David M Taylor - interview


How was the song 'Far More' recorded ? Did you use a drum machine ? How many people worked on the album ? Where was the album mixed and why the choice ? Why work in Switzerland ? How does he view the production scene in Switzerland ? How do you pronounce Wroclaw ? Where can I buy David M. Taylor CD's ?


	How was the song 'Far More' recorded ? The band knew the 80s version of the song. They were over in Switzerland for five days and we worked pretty fast, so we had extra time on the Saturday and decided to do a more modern version of the song. With nothing but a simple groove idea from Dave, we set about tracking the song with Jonathan on drums, Carl on bass and David on Keys. Nick had flown home the night before because of work and family commitments and Andy was also absent as he had just lost his father.With the basics down and everyone exhausted we sped to Zurich (70 km) for a quick swim and a look at the plastic cows before returning to pack all night for the drive back to London the next morning at six am. Andy flew out later to record his guitars in September the girls came on the first cheap easy jet flights in November to sing the BVs. David drove to Poland to record the strings having finally saved enough money over one year later.

	Did you use a drum machine ? No. To get the sound on 'Far More' we put a t-shirt over one of the two snares Jonathan was using.

	How many people worked on the album ? Apart from David who worked part-time, he had two assistants who also worked with him occassionally part- time. One vocal coach, 11 session musicians and12 singers were involved in the final tracks. For the string session we had 21 players, a conductor plus two engineers and 4 hours time. Another 19 musicians, 2 vocal coaches and 3 engineers were otherwise involved in the whole process.

	Where was the album mixed and why the choice ? Mixes were first completed at a number of renowned Swiss studios, but the results were dissatisfactory. The main problem was that new engineers joining such a complex project for the mix had little chance to get familiar with the material and find truly creative solutions under the inevitable time pressure. Following these disappointing escapades, David made the decision to upgrade his investment in New Temple Studio, to allow world class mixing in addition to tracking facilities. He also decided to mix the album himself, which although delaying the completion once again, was certainly the best decision for the songs.

	Why work in Switzerland ? David is half-Swiss and prefers the climate and clean air of the Zurich highlands. To have similar facilities in London would be astronomically expensive or simply downright cramped and dingy. His company Soundswrite GmbH, provides English translation and writing services to the Swiss advertising and PR industry.

	How does he view the production scene in Switzerland ? High average Swiss incomes and the fall in equipment prices has made a home studio an option for many amateur bands. At the same time, the need to learn from more experienced professionals was underrated. These factors along with the Swiss obsession to sing in foreign languages stifled the Swiss music industry, preventing the development of a pool of session talent or a chance to exchange production experience. That is a harsh learning environment for a young producer/artist.

	How do you pronounce Wroclaw ? Vrotzlav. Polish is a weird language spoken by wonderful warm-hearted people who live in a freezing cold country.

	Where can I buy David M. Taylor CD's ? Click here to order the album or new releases online. Write or call KIR Music, Leuholz 17, 8855 Wangen, Switzerland Tel: +41 55 450 00 35.