Shinichi Iwahashi came to the console, put on his headphones, controlled the equipment, and listened to Keiko Utoku's recording.
Regarding cover albums, since he stopped being the recording engineer himself, he has never actively listened to the results of the recording. Today, he made another exception for Keiko Utoku.
The reason why I don't listen is because it has no value. This kind of thing has no additional requirements for the producer or the duet singer.
Although the songs included in each album are diverse, if you listen carefully, they are all the same.
The reason for making an exception for Keiko Utoku is not because the cover she recorded is different, but just to confirm the performance of her voice in the recording studio.
While he was listening to the recording, a working girl named Yukiko Okada went to prepare tea for Seiichiro Kuribayashi and Keiko Utoku. Seiichiro Kuribayashi, who had just finished recording, asked Keiko Utoku to sit next to him and rest.
Kuribayashi Seiichiro didn't care at all what Iwahashi Shinichi was doing there, only Utoku Keiko looked over at the console from time to time.
After the recording ended, Keiko Utoku came out of the recording room and found out that Shinichi Iwahashi had come to the recording studio. Seeing that Seiichiro Kuribayashi, who was in charge of the recording, also looked surprised, I knew it was a sudden visit that had not been approved beforehand.
This kind of cover album is produced very quickly, and by the time today's recording is over, the progress will be almost completed. During the entire recording period, Iwahashi Shinichi did not show up, and Utoku Keiko thought she would have no chance to see him again.
Even though they met now, after a brief exchange of greetings, nothing was said at all.
However, the person who asked her during the interview whether she could do any music-related job was Shinichi Iwahashi. The person who asked her to come over to record a cover album was Shinichi Iwahashi. Now the person who came here specifically to listen to her recording is still Shinichi Iwahashi.
.
Utoku Keiko couldn't help but wonder whether there were other intentions behind his actions.
…
Iwahashi Shinichi listened to two songs, took off his headphones, took his own coffee cup, and sat down next to Kuribayashi Seiichiro.
At this time, Yukiko Okada also came back from making tea. She smiled at Shinichi Iwahashi and said, "I'll go clean it up." Then she walked towards the recording room.
The working girl is very presentable, dedicated and conscientious.
Utoku Keiko was sitting across from her, but Iwahashi Shinichi stopped talking to her and chatted with Kuribayashi Seiichiro about the recording studio.
She was on the side, listening to Shinichi Iwahashi telling Seiichiro Kuribayashi about the recruitment of new musicians. She couldn't figure out Shinichi Iwahashi's intentions, and she couldn't join the conversation, so she had to listen and wait for the topic to turn to her.
…
Tatsuya Hirakawa is about to be removed, and Seiichiro Kuribayashi is taking the lead in the recording studio these days. Shinichi Iwahashi also has to consider his mood, and rarely comes to the recording studio. The most important thing is to tell him that this hard work will be over soon.
, steady him.
Fengdao has a wide network of contacts in the underground music circle, and he promised to find musicians, who are expected to be in place soon. Soon, there will probably be another interview meeting to meet the people he brought here.
Working in a production company does not prevent you from continuing to perform in live houses. For underground musicians with unstable incomes, working in a production company is a good choice. Iwahashi Shinichi never worries about not being able to recruit people.
This time, in addition to musicians, he also plans to seriously recruit a professional recording engineer to take charge of this place. From now on, the company's musicians will no longer hold this job concurrently.
When he talked about hiring a sound engineer, he saw Seiichiro Kuribayashi showing an expression that said he was finally liberated.
It seems that the job of producing a cover album is boring for anyone.
Of course, this kind of work is just for making a living. When the time comes, I will say goodbye to this industry. Shinichi Iwahashi recruited the sound engineer not just for him to produce this thing.
Since the production company was not incorporated into the record company when it was established and became one of its departments. To exist independently, it is necessary to formulate a corresponding development plan. Having professional sound engineers in place is also part of the plan.
Shinichi Iwahashi's initial plan was to take advantage of the fact that although the production company cannot independently release records, it does not have the freedom to be exclusive to a certain record company, so as to contract and cultivate talents such as songwriters and arrangers, and to cooperate with the industry.
The essence of a production company is that it is a place where people behind the scenes gather.
As long as the production company exists independently, the previous work of producing singers for record companies can still be carried out. Helping produce new artists is an important way for Iwahashi Shinichi to accumulate experience, connections, and even wealth.
Of course, it is not impossible for the production company to be the singer of Genzo. The music library resources of the production company can also be used by the record company.
You can't release records independently, you can only rely on record companies to release them. This characteristic of the production company also makes Genzo turn a blind eye to Shinichi Iwahashi's development of his own production company.
…
After bringing the good news to Seiichiro Kuribayashi, Shinichi Iwahashi finally ended his arrangement with Keiko Utoku and turned his attention to her.
"How do you feel, Utoku-san?" Shinichi Iwahashi asked.
Utoku Keiko replied that everything was going well.
Iwahashi Shin nodded, and when he opened his mouth, he said: "The focus of recording this kind of cover album is 'reduction', so although you are singing, it is not really music-related work.
It’s better to say it’s a singing job.”
After the establishment of the production company, I don't know how many cover albums I have made. The person who was in charge of the studio at the beginning was Shinichi Iwahashi himself, so he knew the secrets of it all.
And this is also the reason why he thinks this kind of thing has no listening value, so he never listens to the recorded results.
However, capturing the key to this has made the cover album produced by Genzo particularly well received.
That’s why the orders with Tokyo Music Industries were renewed one after another. From the beginning, Shinichi Iwahashi relied on his relationship with Deputy Minister Numata to exchange orders, and now Tokyo Music Industries took the initiative to continue to cooperate with him.
.
He said it so directly, which surprised Utoku Keiko.
But this is true to a certain extent. Before taking this job, she knew what a cover album was, but she didn't know the special nature of this job.
Recording a cover album is like copying a portrait drawn by someone else while covering it with transparent paper. There is no need for the singer to express himself.
The producer does not need to be as meticulous as when making a regular album, and the singer does not need to add any style of his own. In fact, if he sings too stylishly, he will be asked to stop and start over.
When Keiko Utoku first started recording, she felt the specialness of this job.
Now, Shinto Iwahashi understood this. She was surprised and thoughtfully replied: "Indeed, singing behind the scenes is to learn to give up your own characteristics."
This is also the point that makes people feel sad when thinking about it.
Iwahashi Shinichi could hear the faint frustration in her tone.
On this point, Keiko Utoku and Sachiko Kamaike are different. In contrast, Keiko Utoku's emotions are more exposed, and she also reveals a hint of anxiety about not being able to appreciate her talent.
This kind of anxiety is actually normal.
Based on her conditions, she must have received countless praises since she was a child. She probably also had a wish to become a singer and imagined a bright road in life for herself. However, she ended up becoming a small model who was not popular and gave up her own characteristics.
Recording a cover album here like a tool man.
Keiko Utoku and Sachiko Kamaike are the same age, and they are both at an awkward age where it is difficult to get ahead.
Overnight, Sachiko Kamaike caught the last train and became the lead singer of zard. Keiko Utoku, who attended the same interview, was called to record a cover album. The contrast is so hurtful.
When I first met Keiko Utoku, I had the impression that she had a similar temperament to Sachiko Kamaike. As the conversation lasted longer, it completely disappeared.
However, the more different she is from Kamai Sachiko, the more possibilities she has.
Shinichi Iwahashi said this specifically not to attack Keiko Utoku.
He saw Utoku Keiko's frustration and reminded her, "Although this singing job requires you to give up your own characteristics, you still have to be careful not to completely hollow yourself out during the recording process."
Utoku Keiko has recorded a total of four albums under this contract. She has such a passive fighting mentality. She really needs to be careful not to lose her personal characteristics in this impersonal state.
He just listened to Utoku Keiko's recording, and almost felt the meaning of "tool man" in her singing.
"That's right, giving up work with personal characteristics, the opposite of this state is 'be sure not to give up personal characteristics.'" He told Keiko Utoku.
Utoku Keiko tried hard to digest his words and nodded, "Yes, Iwahashi-san."
"In that case."
Iwahashi Shinichi picked up the coffee cup and found that the coffee had gone cold, so he put it down again, "Do you have any other plans next, Utoku-san? Do you want to sing some of the songs you want to sing?"
Her recording session has ended today, and if Iwahashi Shinichi hadn't suddenly arrived, she would have packed her things and prepared to leave.
At this moment, Shinichi Iwahashi, who made this invitation, is more like a math teacher who tells his classmates to "keep class for another five minutes" when school is about to end, or someone who suddenly tells employees to "take care of this work" when they are about to get off work.
Little boss.
…
It's not a song that I'm good at, but a song that I want to sing. This kind of request is very interesting.
Keiko Utoku walked into the recording room and looked at Shinichi Iwahashi opposite, putting on the monitoring headphones, as if waiting to receive the start signal from her.
From the first moment she was surprised when she heard him take the initiative to explain that "recording a cover album is not making music", to when he told him "don't empty yourself", her thoughts changed from surprise to surprise.
After discovering the key to recording a cover album and grasping this little trick, Utoku Keiko, who originally viewed the job negatively, happened to follow this little trick to make things easier, and the progress was smooth sailing.
I was reminded by Shinichi Iwahashi today, and when I think about it again, it seems like he was just playing some clever trick.
Being discovered by Iwahashi Shinichi, Utoku Keiko felt his keen insight. Listening to the recording, you can hear the subtle differences. His ears are really powerful.
After he found out, he reminded her that Utoku Keiko felt his kindness. She could have not said this to a young model who came to record a cover album.
After reminding her, he personally held the cell for her and asked her to sing the song she wanted to sing. At this point, it was no longer good or bad intentions. What Keiko Utoku felt was some kind of protection and respect from him.
From being asked by Shinichi Iwahashi during the interview, "Can I do any music-related job?" to being asked by him to record a cover album.
For the first time in this period of time, Keiko Utoku’s words that she said at the interview, “I like music very much,” really reached the ears of this young producer.
Not only that, he has never despised or trampled on her dreams.
Keiko Utoku put on her headphones and told Shinichi Iwahashi opposite, "It's time to start."
…
Shinichi Iwahashi sang with Keiko Utoku for an additional forty minutes.
Since the establishment of the production company, there have been countless cover albums of this kind, and he has never done such a thing for a singer who came to record.
The reason why I am willing to do so much for Keiko Utoku is because I know that she does not make a living as a cover singer, but because she wants to engage in music-related work, she signed this contract.
She also confessed in front of him that she dreamed of engaging in music-related work. Kamaike Sachiko now had her dream come true, but Utoku Keiko fell into confusion in the process of recording these cover albums.
Helping her correct where she went astray was a way of living up to her trust in having the courage to show her dream in front of him.
In addition, in the process of listening to her singing, Shinichi Iwahashi also learned more about the characteristics of Keiko Utoku's voice.
This round of recording came to an end. Looking at the time, it was already past seven o'clock in the evening.
Sure enough, the "five minutes" the teacher said and the "a little bit of work" the boss said were both unreliable.
Keiko Utoku started packing her things and was about to leave, because Shinichi Iwahashi came over, and Yukiko Okada, who was "forced to work overtime", went to tidy up the recording room.
Just as Keiko Utoku said goodbye and left, the door of the recording studio was pushed open and Seiichiro Kuribayashi came back from dinner.
"Is it over after I met Yu De-sang?"
Iwahashi Shinichi also packed his things, "It took a little longer."
After tidying up the recording room, Okada Yukiko, who was finally able to get off work, rubbed her stomach and said, "I'm so hungry." Shinichi Iwahashi and Seiichiro Kuribayashi were amused when they saw the childish look.
"It's because of me." Shinichi Iwahashi greeted her, "How about I treat you to dinner as compensation?"
"I'll bring the car over." Shinichi Iwahashi told her.
Okada Yukiko was obedient and waited where she was. After a while, a magnificent Duke parked in front of her. The driver's seat lowered the window, revealing Iwahashi Shinichi's face, "Let's go."
"That's amazing!" Okada Yukiko looked in disbelief.
Iwahashi Shinichi didn't care about telling the truth, "It's the company leaders who said it's unreasonable for the president not to drive a better car."
The truth did not affect Okada Yukiko at all. She got into the car and said with a smile: "After all, I am the president-san."
"Okay, President-san." Facing her innocent smile, Shinichi Iwahashi didn't want to confront her, so he replied in cooperation.
Just as he was about to set off, Okada Yukiko suddenly said "Hey".
"The pager is ringing."
She took out the pager from her bag and confirmed the number, "...it should be Akina-san."