Undergoing a recording project is a massive endeavor spanning 2-4 months. It generally requires a sound engineer, numerous side musicians - generally at least 4 and often much more, 1-2 vocalists, a graphic designer, and an executive producer to tie it all together. The budgets are huge investments and getting it right is critical to being able to fund future recordings, unless you have very deep pockets.
I am not the foremost expert here at Spirit Voyage on kirtan recordings but these are my general suggestions that I return to when evaluating albums at different stages of the process.
1. Make sure the album sounds really good from a casual listening perspective.When you put it on in the background it should be nice. Often times there is a tendency to over think the music and it gets too complex. The highest standard for a record is that it just sounds good.
2. The most important element of the record is the vocal. Instruments should only be there to support the vocals.
3. Get the pronunciation right. Take the time to learn it.
4. Mix in enough Indian instruments to give it a worldly sound. The best records seem to be a fusion with some classical elements but that also sound very modern.
5. Make large parts of the album functional for yoga class. People want to use these records to support their classes and I think it is helpful to vision how people will be using the records while you are creating it.
6. Make it chantable. Sit down with the record and sing with it. If you like singing with it, its going to be great.
7. Make the music instrumentally beautiful but not overwhelming. Put in improv vocals, nice harmonies, and beautiful instrumental breaks. Make it fun to listen to. People meditate deeply to these records. Respect that. Give the listener subtle changes that will unfold in their meditation.
8. Don't be afraid to make them dance. People need to really move- give them something to get down to.
9. Make the record diverse but keep a thread through the whole thing.
10. Take some risks in the music but keep in mind there is a process to the success. Be the first to record something. Get a little scared when you release your record. If it is an 8 track record, take 2 risks.
11. Do your sadhana. People want to feel something spiritually from the music. Your practice will come through in your music.
12. Be careful with the English lyrics. Make the poetry really profound and beautiful if you are going to translate. There is always a risk of sounding a little cheesy in the translation. Stay away from that if possible.
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Good article!
One thing that you assume, though is that the artist is going to take the role of the producer. This can work, but I think you will find that at least for a new artist’s first album, it is important to have someone else take that role. The producer is the equivalent of the director of a film. They are the one who translates the vision of the artist into the audible content by guiding the recording process, selecting appropriate side musicians (not every musician will be effective in the studio), musical arrangements, and otherwise manifesting the album in the most efficient and highest quality manner possible. Hiring a producer is, of course, optional, but working with one who is familiar with the genre that you are recording in can be one of the best investments one can make for creating a great album.
I also think that in the kirtan/chant/devotional genre, we need to leave room for innovation and evolution. This means that point 4 should be noted and applied tastefully without overdoing it or making it mandatory. We run the risk of overwhelming each other with redundant music. I believe that people who listen to kirtan and chant music are open to new ideas, sounds, and grooves that break the mold of a specifically Indian fusion sound. As with any genre, innovation is key. (Artists such as Mirabai Ceiba and Krishna Das w/Rick Rubin come to mind.) I’d like to see artists being encouraged to try something new (i.e. your suggestion of a a Michael Franti & Spearhead chant album, which could be a great new blend of roots, hip-hop, reggae, and chant) so that we can see a growth in the genre and a more mainstream channel for uplifting the public through chant and kirtan.
Thanks so much for the point of clarification. I would absolutely encourage new artists and seasoned artists too for the that matter to work with a producer. I would actually edit the post if you had not clarified that point.
As you mention, I too have seen these projects are extremely difficult for artists to manage themselves. I think as the recording artist, you get so deep into the process, it is easy to lose site of the bigger picture. If you are the perfectionist type, the tendency to keep redoing things over and over can be very painful. The producer can be a life saver in that regard.