Creative input on "Voodoo"

[autologic]

Russell -
How much musical creative input did you have during the production of D'Angelo's "Voodoo"?
Say, quite a bit, or did you contribute more technically?

Thanks!

autologic

[Russell Elevado]

hello,

My musical input came more once we got into the overdubs and when i started mixing. But for the initial recording sessions, they would just be locked into each other, jamming and grooving so hard so i was concentrating on making sure i was capturing it and keeping them inspired by doing manual effects and tweaking sounds in the control room and making sure tape was rolling. Musicians play differently when they're being inspired by how their sound is being projected.

And I would suggest different production techniques as we were recording (mostly recreating old school techniques or sounds). But musicially, D, ?uest, Pino, Poyser, etc are at a different level than I and I would be surely kidding myself if i thought otherwise. So i kept my input to a minimum. Sure there were moments of inspiration when i knew a certain musical idea would fit and i would suggest it, but those moments were only a handful of times. Most creative ideas were in the form of techniques and sonics.

That was and still is the best rhythm section to come in a long time, and i feel privileged to have been the man responsible for capturing it.

During the mixing phase, production came in the form of creating dynamics in the arrangements or changing arrangements slightly by coming up with psychedelic passages or moody breaks.
eg: Adding the reverse guitars in Africa or creating the intro and outro for Playa.

My main objective throughout Voodoo was to establish my sound and impress it to listeners and the industry. I knew this would be my vehicle for doing what i always wanted to do when i started forming my own concepts for sound. I knew i was coming to my own and that i was going to distance my self from certain types of artists. So my main concentration was on the sound and feel of the album.

all the best