Productionwise

Tony Visconti is a brand name in record production. As a young engineer working in New York, he crossed the Atlantic to make his name in London, where he met two dream collaborators: David Bowie and Marc Bolan. While he immersed himself in the thriving psychedelic rock, prog and folk scenes – and produced some stellar albums in the process – his work with these two glam rock visionaries would set his legend in stone. Tony’s discography is beyond vast, so, in the first part of our series finale, we tackle just the first decade or so of his career. James and Graham talk wizards, ladies of the lake, Vietnam vibes, and acquiring the taste.

The late electronic and pop enigma  achieved a lot in a tragically short time. As much a sadist as she was a crowdpleaser, and as much a nostalgist as she was a pioneering sound artist. She made her name as a part of the PC Music stable, before attracting the attention of the likes of Vince Staples Charli XCX and Madonna. By turns a creator of sonic art installations or a vendor of sugar confections, SOPHIE was a true one off and a master of the art. James and Graham discuss novelty in music, the pleasures of unpleasant sounds, pop homogenisation and more.

Jamie Meline, better known as El-P, is a household name thanks to his work with Killer Mike as Run The Jewels. But, once upon a time, deep in the grimey East Coast rap underground, El Producto changed everything. With his crew Company Flow, as producer on a string of influential classics, and as label head of Definitive Jux, he forged his own path, far from the mainstream, from his Brooklyn apartment. In part 1 of our El-P special, we look at his early collaborations, the forging of his solo career, and more.

In part 2 of our Jerry Finn special, the pop-punk master emerges from his work with Blink 128 into a larger world. This is where we see that he could really turn his hand to anything, which isn't to say that he didn't have a couple more genre classics up his sleeve. Here, Jerry spreads his wings with the likes of Sum 41, AFI and, yes, even Morrissey...

The late Jerry Finn is rightly seen as the king of pop-punk and, with Blink 182, Sum 41 and Rancid, he produced some of the genre’s biggest and best albums. But is that all there was to him? Even in a career cut so short, his discography is littered with unsung classics and surprising stylistic shifts, with the one constant being beautiful, inviting guitars. James and Graham also discuss being pigeonholed and how to mature as a pop-punk band.

Sylvia Robinson was a true mogul and pioneer. Known as the ‘Godmother’ of hip-hop, Sylvia made her name as a guitarist, singer, rapper, producer, arranger, and label boss. While she might be best known for bringing rap to the pop charts with the Sugar Hill Gang’s club classic Rapper’s Delight, her talents and influence go much further. As the head of All Platinum and Sugar Hill records, she oversaw a string of hits and produced some beautiful recordings in a career spanning decades. Up for debate are Ike and Tina Turner. The Moments, Sugar Hill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and many more. The good fellows also touch on pop ephemera, embodying your era, making an impression on the radio, getting people dancing, mixing art with business and sexuality in music.

The second series of Productionwise kicks off with an exploration of the great work of Rich Costey. Rich has done it all over a career that has seen him work extensively as an engineer for Philip Glass and a mixer for Rick Rubin, but his production work has a strong flavour despite its diversity. His most high-profile collaborations are with the likes of Muse, Biffy Clyro, Jane’s Addiction and Death Cab for Cutie but, as you’ll see, Rich could really work with anyone and make an impression. In this episode, James and Graham talk poppy second albums, the pros and cons of being a safe pair of hands, transcending the sound of a band in a room, fantasy in music and the problem with cymbals.

Welcome to Productionwise, the podcast about digging into music producers discographies to find their signature sounds! The season finale! Continuing our discussion of the incredible producer and artist Madlib, we will be taking you through his iconic discography. As always you can find our Madlib playlist on Spotify to hear some of the tracks mentioned here. This episode once again features music from the great @patfunkk.