all fired up

this is going to be, to me at least, the most exciting serialized articles i have ever blogged. this audiophile cd project is brimming with excitement and challenges. i am gushing at the prospect of working with some really talented musicians and the making of a really really cool-sounding cd. you are lucky to get first-hand information in this blog :-)

in just two days, i have found a suitable producer, found my choice singers (regine and winnie ) and got in touch via email with leo fung, the charismatic hifi guru from HK. for the younger audiophiles among you, leo fung was the ultimate guru back in those flourishing days of hifi in late 80s/early 90s. leo has produced a couple of stunning drum works which have become best-sellers. more about leo's involvement in my later posts.

two of my friends, kc and ian, have already given their unequivocal vote of confidence for the two fabulous singers we shortlisted. regine, currently a recording artiste, has a sweet voice that can charm the birds out of the trees and make grown men cry, whereas my fave ms. winnie ho has the power and versatility that allow her to handle any song with finesse and class. malaysian audiopiles will be lucky to be the first batch of audiophiles to listen to their fantastic voices later.

plenty of work ahead. first, i am not sure what kind of musical style i want the singers to adopt. most "economical" way is to do what roger wang and mia palencia do with double take - a simple voice and a guitar. but this demands great artistry in arrangement and singer's capability to captivate lest it becomes bland and one-dimensional. but admittedly, it is also the easiest to record. i may want to do a jazz ensemble but that will be overly ambitious considering our modest budget and the musicians available locally.

as to the recording studio, i will leave it to my producer, jin liang. my last resort is to use roger's RAM studio in kk. roger's studio has been known to produce very warm and atmospheric sound. i am also considering asking keith yip (the HK head honcho of rock-in music label, which produces luminary works like susan wong) to do the recording for us but it would cost a bit considering that he is based in HK. most likely, i will let leo will do the mastering, provided he agrees.

next comes the song selections. i will have some say, together with my producer and the singers. winnie hasn't officially agreed to work on our project. i will be meeting up with her next week.

i guess that most exciting part for me is to see my fave singers flexing their vocal muscles in the recording studio. these are moments to-die-for.

the marketing of this album will also be interesting. i haven't really done up my marketing plan yet. i may look for some dealers to sponsor the album.

my producer will be away next month, leaving me alone to plan most of the work.

exciting times ahead; my adrenalin is charging.

and av xpress is coming out next week!