Music, Mindfulness, & Madness

This week, we speak to Grammy Award-nominated producer/engineer Paul Fig about how he works and develops his craft. We also discuss the rich history behind his studio, www.davesroom.net, in Southern California.

While working at world-famous Sound City Studios, Fig had the opportunity to practice every aspect of his trade, working with such luminaries as Joe Barresi, Matt Hyde, Don Smith, Matt Wallace, David Bianco, George Drakoulias and Greg Fidelman. During that time he worked on albums by Ry Cooder, Robert Cray, and the legendary Johnny Cash.

Fig has since put his stamp on records by Deftones, Coheed and Cambria, Trivium, and the critically acclaimed Ghost B.C’s 2013 album, Infestissumam. In 2014, he received a Grammy Nomination in the category of Best Engineered Album Non Classical for Alice in Chains “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here”. Most recently, he Co-Produced and engineered Jerry Cantrell’s new solo effort “Brighten” which was released October 29, 2021.

Despite working all hours in the studio, Fig also finds time to compose and record music for television and film, including the HBO Docu-series “Sonic Highways”, The Motion Picture “The Collection”, Fox Sports, and MTV.

Michael Hateley:
Lotus Mastering
http://lotusmastering.com/

Hello Crow
Hello Crow, Michael's new EP is available now!

Extra Fancy "You Look Like a Movie Star":
https://youtu.be/0pE1TqlWHCk

Baldyloks (Michael Hateley & John Napier):
https://baldyloks.bandcamp.com/

Dee Madden:
https://www.deemadden.com/

Dee's new album Paisley Madrigals is out now!

Penal Colony “Blue 9” video:
https://youtu.be/Fes9E3ea8FY

Dee Madden on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jsYxJ4QxzoGn9t0HRllPk

Anu Kirk:
https://www.anukirk.com

• Anu on Bandcamp
• Sid Luscious and The Pants on Bandcamp
• Luscious-235 on Bandcamp
• Rêvenir on Bandcamp

This week, we speak to Grammy Award-nominated producer/engineer Paul Fig about how he works and develops his craft. We also discuss the rich history behind his studio, www.davesroom.net, in Southern California.

While working at world-famous Sound City Studios, Fig had the opportunity to practice every aspect of his trade, working with such luminaries as Joe Barresi, Matt Hyde, Don Smith, Matt Wallace, David Bianco, George Drakoulias and Greg Fidelman. During that time he worked on albums by Ry Cooder, Robert Cray, and the legendary Johnny Cash.

Fig has since put his stamp on records by Deftones, Coheed and Cambria, Trivium, and the critically acclaimed Ghost B.C’s 2013 album, Infestissumam. In 2014, he received a Grammy Nomination in the category of Best Engineered Album Non Classical for Alice in Chains “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here”. Most recently, he Co-Produced and engineered Jerry Cantrell’s new solo effort “Brighten” which was released October 29, 2021.

Despite working all hours in the studio, Fig also finds time to compose and record music for television and film, including the HBO Docu-series “Sonic Highways”, The Motion Picture “The Collection”, Fox Sports, and MTV.

Michael Hateley:
Lotus Mastering
http://lotusmastering.com/

Hello Crow
Hello Crow, Michael's new EP is available now!

Extra Fancy "You Look Like a Movie Star":
https://youtu.be/0pE1TqlWHCk

Baldyloks (Michael Hateley & John Napier):
https://baldyloks.bandcamp.com/

Dee Madden:
https://www.deemadden.com/

Dee's new album Paisley Madrigals is out now!

Penal Colony “Blue 9” video:
https://youtu.be/Fes9E3ea8FY

Dee Madden on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jsYxJ4QxzoGn9t0HRllPk

Anu Kirk:
https://www.anukirk.com

• Anu on Bandcamp
• Sid Luscious and The Pants on Bandcamp
• Luscious-235 on Bandcamp
• Rêvenir on Bandcamp

Anu, Dee, and Michael discuss latest projects, challenges, and creative discoveries.

Michael Hateley:
Lotus Mastering
http://lotusmastering.com/

Hello Crow
Hello Crow, Michael's new EP is available now!

Extra Fancy "You Look Like a Movie Star":
https://youtu.be/0pE1TqlWHCk

Baldyloks (Michael Hateley & John Napier):
https://baldyloks.bandcamp.com/

Dee Madden:
https://www.deemadden.com/

Dee's new album Paisley Madrigals is out now!

Penal Colony “Blue 9” video:
https://youtu.be/Fes9E3ea8FY

Dee Madden on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jsYxJ4QxzoGn9t0HRllPk

Anu Kirk:
https://www.anukirk.com

• Anu on Bandcamp
• Sid Luscious and The Pants on Bandcamp
• Luscious-235 on Bandcamp
• Rêvenir on Bandcamp

Anu, Dee, and Michael discuss latest projects, challenges, and creative discoveries.

Michael Hateley:
Lotus Mastering
http://lotusmastering.com/

Hello Crow
Hello Crow, Michael's new EP is available now!

Extra Fancy "You Look Like a Movie Star":
https://youtu.be/0pE1TqlWHCk

Baldyloks (Michael Hateley & John Napier):
https://baldyloks.bandcamp.com/

Dee Madden:
https://www.deemadden.com/

Dee's new album Paisley Madrigals is out now!

Penal Colony “Blue 9” video:
https://youtu.be/Fes9E3ea8FY

Dee Madden on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jsYxJ4QxzoGn9t0HRllPk

Anu Kirk:
https://www.anukirk.com

• Anu on Bandcamp
• Sid Luscious and The Pants on Bandcamp
• Luscious-235 on Bandcamp
• Rêvenir on Bandcamp

We all get stuck eventually -- stuck in our jobs, creative projects, or lives. We may face obstacles of finance, emotion, time, or personality. Sometimes we do not even know the cause.

Getting unstuck starts with actually knowing when you're stuck and then telling the truth about it. Often, we don't know what the next step could or should be. Even if we do know the next step, our willingness to take action may have just evaporated.

We discuss our experiences being of being stuck -- its many flavors and textures, and how we moved beyond it...or did not!

Michael Hateley:
Lotus Mastering
http://lotusmastering.com/

Hello Crow
Hello Crow, Michael's new EP is available now!

Extra Fancy "You Look Like a Movie Star":
https://youtu.be/0pE1TqlWHCk

Baldyloks (Michael Hateley & John Napier):
https://baldyloks.bandcamp.com/

Dee Madden:
https://www.deemadden.com/

Dee's new album Paisley Madrigals is out now!

Penal Colony “Blue 9” video:
https://youtu.be/Fes9E3ea8FY

Dee Madden on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jsYxJ4QxzoGn9t0HRllPk

Anu Kirk:
https://www.anukirk.com

• Anu on Bandcamp
• Sid Luscious and The Pants on Bandcamp
• Luscious-235 on Bandcamp
• Rêvenir on Bandcamp

We all get stuck eventually -- stuck in our jobs, creative projects, or lives. We may face obstacles of finance, emotion, time, or personality. Sometimes we do not even know the cause.

Getting unstuck starts with actually knowing when you're stuck and then telling the truth about it. Often, we don't know what the next step could or should be. Even if we do know the next step, our willingness to take action may have just evaporated.

We discuss our experiences being of being stuck -- its many flavors and textures, and how we moved beyond it...or did not!

Michael Hateley:
Lotus Mastering
http://lotusmastering.com/

Hello Crow
Hello Crow, Michael's new EP is available now!

Extra Fancy "You Look Like a Movie Star":
https://youtu.be/0pE1TqlWHCk

Baldyloks (Michael Hateley & John Napier):
https://baldyloks.bandcamp.com/

Dee Madden:
https://www.deemadden.com/

Dee's new album Paisley Madrigals is out now!

Penal Colony “Blue 9” video:
https://youtu.be/Fes9E3ea8FY

Dee Madden on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jsYxJ4QxzoGn9t0HRllPk

Anu Kirk:
https://www.anukirk.com

• Anu on Bandcamp
• Sid Luscious and The Pants on Bandcamp
• Luscious-235 on Bandcamp
• Rêvenir on Bandcamp

Most of the biggest blocks that creators have start and end in their thinking. This episode explores where our own worst thinking stops us before we even start and some ways to begin to unlearn the nasty habit of catastrophic thinking.

"The call is coming from inside the house...."
--
References from this episode:

Therapy in a Nutshell video - Catastrophizing: How to Stop Making Yourself Depressed and Anxious

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma:

Grounding Exercise from the "Therapy In A Nutshell" YT Channel

Banshees of Innesherin movie. Trailer is here!

Michael Hateley:
Lotus Mastering
http://lotusmastering.com/

Hello Crow
Hello Crow, Michael's new EP is available now!

Extra Fancy "You Look Like a Movie Star":
https://youtu.be/0pE1TqlWHCk

Baldyloks (Michael Hateley & John Napier):
https://baldyloks.bandcamp.com/

Dee Madden:
https://www.deemadden.com/

Dee's new album Paisley Madrigals is out now!

Penal Colony “Blue 9” video:
https://youtu.be/Fes9E3ea8FY

Dee Madden on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jsYxJ4QxzoGn9t0HRllPk

Anu Kirk:
https://www.anukirk.com

• Anu on Bandcamp
• Sid Luscious and The Pants on Bandcamp
• Luscious-235 on Bandcamp
• Rêvenir on Bandcamp

Most of the biggest blocks that creators have start and end in their thinking. This episode explores where our own worst thinking stops us before we even start and some ways to begin to unlearn the nasty habit of catastrophic thinking.

"The call is coming from inside the house...."
--
References from this episode:

Therapy in a Nutshell video - Catastrophizing: How to Stop Making Yourself Depressed and Anxious

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma:

Grounding Exercise from the "Therapy In A Nutshell" YT Channel

Banshees of Innesherin movie. Trailer is here!

Michael Hateley:
Lotus Mastering
http://lotusmastering.com/

Hello Crow
Hello Crow, Michael's new EP is available now!

Extra Fancy "You Look Like a Movie Star":
https://youtu.be/0pE1TqlWHCk

Baldyloks (Michael Hateley & John Napier):
https://baldyloks.bandcamp.com/

Dee Madden:
https://www.deemadden.com/

Dee's new album Paisley Madrigals is out now!

Penal Colony “Blue 9” video:
https://youtu.be/Fes9E3ea8FY

Dee Madden on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jsYxJ4QxzoGn9t0HRllPk

Anu Kirk:
https://www.anukirk.com

• Anu on Bandcamp
• Sid Luscious and The Pants on Bandcamp
• Luscious-235 on Bandcamp
• Rêvenir on Bandcamp

Is artificial intelligence a real threat to human creativity? Or are we just expanding our creative toolbox? We discuss the myths and realities of technology and creative practices in the world of art and music, and talk about implications and effects of previous and future technologies.

--
Stable Diffusion, an AI-based image generation. Try it yourself!
ChatGPT, from OpenAI.
GPT3, which produces human-like text. Given an initial text as prompt, it will produce text that continues the prompt.
Lensa, the AI-based portrait app.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal cartoon about AI creativity and art.

Attack Magazine's "Beat Dissected" columns teach non-drummers how to build common beats by following recipes.

Roger Linn's Linn Drum sounds are on more hit records than any other sound. It was the first drum machine to use digital samples of real drums.
Sly and The Family Stone's There's a Riot Goin' On was one of the first big records to use a drum machine.

Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal for Recovering from Trauma & Emotional Upheaval by James Pennebaker

Excerpt from "The Spirit of Radio" by Rush, lyrics written by Neil Peart:

All this machinery making modern music
Can still be open-hearted
Not so coldly charted, it's really just a question of your honesty
Yeah, your honesty
One likes to believe in the freedom of music
But glittering prizes and endless compromises
Shatter the illusion of integrity, yeah

Michael Hateley:
Lotus Mastering
http://lotusmastering.com/

Hello Crow
Hello Crow, Michael's new EP is available now!

Extra Fancy "You Look Like a Movie Star":
https://youtu.be/0pE1TqlWHCk

Baldyloks (Michael Hateley & John Napier):
https://baldyloks.bandcamp.com/

Dee Madden:
https://www.deemadden.com/

Dee's new album Paisley Madrigals is out now!

Penal Colony “Blue 9” video:
https://youtu.be/Fes9E3ea8FY

Dee Madden on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jsYxJ4QxzoGn9t0HRllPk

Anu Kirk:
https://www.anukirk.com

• Anu on Bandcamp
• Sid Luscious and The Pants on Bandcamp
• Luscious-235 on Bandcamp
• Rêvenir on Bandcamp

Is artificial intelligence a real threat to human creativity? Or are we just expanding our creative toolbox? We discuss the myths and realities of technology and creative practices in the world of art and music, and talk about implications and effects of previous and future technologies.

--
Stable Diffusion, an AI-based image generation. Try it yourself!
ChatGPT, from OpenAI.
GPT3, which produces human-like text. Given an initial text as prompt, it will produce text that continues the prompt.
Lensa, the AI-based portrait app.
Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal cartoon about AI creativity and art.

Attack Magazine's "Beat Dissected" columns teach non-drummers how to build common beats by following recipes.

Roger Linn's Linn Drum sounds are on more hit records than any other sound. It was the first drum machine to use digital samples of real drums.
Sly and The Family Stone's There's a Riot Goin' On was one of the first big records to use a drum machine.

Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal for Recovering from Trauma & Emotional Upheaval by James Pennebaker

Excerpt from "The Spirit of Radio" by Rush, lyrics written by Neil Peart:

All this machinery making modern music
Can still be open-hearted
Not so coldly charted, it's really just a question of your honesty
Yeah, your honesty
One likes to believe in the freedom of music
But glittering prizes and endless compromises
Shatter the illusion of integrity, yeah

Michael Hateley:
Lotus Mastering
http://lotusmastering.com/

Hello Crow
Hello Crow, Michael's new EP is available now!

Extra Fancy "You Look Like a Movie Star":
https://youtu.be/0pE1TqlWHCk

Baldyloks (Michael Hateley & John Napier):
https://baldyloks.bandcamp.com/

Dee Madden:
https://www.deemadden.com/

Dee's new album Paisley Madrigals is out now!

Penal Colony “Blue 9” video:
https://youtu.be/Fes9E3ea8FY

Dee Madden on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jsYxJ4QxzoGn9t0HRllPk

Anu Kirk:
https://www.anukirk.com

• Anu on Bandcamp
• Sid Luscious and The Pants on Bandcamp
• Luscious-235 on Bandcamp
• Rêvenir on Bandcamp