The dangers of recording an artist

[Fade]

A long, long, LONG time ago in my distant past, I was given advice from and audio engineer about recording in the studio. He said that when it comes time to record any type of artist, whether it be a vocalist or musician, that it's important to let them be themselves.

To me, that's common sense.

But then he said that if the artist needs to loosen up to get ready for his take, and that means doing lines of coke or downing a bottle of Jack Daniels, then let it happen.

I understood what he was saying, but at the same time, I began to wonder if that was the right thing to do.

So what do you guys think? Would you let someone do a few lines of coke in front of you before he gets behind the mic? What if it was tons of weed?

In other words, is that kind of stuff appropriate for the studio? Or do you think that anything goes because it's the music business, and that's just how things are?

What if that artist overdosed?

 

[Kevlar070]

Anything goes!! #YOLO! Gotta roll dat dice in de name of creativity.

 

[thedreampolice]

Sorry no. I personally think drugs should be legal across the board but I run a legit business, not a bar. Get fucked up on your own time. No illegal shit where I make my living!

 

[Kevlar070]

Ok drunk pedestrian. lol
But som things are illegal because their not taxed. Alcohol is the caus of countless deaths and dat is still legal because its taxed.
I myself do not partake in harddrugs recreationally (I hav experimented) but in som subcultures, drugs are part of the culture.
We all know some subcultures where they look up to drunk and coked up mentors, dat actually push musical boundaries.
My only personal issue is wen people lose control and become irresponsible.

 

[thedreampolice]

But thats not my point. I agree with what you are saying completely. But until drugs are legal it is not worth the risk to my lively hood to permit them. I have ZERO problems if someone chooses to use drugs, but as long as I can go to jail if someone uses them in my studio, then I am going to have to say no. On another note I do feel that being clear headed lends to being more creative than being out of your mind. Weed is the perfect example, when you are high on mj you settle for EVERYTHING. Like "look how amazing that ant is man." So many times I have went to a session, or a meeting and people are getting stoned and NOTHING gets done.

 

[Kevlar070]

I undastand alot of people cant handle it, dey shut down, dats defeinitly tru.
I know people dat handle a spaced out environment well and r @ their creative peak at dat point in time.

 

[thedreampolice]

Last person I recorded high recorded raps for three hours straight and out of that and tons of creative editing on my part I was able to come up with 8 usable bars for a chorus/hook no thanks, give me clear headed any day.

 

[Fade]

Interesting back and forth here.

For me, I would say let them do their thing, so as long as it's within reason. I don't need someone on the floor unresponsive with drugs all over the place. How do I explain that? "Well office, sir, we were about to record when he got high first right here in front of me. I even held the needle for him". LOL.

 

[wrightboy]

don't mind you being high, but just get high before you get here. tired of "hold on, lemme go smoke this blunt right quick." you're wasting my time.

 

[Kevlar070]

If u get high or not, doesnt matter, jus dont waste time caus time is money.

Is that a fair conclusion of how each of us dat commented feel?

 

[OriginalNoGuru]

In my youth I was a total wreckhead... Since quitting weed I've met and married the love of my life, started and actually completed university education (I now have a solid honours degree in English Literature) and become generally more productive and creative!
I smoked weed every day for 10 years, it had a totally controlling influence on the direction of my life. I wasn't happy. I knew I wasn't happy but I didn't know why. One day I was smoking in my room, looked at the joint and suddenly thought "it's you!". I put it down and never picked it up again and my life steadily began to improve.
A large amount of my friends are still smokers and that's cool, as long as it works for them... It just doesn't work for me.

 

[Bugsy]

Very Interesting...

I can think of dozens of artists that i know smokes but gets shit done, and would totally blow your mind on how creative they can get, but one artist that always comes to mind and im sure you all know is J Dilla.

Other artists, do get really creative and tend to depend on drugs.

I personally smoke weed, I used to smoke everyday and just play with virtual dj all day, tapping on cues just to make a beat...(shameful, i know) but this was the point in my life where i know i wanted to make music, and i was focused, weed got me even more focused, but there is also a point where you just focus on weed and not the music anymore, like, where i would make a beat, and i would really get into it, so i burn one, then do the beat, then puff and so on and so fort, and that would take me the whole afternoon just to finish one. (just by looping and eq'ing)

Rest assured some times i would make something that blows my mind the next morning when i was making them the day before high as hell, some of them are crap some of them are good.

These days, I only smoke weed if i get a beatmaker/producers block, or just plain stressed. It really helps, I also smoke to my beats, and it gets me more focused or pinpoint what mistakes or what i prefer on my beats.

I guess what im trying to say is that, we all have our own personal choice of how we get creative, and in the music industry the more creative we get the better, right? and come to think of it not just in this industry, it is what fuels everything. some people just tend to be creative and thats it, no money or anything.

If i ever do work with artists that i have to record or whatever? id probably just give them a limit or rules, like, you can only smoke 2 blunts and ill give you 5 mins while i set it all up...AND NO F*!&@# COKE!!!

But seriously i agree, everyones time is worth something.

 

[Raninthacut]

For me when i'm about to record i always freestyle first just to get my flow right, then I smoke a blunt and get to it. It has always worked for me once I get my flow and I'm high it's a wrap

 

[Profizeus]

Been there done that. Amphetamine, weed, coke, mdma, booze mainly. It depends on the person what happens when the "loosening" has been done. Mostly it has been tolerable