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10 questions with Larry Tee
The godfather of Electroclash and the man behind RuPaul's classic 'Supermodel (You Better Work)' talks to us about beats, blogs and his fight to kick the booze.
Heralded as one of the most influential figures in clubland, Larry Tee is credited as the man who invented Electroclash, helping launch the careers of the Scissor Sisters, Peaches and Fischerspooner. The New York-based legend was also one-time resident at the famed 'Twilo', where he DJd alongside Larry Levan and co-wrote RuPaul's classic 'Supermodel (You Better Work)'. His recent work has incorporated top-notch remixers such as Afrojack and Bart B More.We caught up with him in the more sedate surroundings of North London to talk blogs and basslines.
Who's currently rocking your world as a producer and why?
I love the twisted minimal funky noise that Renaissance Man and Noob are making. When I want intricate chords and slashes of violent energy, I lean towards Siriusmo and Djedjotronic. These guys make music that definately would not have been made in another era. I'be been around long enough that I don't need to relive the glory days of house music or recreate the old-school raves. These guys give me the NEW that I need.
When building a track how do you normally work? Do you start with the drums and build your way up from that?
I usually leave the drums until well into the writing process. The first thing I do is decide what effect I want the track to have and then line up an artist to give me vocals that will make it memorable. I often decide the title and lyrics of the track before I start the beats; the beats are a way to enhance and bring the song to life, not the other way round.
How do you see the dance music industry developing over the next few years?
Blogs are going to lead the way to the discovery of the next generation of remixers and producers. The old A&R departments are either gone or on death-watch. This is exciting: blogkids will discover the talent of the future, which will be more democratic than having corporates telling us what to play. That has proven disastrous in the States, with promotion companies taking over the billboard dance charts so that the only music breaking through is tribal house and the collective works of Madonna, Rhianna, Beyonce and Gaga.
Which sounds do you find the hardest to create from scratch?
Drum sounds, no contest. It takes so much time to get a decent sounding kick drum and snare. For great drum sounds look to Todd Terry, Switch, Laidback Luke, Afrojack or the breakbeats of yesteryear for inspiration.
Any advice on monitoring? Quiet? Loud? Do you prefer flat and boring speakers or headphones or big phat and chunky monitors?
Monitors set to low, please. I want my children to be born with eardrums and I don't want to go deaf or give up DJing because of hearing problems. I also have upstairs neighbors who quickly knock on my door if I'm doing loud late night mixes, so I've learned to make booming bassline without a booming monitor system.
Any arrangement secrets you wish to share with us?
I learned alot about musical arrangements from my work with Eric Kupper, who produced my hit Supermodel (You Better Work) (RuPauls' song), as well as tons of stuff for Frankie Knuckles and David Morales. When writing, he would put down a long, complicated keyboard line over the track, program a series of drum fills, and then add layers of swooshes and explosions during fills and drops. When he had all of this material, he would play and replay the song, editing out sections until he was left with a single piano note, one little swish and a half bar drum fill. All the rest he'd delete. It was this endless refinement and a drive towards end simplicity that I admired, along with the continued experimentation of different sounds working in different parts of the track.
What do you believe is the secret to your success as a producer?
Humility and Alcoholics Anonymous. AA gave me the chance to get my life back on track after I got caught up in the world of drug addiction. Getting sober has allowed me to finally produce the kind of music I always heard in my head. Drugs and alcohol are two of the main pitfalls for DJs who spend their lives in nightclubs, but I never knew how much more exciting my life would be without them. I thought it was my right as a rebel to do drugs and I always thought drugs were a source of inspiration, but I was wrong. I still attend AA meetings to remind myself that I constantly have to work hard, to reach high and make people scream. I can never rest with my status as a successful long-time DJ and producer. I have to strive to continue to do my best work, and to still surprise and delight people every time I spin or remix.
How important do you think it is to have your music mastered commercially? Can you do it yourself as effectively and what tools would you recommend?
Professional mastering makes a big difference to the end mix, but I'm increasingly doing my own mastering. When I do a Blogula remix with my partner Alexander Technique, we test the track out live in advance to make sure it can pump a big room. That means needing a big sounding pre-master. We make this ourselves by running the mix through PSP's Vintage Warmer. The more masters we do, the closer ours sound to the final pro masters. Maybe the professionals will be looking for new jobs soon.
Describe your typical workflow on a track.
It usually takes three or four days of knob twiddling to get something I'm really happy with. When I've got the big idea in my head, and lyrics worked out, I'll get the beats up and start experimenting with elements that I think are going to work, adding new sounds, new rhythmic elements, muting, cutting, editing, then over time the track begins to tell you what is working and what's not working. The hard part is keeping the wilder elements in the mix and not just abandoning complex ideas in favor of safe, reliable ones. We try not to fall into a formula or become a machine that churns out the same kind of track with the same sounds over and over again. Sounds change so fast these days that it is even more important than ever to keep your music fresh. If you get stuck in a rut then the kids will fire your ass. And trust me, I've been fired over and over again. He he. Luckily the kids have also welcomed me back when I've made something new that gets them going again.
Have you got any advice for aspiring producers out there?
Produce music that makes you scream, not music that makes you money. Keep an eye on the dancefloor to see what people are reacting to. A successful producer is one that makes the sound they love, but also makes sure that people are moving on the dancefloor.
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More from Larry Tee: www.myspace.com/nylarrytee
(c) 2009 Sounds/To/Sample