 12 space. before I got a computer my eyes and hands would go from one end of a keyboard to the other and to different equipment like a 4 track, a compressor or reverb processor etc.... now its all within a 13 inch screen and keypad.
It has an effect I think.
@@mikesuniverse1789 Yes, I imagine you could be right.
@ᚱᛰႮᛠᕮᚱ ᚦAᕮᛖᛰᚤ is this comment on the right video?
@ᚱᛰႮᛠᕮᚱ ᚦAᕮᛖᛰᚤ ohh. i wouldnt disagree.
So right! Dealing with the technical (often) crap can really suck the air out of the room and a producer really should be in the same creative head space as the artist as much as they can be.
The stories Trevor could tell you if you sat and had a drink with him! Such a nice guy with limitless talent and creativity.
The Rod Stewart story - priceless!
Absolutely loved the tracks he produced back in the 80's, and all across such different styles.
I still occasionally listen to ZTT Sampler IQ 6 to this day with its rare cuts.
Very nice interview.
Trevor, I've always wanted to tell you what a big fan of yours I am and have been for a long time. I love your work with the Buggles and Yes. Drama is one of my favorite albums and Video Killed the Radio Star in my opinion is one of the most clever, catchy songs I've ever heard. It's nice to speak with you.
What a lovely interview and a lovely man too, forever gracious.
90125 is still one of my all time favorite albums to this day. What a great sound and reinvention for Yes with Trevor Rabin.
Could listen to this guy for hours.
I would love to sit down and chat with this guy, the knowledge he gives without being precocious or smug, so modest, The things you could learn, and his insights would be priceless. A true legend
I love this guy. I'd say at least 60% of the music that shaped me as a bassist and composer are projects Trevor Horn had a hand in.
He has such a deep speaking voice for someone that used to sing lead vocals for Yes.
I like his computer background "is 'this' the final mix?" lol
Me too. Great idea... May do something similar. There never is a final mix that is just right, because every system plays it differently, and every day your brain processes things differently. So the trick is to get it to where you can listen over a few days or a week and still say, "that's enough." And then, after all that, you will hear something and go, "Oh, I wish I had noticed that..." LOL
@@ShamanFourHawks Yeah Idk if ill have something I dont wanna go back and touch up but I do think there is a final mix. Once it sounds great and is balanced to play on any system. The Chronic 2001 is the gold standard for me (as far as Hiphop goes at least)
@@ShamanFourHawks yeah your brain will hear it differently, mostly after you already released it hahahah
His amazing musical ideas and concepts along with his incredible ear for sounds and effects leaves the rest behind . A total craftsman
Love his work with Seal, Grace Jones, Yes and Tina Turner.
love when creativity and technology innovate new and exciting possibilities!
Keith Mohr hello
Great seeing Frankie in the studio with Trevor and Relax running in the background. Legend!
I adore the work of Trevor Horn. Thanks for that interview!
Trevor Horn forever a Genius, big influence on my own music and anyone who was a kid musician in the 80´s. Thank you Master!
Wow! I never knew about Trevor Horn, this guy is not only like “us” but he’s the pioneer of digital audio. It looks like he still gets down with modern music. I wish I could meet him.
It's great, he was so ahead of his time that he still belongs in this era today
I l💕VE Trevor Horn's exceptional talent. He's right, you had to figure everything out, you had to do a lot of ground work on your own, you need drive and passion, this is why Horn produced so much good stuff, he clearly is obsessed, driven by passion and vision and lives, dreams and creates naturally, like breathing.
I could listen to his Fairlight chat for months - that he flung it to someone else to figure it out, that's brilliant!!! 😂. Thomas Dolby was obsessed with it too, he locked himself away with it!
I love watching these videos of real masters of their craft talking candidly about their careers. Trevor wrote and/or produced the sound-track to my youth. The 80s was a very special time for music.One night, I was listening to “Two Tribes - the 1st orchestral 12”” - in stereo, because I lived on Anglesey and we could pick up RTE radio Dublin, which broadcast in stereo, when BBC Radio 1 was still broadcast in mw mono!! The track blew me away! I had no idea how this music was made, or how to get involved, but at that moment, I wanted to be part of it! But other influences, twists and turns came along, and I ended up not going to uni but to music college, The Royal Academy of Music. After which I moved to Europe and enjoyed a successful career, ending up being managed by Pavarotti, and living in Bologna. Then, in 2003, a diagnosis out of the blue with HIV turned everything upside down. The Italians were ‘less than compassionate’ and didn’t pay enough attention to the inappropriate meds I was given, resulting in me staggering back to the UK in 2005 with effectively full-blown AIDS.
With Trevor maybe at the back of my mind, I suppose, I began (in hospital) remixing tracks. One of the first, Madonna’s “Ray of Light” took me 6 months! I had an Italian laptop, and crack copies of Cool Edit Pro, and Fruity Loops 7!
Just dug it out, actually! Here it is, my remix of Madonna's "Ray of Light" done on a laptop! ruclips.net/video/BsimTqtqnbc/видео.html
Since then, the idea of "going back" and seeing what I might have been like as a producer/composer has been growing steadily - as my health has improved - towards a new start, a new career!
And I was incredibly lucky and grateful to have met Trevor twice over the last couple of years: at the after-party of Hans Zimmer's concert in London, and last year at the launch of his album 'reimagining the 80s."
I've got 4 singles out, and an album "Transgenre"(Gedditt - I'm Bringing the Art of Opera to the Art of Pop!" due out later this year, and this track, "GO BORIS, GO!" - which I like to think is very Trevor Horn-inspired - came out yesterday! ruclips.net/video/811NGhgK9gc/видео.html
Thanks to Trevor, and especially his PA Suzanne xxx
Great that horn gives credit to others 👍
Yes, he IS the 80's sound. My dream producer, together with Jeff Lynne.
im an musician i can created 80s sounds for my productions
His sound is an important component of the '80s sound and some of his techniques became standard, but Giorgio Moroder and Chic had as much to do with 'the sound of the '80s' as any other producer or team, and there are others we're not thinking of right now as well.
Same here! Horn and Lynne!!
This really is a wonderful documentary. Trevor's body of work is amazing.
What a fantastic insight into a brilliant producer!!
I’m here because I was looking for a reason why my Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 isn’t syncing to my computer and got distracted. Thanks.
Clever Trevor has always been my inspiration when it comes to sound and music production, a very humble man. Great interview!
If I ever get the chance to have an album produced in the next 5 years, I want either Trevor or Alan Parsons to produce it. Both are my heroes and I'm "still" finding stuff done by Trevor to this day.
This was a treat! Thanks!
Adventures In Modern Recording! Brilliant!
Absolute gold, great interview with a legend.
More content like this please. So relevant. Love it!
Absolutely Brilliant !! Thank You.
Incredible stuff, thank you Trevor Horn for all you give us!
i have enjoyed this man's productions since i was a kid in 1983! i was absolutely astounded by his baseline in f.g.t.h. two tribes and relax and loads of other music that came from Z.T.T. studios! trevor thank you for the music and the producing you have done it'd entertained me for 30 years I think your the greatest producer to come from england in my lifetime!
Absolutely fascinating interview. I love hearing the history from Trevor.
Great Vid.. Trevor is an ICON!!
Top Notch Material! Another Sound On Sound Classic.
Very informative and inspiring! Thank you Sound on Sound Magazine for sharing!
Thank you for posting this great video. I thought I knew a little bit about Trevor Horn and I admired a lot of his work. I learned so much more from this video, his story, his experience and most importantly, his philosophy and perspective on the process of creating art. Some real wisdom there. Thanks again.
- Tim
This is absolutely fascinating! I learned quite a bit listening to Mr. Horn.
utter genius - shaped the future of music
Great video. Trevor Horn is THE MAN.
Trevor Horn the producers producer the best of the best. Inspirational interview.
If in doubt, KEEP IT SIMPLE. Less is more.Great insight.
Treasure thank you for the upload!
Beautiful, such an amazing story!
Brilliant interview and a amazing man.. also still so relevant today. Keep digital flat going in. Writing from a lyrics rather ten a sample.
His autobiography was a wonderful read!
I love this dude in the aspect of one musician/producer to another. His concepts and ideas are on the same thought process as mine. Recording flat signal and adding E.Q. Effects and dynamics after the fact is the ultimate. Giving unknowns some studio time and a lane into the industry is boss.
Brilliant documentary. I didn't know Trevor Horn was in Yes until watching this. Fantastic music history lesson :)
Trevor seems like a really cool guy.
I remember when I first heard Seal Crazy I was blown away at how great it sounded the production is great.
I think Trevor also produced T.A.T.U All the things you said a Russian group.
He is a very talented guy who found his calling Trevor.
Fascinating interview
Great stuff. The guy is simply brilliant.
Noticed his screensaver says “is ‘this’ the final mix?”
Brilliant strategy.
Excellent interview. Thanks for the knowledge. Pleasure dome is insane. You can hear the editing improv they were doing when you listen back now.
I speak of them comping parts over one another via the two systems they were using. Not fixing takes.. creating a song from a patchwork. They now had that ability
Fascinating.... always like a Trevor Horn track...
These are all the thoughts he had about «inventing the 80’s». It all came out of this man’s head.
Seems like a very genuine bloke!
The keyboardists on " Buffalo Gals" and Frankie Goes to Hollywood were members from "The Art of Noise" not just Trevor Horn