NB: I haven’t been able to find any other ‘Volumes’ from this series, does anyone know if there are any / where to find them?Īnother favourite from this series. A fascinating insight into Hawtin’s personal and creative lives, being part of the second wave of Detroit Techno producers (kind of), and his views and approach to technology in music. It’s fun going from the films on Moog and Kraftwerk to a profile of a producer who is really at the cutting edge of current technology and electronic music. And if you make music but don’t know who any of those bands or artists are you must watch this! Get it here.ĩ. This film actually goes into the whole German ‘Krautrock’ scene that Kraftwerk sprung from, so you get nice bits of Neu!, Can, Cluster and Klaus Schulze too. If Bob Moog was the guy who created the potential, the equipment, for electronic music that would change everything, Kraftwerk were one of the bands that actually made that music. Great insight into a totally unorthodox approach (at least for the time) to recording, that ended up giving the album an incredibly atmospheric sound. At that time the Stones had literally been hounded out of England, so they decamped to the South of France, and set about recording in the sprawling basement complex of Keith Richards mansion. This is the story of the making of the Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main St. It’s amazing to think just how far-reaching the effects of his work have been: would your favourite electronic genres sound the same if it hadn’t been for the Moog? The film also includes many good interviews with people like sometime-Nine Inch Nail Charlie Clouser, Keith Emerson, Luke Vibert, DJ Spooky and Beastie Boys DJ Mix Master Mike. The story of Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog synth. The Electric Ladyland film is a favourite because it demonstrates how Hendrix (and his team, including engineer Eddie Kramer) was so ahead of his time in terms of how he constructed his songs with layers and effects in the studio, in a way we take for granted now. What makes the Classic Albums series an absolute must view for every producer is the format of each film: it’s not just the story of the making of an album, but you actually sit down at the mix console with the producer, engineer or artists (sometimes all at once) and they talk through the individual elements of key songs, bringing up the faders for each track as they go. Classic Albums – The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Electric Ladyland Not least because of the bizarreness of watching people who are icons in their own right, such as David Bowie, bowing down before his genius. The story of a 60’s pop star turned reclusive, mysterious and actual genius producer, this film is a great watch even if you’ve never heard of Scott Walker. Essential viewing for every dance music producer. This excellent film about the birth and evolution of Detroit Techno focuses on the holy trinity of the genre: Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, and also features interviews with Richie Hawtin, Jeff Mills, Carl Cox and Matthew Dear.
High Tech Soul: The Creation of Techno Music From the South Bronx in the 1970s to San Francisco now, the world’s best scratchers, beat-diggers, party-rockers, and producers wax poetic on beats, breaks, battles, and the infinite possibilities of vinyl.” Get it here.ģ. In Pray’s own words, “A feature-length documentary film about hip-hop DJing, otherwise known as turntablism. As well as telling the story of relatively little-known but hugely influential producer Tom Dowd, the film offers a fantastic history of recording and producing music, from the primitive early days to the computer/digital revolution.
This is perhaps the one unmissable film on the list, regardless of what kind of music you’re making.
The list covers everything from Techno, House and Hip Hop to 60’s Pop, Rock, Metal, Dub and Dylan. I spent ages sifting through the archives to bring you the definitive collection of films that should be on every musician and producers viewing list: regardless of your own genre, these are all massively inspiring and offer real insights into all sorts of production styles and creative processes, all of which will aid your own approach to music production. With the news that Dave Grohl is making a film about his favourite studio Sound City, I thought it a good time to do a rundown of my all-time favourite music docs.