TN: 149 SNARKY PUPPY (MICHAEL LEAGUE)
Hello,
In our brand new episode, John sits down with Snarky Puppy founder and band leader Michael League, as he chats to us about his latest Grammy Award-winning record ‘Empire Central’, as well as his work as a producer. Michael breaks down how he wrote, recorded & produced ‘Bet’, ‘Ranjani’ & ‘Obbakoso’
One interesting element from John and Michael’s discussion is Michael’s collaboration with artist Varijashree Venugopal, producing her debut album ‘Vari’. Together, they explored the fusion of Western music and a style of South Indian music known as ‘Carnatic music’ - which has a rich rhythmic and melodic vocabulary. Chords are traditionally absent in South Indian classical music, making this project a groundbreaking experience for Varijashree: for the first time, she experimented with using chords. Initially, she sent Michael demos of her singing melodies accompanied only by a click track. Michael encouraged her to record two additional melodies layered under her original vocal line to add harmony. The result was so unique and moving that Varijashree went on to create all the chords for the album, embracing a new dimension of her musical expression.
This conversation is jam-packed with so much more, including the process of building a Snarky Puppy track from a simple demo into a full jam session with over 20 musicians as well as a sneak preview of Michael’s exciting new project, Ellipsis.
Head over to Spotify to catch the full audio episode, or join us on Patreon to watch the full video!
Snarky Puppy Top Gear Picks!
Click on each link below to find out more.
Lauten LS-208
The LS‑208 is a capacitor microphone built with exceptional high SPL handling and versatile onboard low- and high-pass filters. Snarky Puppy relies on these microphones for their superior isolation, making them ideal for live recordings for their minimal bleed.
Danelectro Sitar
The Danelectro Sitar is a 1960s electric guitar that mimics the sound of a traditional Indian sitar, offering its distinctive twang without the complexity of mastering the original instrument.
Thank you for reading!
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Big love!
John & the Tape Notes team!