My studio days generally start with me trying and failing to get in before noon. I generally like to be finished with work before dinner time but it rarely happens. My best creative hours nowadays seem to be between 2 pm and 11 pm. I live pretty far from the studio, which is in Greenpoint, so I drive in on a moped, which takes me about a half hour and is a good way to get my thoughts sorted for the day.
I’ve been lucky to have this studio to work out for the last year or two, I share it with several other people and the creative energy and traces of everybody else’s work, projects, and equipment are always a constant source of inspiration, as well as the fantastic view and design by my friend Danny K Taylor aka House Under Magic, of Eavesdrop fame.
My days in the studio don’t tend to be that consistent and differ wildly if I’m working with a client or collaborator, or just on my own. Even then it’s much different if I’m trying to finish something that’s already in progress or if I am trying to find a new idea. My favorite moments are the all too rare ones when I come here with a completely blank slate and allow myself to just create something from scratch. If I’m doing that it usually starts in the computer, programming some basic drums in Ableton and then I’ll usually move to the keyboard to try to find some harmonic or melodic idea. I’m very groove-oriented with my writing so I almost always start with the drums or at least the rhythm of the song, even if it ends up getting thrown away eventually.
I tend not to get too caught up in the character of particular sounds early in the process, settling for things that might be a vague approximation of what I’ll eventually want in terms of sound and timbre.
Lately, I have been getting better at bringing songs from conceptualization to completion quickly. Just recently I managed to complete a whole song in about three days, which would have been unheard of for me a few years ago.
I have a background in filmmaking and my studio practice is very influenced by that. I gather a lot of different options and takes and the majority of my composing takes the form of editing.
These days, I have been enjoying the privilege of having windows that face the sunset. So I try almost every day that I work here, to spend that half hour to an hour when the sun is setting, improvising, or experimenting in some way while looking out the window. At various times I’ve had home studios, or situations like this, where it’s a shared professional space, and had other periods where I was totally itinerant and only working in other people’s studios while traveling. All three configurations have their benefits but lately, I have been spoiled with time and space in this space.
I have been spoiled with time and space in this space. The real luxury of not working in a home studio is not having to worry about the neighbors. Either you disturbing them or they disturbing you. The other big benefit is the separation of your personal and creative lives. Although there are times I miss having the tools of my musical life close at hand.
If you would like to catch up with Gabriel and learn more the music business follow him on instagram @eleseenmusic
Photos: Anita Goes
