![]() ![]() “Much of the gear is from Studio 52 but there is also a lot of new stuff we purchased for Heidelberg,” explains Paul. There are some reminders of Collingwood, including the main console desks which have been modified, there was also a mixture of components taken out a small studio in Balaclava that Empire acquired when it was closing. “We also have installed a 30kW Solar system on the roof, so it’s great to be doing our bit to save the planet while saving a huge amount on power bills. Not only that, but many of the acoustic panels are made from reclaimed materials. “We have recycled a lot of timber that has been considered as seconds or slightly damaged by the local furniture factories.” Including the gorgeous diffuser at the rear of Studio 1’s control room. Heidelberg is a furniture manufacturing hotspot and Paul got to know some of the local businesses. Given Paul and Trevor were building Empire while Studio 52 was still trading, there was a limit to how many materials they could repurpose. So many bookings postponed and then postponed again, it feels a bit like Groundhog Day.” We had a Sydney artist and producer in to record and they literally had to turn around and fly straight back out the same day to avoid getting stuck in Melbourne. “Again the snap lockdown in Melbourne in May and June has had a huge impact and came at a really bad time. I think young people have really copped the worst of it, missing so many opportunities that may never be replaced,” said Paul.īut 2021 is proving to be more auspicious: “2021 has got off to a good start and we have been extremely busy working with a huge range of great people in all genres,” continued Paul. “On top of all our other work lost, the entire 2020 Kool Skools Project was also cancelled - 28 albums of original music by all these young people who missed the opportunity. It would take almost another year before Empire could really stretch its legs again. “You know when the Melbourne Grand Prix got cancelled? That was our studio open day the weekend before the first lockdown.”Ĭovid put a halt to the festivities. Covid hit Empire at the worst possible time. Paul and Trevor convened staff, industry luminaries and friends to celebrate the newly-minted Empire Studios with a Christmas party in 2019, “It was a great night of live music and a great chance to showcase the new facility,” recalls Paul.Ĭonstruction continued in 2020 and the larger Studio 2 opened in March. But our website is probably the most consistent place: as Studio 52 in Collingwood closed in November 2019, so too was Empire opening its first stage of completion. We try to stay up on our social media networks, so that’s a good place to start. I hope that the viewers and listeners feel that. ![]() ![]() From the beginning to the end of the tour, some songs become almost unrecognizable!Ī-T: What else would you like our readers to know about the new Snarky Puppy album, and how can they keep up with the band? Michael: Only that it felt amazing to come home and make music in the place where it all started. We don’t plan it beforehand – sometimes it just happens naturally, or we’ll call things out on stage. Sometimes I might start a certain song, and the next night it will be the horn section. Additionally, we try to never play a song the same way twice. How does the music evolve once you take it on the road, from night to night and over the course of several months? Michael: We never play the same setlist, so that inherently changes the energy of the show from night to night. I love it.Ī-T: In October, Snarky Puppy embarks on a worldwide tour. You play differently when there are people in front of you – especially when they are one foot away! It takes you out of the it-has-to-be-perfect recording mentality and puts the focus more on communication. ![]() What does the band gain from recording in this manner? How does it differ from playing to a conventional audience? Michael: For us, it’s the perfect combination of live show energy and high-quality sound recording. He was my personal mentor and a mentor to several members of the band for years, and I don’t think any single musician has had a greater impact on the ethos and direction of the band than Bernard Wright.Ī-T: As alluded to above, Snarky Puppy has recorded – and become known for – many live-in-studio records and videos with audience members listening through headphones. In addition to the incredible performance that he gave on “Take It!” simply his presence in the room as a listener inspired us. What impact did he have on you and the band and what did it mean to have him at these sessions? Michael: It wouldn’t be the same record without him. A-T: The late jazz and funk keyboardist Bernard Wright, whom you have identified as a godfather-like figure, plays on this album, in what, sadly, would be his final recorded performance. ![]()
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