The Insomniac’s Manifesto

The Insomniac’s Manifesto

Sound is movement. It cannot exist in one state, only in conversation with the states that have come before it, and the states that will follow. This underpins everything. Remember it.

  1. Music is Human.
    “so much of orthodox recording ideology is about capturing a thing perfectly. And I just was never interested by that because it seems like all of the other ways around that perfect sound are much more, you know, – there’s a vast world of possibilities” -Phil Elverum, The Microphones
    It is important to let imperfections live in your work, especially if you record solo. It’s very easy to want to comp everything perfectly and try to achieve a perfect version of everything, but the fewer constraints you have to try and make everything perfect, the more important it is to allow the human element back into the work. What this looks like varies widely between productions, and even songs, but keep your eyes open for the humanity, and be open to it.
  2. There is No Honor in a Recording Studio
    There’s no such thing as cheating when you’re making a record. There is no such thing as a “raw”, “authentic” way to capture a sound source, because everything from the mic you use to where you place it is production, it is a choice, it is a point of view.
    With this, and with the previous point in mind, there is no moral failing in comping a take, or throwing a bit of melodyne on a background vocal to sweeten it up, or in recording piano to midi and then fixing all the mistakes. Recorded music by its very nature is hyperreality, and there is no honor in maintaining authenticity at the expense of quality. Create the best record possible by any means necessary.
  3. An Album is A Continuous Work
    Nobody would make a movie by shooting a bunch of scenes and then arranging them in an order and shipping the project. Similarly, nobody should record an album by recording a bunch of songs and putting them together. Every song should be placed with intention, and an ear to what comes before and what comes after. Every album, even if not a “concept album” is inherently a narrative, a story, and every decision must be made with this in mind. If commercial considerations — e.g. placing the lead single first on the album — clash with the artistic considerations of what works best with the album, serve the album. Always.
  4. Know What You’re Referencing
    There’s no such thing as music that doesn’t inherently rely on other music, so make sure you know the giants upon whose shoulders you stand. This means music theory; that you should at least sort of understand the engine of the entire system that you’re working within, but also genre; that you should be intimately aware of the tropes and conventions of the genres that you’re building upon, so that you can either intentionally invoke these, or intentionally twist or break them. If you’re lifting musical or lyrical ideas from your own or others work, or sampling audio from another place, consider carefully the meaning of that origin, and how that meaning interacts with your work.
  5. Dynamics are Everything
    Why would you make every song on an album sound the same when you could make them sound different? Why should two verses have the exact same instrumentation and chords when you could subtly substitute or layer? Why should the lyrics of a chorus maintain exact continuity when you could subtly shift the meaning on subsequent repetitions? Continuity has its place — to break a pattern without establishing it first means the break has no impact, after all — but at every opportunity, consider seriously if adding more variety, more interest could be the better choice.
  6. Make Music For The People Who Will Love Your Music
    With every decision you make in the production of an album, and when implementing all of the previous points, aim to create a work that will reward repeat listens. Subtle human elements that can be picked up on when listened to with care. The meaning behind the sequencing of certain songs, what story that tells, and how that story changes after having heard the album all the way through. The reference of other pieces, and what that imparts to those familiar with your body of work, or the works you draw from. The subtle dynamic shifts across a song or an album that only present through intense scrutiny and repeat listening. Create a work that assumes the audience is going to be invested, that they are going to listen to your entire discography, that they are going to play a song on repeat and take in every tiny detail, and create a work that rewards that attention to detail. Refuse to be background noise. Refuse to be wallpaper. Trust and respect your audience, and they will trust and respect you in return.

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