Should any artist be allowed to build their own studio?

ask kevin shields - he has been at it longer than stereo mcs, this autumn it will be ten years since Loveless.

I wondered.. does owning your own equipment kill the urgency that produces good pop?

No. The idea that music is more spontaneous if it's recorded quickly may sometimes be true, but I think you'll find the vast majority of artists have their own equipment now (even if they don't use it to make their final masters). I don't know the exact circumstances of why Stereo MC's have taken so long over their album, but I doubt it's related to it being home-recorded - more that they had a financial cushion that has allowed them to be indulgent, and that they may have become obsessed (in a Fleetwood Mac-ish way) with following up such a successful previous record with something of equal or better standard (at least by their criteria).

When I had a simple 4 track, I recorded a lot more songs or sketches of songs. Now that I have everything I need to make fully layered, well-produced music tracks, they're never good enough. I think the problem is that, exactly. At some point in a studio, you say, "Fuck it that's as good as it'll get and that's all we've got for now, let's send these 20 songs around and see what gets cut". I think studio albums are better, but some homemade stuff is really good. I don't think I could work in a studio, so it's better for one man bands with no studio musicians or no idea how to direct them.

paddy mcaloon dedicated his last record to the carpenters that built his studio. i don't miss the stereo mcs.

It's the way most rock stars go, I guess sex, drugs and rock'n'roll can only sustain interest for so long. It's like the old man who has a garden shed and listens to test match special on the radio, only on a much grander scale. Having said that it doesn't always equate to pructivity, but I guess if bands are happy messing around in their studios who are we to judge?

lee perry's black ark studio had a duckpond under the drum-riser

connie plank's studio was open to the elements at one end: supposedly you can hear real birds singting during the quiet bits of Ultravox's 'Systems of Romance'

artists shd be allowed to build their own studios only if lawrence llewelyn bowen — or better still, a rival artist — is then allowed seven days in which to RE-design it, changing rooms-stylee.

I would agree with the neuromancer. Back when I only had a 4 track, I did a lot more recording than I do now that I have an 8 track and nicer mics and mic pres and compressors and reverbs and all that bullshit. There was a time that I got really into the recording of music but then I realized that I was going after that so hard that I was sacrificing the ability to actually WRITE good songs to record. Now I'm going back and simplifying everything and keeping only the stuff that I absolutely need on the off change that I have to record an entire band.

Its a tough line to walk though and its ruined plenty of albums/artists. Not only building your own studio, but becoming famous and having enough money to spend 6 months in the most expensive studio. Its the "Soft Bulletin effect". Too much time to make things sound sterile.

Anyway, musicians often become interested in recording because they're generally around it so much. That was the case for me and there's nothing wrong with that. The world needs tape ops and engineers. But a *good* musician doesn't need an exceptional amount of time or gear to make a good album. Call that the "Bob Pollard effect". It has always been my contention that "a blind squirrel will find an acorn sooner or later". Meaning that if you give a terrible artist enough time and resources, (s)he can come up with 10 great songs for an album. It may take 20 years, but whatever. I'm waiting for the followup.

You're implying Bob Pollard has made a good album. Or rather, I'll admit, he *has* made a good album. Again and again. Forever. Once more. Until matter collapses. And the world ceases to care. ZZZ.

Interesting...rock-artists maybe shouldn't be allowed to built their own studio, wasting all those days smoking spliffs after recording a drum-sound. In dance music though it's the norm really, has been that way since the 70s (Kraftwerk's lab, King Tubby's studio etc.)

Yeah , most bands should be allowed to build their own studio, on the proviso that it be located it should about 5000 miles west of the Black Stump & they promise never to come out .