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STY - Girls' Generation Production Log Part 1
-Producer STY has worked with many major superstars such as Koda Kumi, Exile, Beni, SHINee, etc. Building a strong foothold as a next generation model producer, STY's highlight was being involved in producing Girls’ Generation’s album last year, titled "Girls' Generation."
After coming through Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, a first for digmee, STY reveals frankly in his own words about the inside story of producing "Girls' Generation" and about Girls' Generation as artists.-
-Do they exist or don't exist? That kind of ambiguous feeling. But, a pop icon.-
At the end of last year, Girls’ Generation released their first Japanese repackage album. In this album, STY produced 4 vocal tracks and lent his hand in co-writing 3 songs, but as a matter fact, he avoided talking too much about his work on the album. This is because he appeared to be devoid of any consideration about this overwhelming pop icon. However, since the album and tour this time reaped huge success, established a number of records, little by little, he wanted to talk about this album. It looks like it will be long, so please follow along with us.
"The Beginning"
From around July of 2010, staff of both Digz,inc. group and SM Entertainment Japan held detailed meetings about Girls’ Generation’s 3rd single in Japan. Until the album music composition was decided, the staff of Digz most likely collected hundreds of songs and demos from Japan, Korea, North America, Northern Europe, and many other countries (among a number of those countries, the staff actually went to that location), and among those tracks, songs constantly piled up through careful selection. Furthermore, things that were brushed up were recorded in the album.
The concept in Digz is "Japan's next generation pop music is not to fit anybody, but what we think is good" (This is Digz's boss’ own words). The creators from many countries doing collaborations or connecting through communication, let alone Digz, is most likely something that has never experienced before in Japan. Confined within a time limit and because this was the first time the team challenged something like this, so of course there were a lot of differences in opinions and conflicts among engineers, producers, A&R, managers, and other staff in specific roles. Nevertheless, overcoming those differences, we come to realize those experiences is something we were suppose to have after watching Girls’ Generation's activity.
I was first approached about working with Girls’ Generation around September of 2010. Around that time, I was working to death on some other work, so I actually declined the honor of working and producing Girls Generation's new song. (Up until now, I have never once declined any work that was offered to me, but around that time, I was extremely busy. The reason I declined was because when I'm involved in a project I want to handle creative control properly and to take full responsibility until the end, so if I cannot do that, I do not want to participate half-heartedly.)
Looking back now, it is something unbelievable, but with an adjustment to the schedule, staff co-operation, and ending with the efforts (and persuasion) from management, I found myself being involved in discussions about Girls’ Generation. (Even now, my stubborn attitude at that time is made fun of within the company. (laughs))
“MR.TAXI”
By the end of 2010, the musical composition had already been whittled down to a few select candidates. Of course there were a lot of out track compositions that were not included in the the album at the very end, but each composition was scrutinized through an organized process of testing with lyrics, music, and mixing. We were determined to continue this process until the quality and grade of the demo had been pushed to its highest limits.
Among those, the two songs that stood out were "MR.TAXI" and "Let It Rain". The former had a stiff beat, and an aggressive synth that was closely linked to a dance tune. The latter song was an elegant, medium ballad. I was entrusted to do the vocal production and co-writing of "MR.TAXI".
When I was writing the lyrics, I kept aiming for “surreal” in a good way and nothing else but that. I think if you look at the lyrics you will understand, but no one can catch us traveling around the world, however, it's a warning to look this way.This kind of feeling is surreal. However, we added the essence of "suggestiveness?" from the start, to make the 9 members of Girls' Generation seem like characters out of a dream world. Suggestive, surreal, and a touch of fantasy. That was the kind of image I had of Girls' Generation. Exactly what country are they in now? What are they eating? Do they exist or don't exist? That kind of ambiguous feeling. But, a pop icon. Personally, this kind of presence is an exception. (Of course, everybody in Korea knows they are top idols.)
Recording the music composition for this spanned from February 17th to the 18th, at Digz's DCH STUDIO. During those hours, a few members would come, record, leave, then the other members would come, and so on and so forth for that two day period. Personally, it was the first time I have ever recorded the main lead prior to recording the harmony, so it was a very new experience.
"Everyone's variety"
Since all 9 girls at their adolescent years, their personality varies.
"How should I put my feelings into this word?" "Is this part falsetto? In a natural voice?" questions are asked by Taeyeon and Jessica, both with insatiable inquiring minds on singing; innocent Yoona who says, "I'm weak at singing, but I love it;" Yuri, who doesn't show any sign of tiredness during the long recordings; Sunny, who supports the vocal line brilliantly; Hyoyeon, who is very shy; Sooyoung, who thought up her own Japanese rap for MR. TAXI (Unfortunately, due to the circumstances of the work, the rap was not used, but the "1,2,3!" shout right before the dance part was her idea); Tiffany, who is always changing, bright and full of energy; and Seohyun, who is hard working and speaks Japanese fluently.
Since I cannot speak Korean at all, it was basically staff who did all the translating or had conversations in English, but as the recordings progressed, I started to remember many specific Korean words during the recordings. No matter which member said "Johayo" to me while smiling, it was memorable.
STY - Girls' Generation Production Log Part 2
--Neither J, K, US, nor UK, pure POP.--
“Great Eastern Japan Earthquake”
The recording and editing for “MR.TAXI” was over and finally it was time for the mixing work, however on March 11th, the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake occurred. All the record companies took a one week temporary leave from work. However, the mixing had to be finished according to schedule by March 13th. It was because it was initially decided that the single was to be released the following month on April 13th (in the end with a delay of two weeks, it was released on April 27th).
The continuing aftershocks, radiation, planned blackouts.... The chaotic state within the country was to the point where it was questioned if the single would actually be released. However, we solemnly chose that there was no other option than to continue the work.
Unable to decide on what to do with mixing “MR.TAXI” within Digz, the offer was made to America’s finest mixing engineer, Andros Rodrigues, who worked with Justin Timberlake, Whitney Houston, T.I, and Ludacris. The mix of heavy bass was previously unheard of in Japan’s pop field and remembering seeing and hearing that on the news still stirs my heart even now.
“THE GREAT ESCAPE / you-aholic”
With the influence of the Eastern Japan Earthquake, the production and release of the album was delayed. In that time, production proceeded with two songs popular within the album, “THE GREAT ESCAPE” and “you-aholic”. These two songs also kept the concept of “surrealism and suggestiveness”. It was as if within the texture of the Japanese language a foreign language could be heard. In reality, the lyrics look surreal with mixed arrangements of English and Korean. When asked what “Psycho-sexy-super-magic” means, I’m unable to answer.
With/In respect to producing Girls' Generation, I usually decided by myself which songs I want to [produce], but simply by accident and chance the two songs I chose were worked on by E.Kidd Bogart, who won countless awards and whose most recent works include hit songs like Beyonce’s “Halo” and Jason Derulo’s “It Girl”. Actually, when proceeding with the songs, I had no idea that Evan Bogart co-wrote the songs. Had I known that such good melodies and words came from him, to tell the truth, I doubt I would take on the songs now.
The Digz staff all flew to Korea where recording was held from April 5th-9th and from April 18th-21st 2011 for a total of over one week. I remember having very complex feelings from seeing Gimpo Airport for the first time to feeling some nostalgia from the scenery in Seoul’s center, to feeling the freshness, and also feeling uneasiness from recording overseas.
We stayed at the Riviera Hotel and directly headed to the studio awaiting us, which was surprisingly a regular studio. I thought that even if the placed changed what we had to do would not change, so we recorded and catered with great relish as usual. At that time, they showed us the promotional video for “MR.TAXI”, which was currently being edited, and we had small talk with the members (around then, the incident of Taeyeon being pulled off-stage by the arm by a man happened and we asked if she was alright), so the harmonious feeling session continued and ended.
“Since then”
After that, the released album, “GIRLS’ GENERATION”, established a new record for a debut album by a foreign artist. Then the nationwide tour that started afterwards was a success and furthermore the repackaged album and tour DVD were set to be released.
This time, a word I did not even use once is “K-POP”. Individually, I think this Girls' Generation album is not about J, K, US, nor UK, it is simply POP. I think it was about time to talk about how that music is born, raised, and released into the world in what way, and so I wrote such a long article. I really can talk more and more, to the point where I could talk and shoot a documentary film, but that is for another time.
One thing or another, I’ll be happy if people thought, “Wow”.
STY
Born in 1980. Started track making and writing around 2002, he became a songwriter as his major field and career around 2005. He goes back and forth between various roles, like producer, songwriter, track maker, and singer, and his fun style of making music freely fits best as a next generation producer. He has worked with over 50 artists including EXILE and Koda Kumi.
Source: Digmee Part 1 , Part 2
Translated by: arghninja, redsunset, SeraphKY @ soshified.com
