CHRIS COADY Mixing ‘Seasons’ by Future Islands [TUTORIAL]
A nostalgic song about lives gone by, ‘Seasons’ united generations of music fans with its passionate performances and soaring synthpop arrangement. Join Chris Coady as he deconstructs the making of this critically-acclaimed hit, featuring unique recording and production techniques never before seen on Mix With The Masters.
Chris begins by revealing the strict rules that forced the team to break new creative boundaries. They turned the entire recording process upside down, tracking vocals first and drums last; and they placed a heavy emphasis on room mics to create depth and perspective. These unusual decisions enabled the band to hear the song with fresh ears and to approach it as if they were playing it for the very first time.
You will get to hear all of these elements track-by-track as Chris builds up the production from the initial demo stage. Along the way he discusses the technical and philosophical aspects of his work – from tone shaping to session management. You will learn useful tips for selecting studios, collaborating with a team and making quick decisions in the heat of the moment.
Once the production elements are in place, Chris moves on to investigate his final mix. Although he is renowned for his use of analog gear, he was challenged by the band to complete this mix entirely in the box. Chris dives into the ProTools session and shares the techniques he used to achieve his signature textures and tones. He explores his use of saturation to blend sounds together, and delves into the subtle differences between analog and digital processing – both of which have their own place in his workflow.