Producers the Matrix discuss their work on upcoming LP, tentatively due in the spring.
By Gil Kaufman
It's been awhile since the production trio known as the Matrix worked on such a highly anticipated album. But that will change this spring when Tokio Hotel release the follow-up to their English language breakthrough album, Scream. The yet-untitled album is being co-produced by the pop songwriters/producers best known for their work with Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Korn.
"We're in the middle of working on the Tokio Hotel record right now," Matrix member Lauren Christy said Tuesday, the same day the collective's long-lost album featuring a then-unknown singer by the name of Katy Perry dropped on iTunes. "We've done eight songs for that record ... and I love the singer's voice and the fact that they play their own instruments. They're a real band, and they're very dark. They're this almost-perfect, gorgeous-looking band but with music that's very dark."
So far, Christy said the German group has laid down tracks at two different Los Angeles studios with the Matrix and with their own in-house production team over the past few months, with a mix that includes very "strong, anthem-y" songs with a dark edge and "lots of guitars."
Fellow Matrix producer Scott Spock said the sessions have been one of the most exciting and enjoyable of his career. "We've worked with so many different people, and when you get into a room where magic just starts happening ... it makes everything really fun," he said, comparing the spark to the one he felt working with Lavigne and Korn. "It's the same experience with Tokio Hotel. ... They are all really talented and can write and play, and they're the real deal."
Spock said he can't recall the last time he worked with a singer who had as much star quality as TH leader Bill Kaulitz. "The music business really needs Tokio Hotel right now," Spock said."They're reviving that image of what a rock star is. ... Their writing has developed massively, and we're experimenting a bit with some Depeche Mode influence. ... It doesn't sound like anything else out there right now. People don't want to hear a bunch of 808s and Auto-Tuned vocals. They want the real stuff."
Christy added that one of the other things she's grown to love about the rockers is their strong sense of identity, one that seems impervious to the Matrix's tendency toward a big, bright pop sound. "The band is so aware of what they are, and when you have an artist that's that strong, you can't pull them and homogenize them and make them sound like they're not. They're very opinionated about what they want."
That strong sense of self has made it easier to work with the guys as they try to introduce some more American rock styles to their sound, Spock said, while working hard not to lose that unique essence that has made them worldwide stars already. "The push and pull between the camps has been great," he said. "And I think the album will be great because of that. I'm going to look back on this in 10 years and say, 'Wow, I worked with Tokio Hotel!' "
Christy said TH came to the Matrix because they really liked the ballad they'd co-written with Avril Lavigne, "I'm With You," as well as their production on Korn's See You on the Other Side album.
"They like the sadness of that song and were really touched by it," she said of the Lavigne tune. "They like the Korn records too, but they said, 'We wouldn't do that, but it's really good. But it's not truthful to us as a band.' " So far, the Matrix have been co-writing all the songs they've worked on with TH for the album, and at press time, Scott said they had completed work on six of those tunes.
The album is tentatively due in late spring, according to Christy; a spokesperson for TH's label could not be reached for comment at press time. "Their confidence in knowing exactly who they are and what they're doing, given how youthful they are, is amazing," Spock said. "They definitely bring the dark side of the pop song, not like a Lamb of God record but with rock influences that will cross over to so many different kids ... and even some adults."
In addition to the TH album, Christy said the Matrix have been grinding away on Korn singer Jonathan Davis' solo debut, an album by "iCarly" star Miranda Cosgrove, the next Ashley Tisdale CD and the soundtrack to the rebooted "Fame."
Traducción:
TOKIO HOTEL TRABAJANDO EN NUEVOS HIMNOS OSCUROS PARA EL SIGUIENTE ALBUM
LOS PRODUCTORES THE MATRIX COMENTAN SU TRABAJO EN EL SIGUIENTE LP, QUE SALDRA SEGURAMENTE EN PRIMAVERA
Hace bastante tiempo que el trio de productores conocido como THE MATRIX trabajan en un album tan deseado. Pero esto cambiara esta primavera cuando TOKIO HOTEL saquen el seguidor de su album en ingles anterior Scream. El album aun sin titulo esta siendo co-producido por los escritores y productores mas conocidos en el mundo del pop, que han trabajado con Avril lavigne, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears y Korn.
"Estamos en medio del trabajo con Tokio Hotel ahora mismo," dijo el martes la miembro de Matrix Lauren Christy, el mismo dia que salia en itunes una version del album de Kate Perry. "Hemos hecho 8 canciones para este disco... y adoramos la voz del cantante y el hecho de que tocan sus propios instrumentos. Son una banda realmente, y son muy oscuros. Con este casi perfecto glorioso look peor con musica muy oscura."
Aun mas lejos, Christy dijo que el grupo aleman ha grabado canciones en dos estudios distintos de Los Angeles con the Matrix y con su propio equipo de produccion en casa en los pasados meses, con un mix que incluye canciones muy fuertes tipo himno con un lado oscuro y muchas guitarras.
Otro de los productores Scott Spock dijo qu las sesiones han sido una de las mas excitantes y de las que mas ha disfrutado en su carrera." Hemos trabajado con mucha gente distinta, y cuando entras en una habitacion donde la magia hace presencia... hace todo realmente divertido" dijo, comparando con el ambiente que sintio trabajando con Lavigne y Korn- "Es la misma experiencia con Tokio Hotel... Son todos realmente talentosos y pueden escribir y tocar, son el verdadero reto".
Spock dijo que no puede recordar la ultima vez que trabajo con alguien que tuviera tanta cualidad como estrella como el cantante Bill Kaulitz. "La industria de la musica de verdad necesita a Tokio Hotel ahora mismo", dijo Spock. "Estan reviviendo esa imagen de lo que es ser estrella de rock... Lo que escriben se ha desarrollado masivamente, y estamos experimentando un poco con la inluecia de Daepeche Mode... No suena como nada que haya por ahi ahora mismo. La gente no quiere oir un monton de cosas de los 80´s y voces auto-tuneadas. Quieren cosas reales."
Chisty añade que otra cosa que ha legado a amar de estos roqueros es su fuerte sentimiento de identidad, algo que es imperqante con unos productores como the Matrix que tienden a a un gran pop brillante. "La banda esta tanto al tanto de lo que son, y cuando tienes un artista que es tan fuerte, no puedes empujarles, homogenizarles y hacerles sonar como lo que no son. Tienen muy claro lo que quieren".
Ese fuerte sentido de identidad ha hecho mas facil trabajar con los chicos cuando querian introducirles a sonidos mas de rock americano, Spock dijo, ,ientras al trabajar duro no pierdan esa esencia que les ha convertido en estrellas mundiales ya. "El tira y afloja entre los campos ha sido muy grande" dijo "Y creo que el album sera grande por eso. Voy a volver la vista atras a esto en 10 años y dire: "Wow, yo trabaje con Tokio Hotel".
Christy dijo que TH acudieron a Matrix porque de verdad les gustaba la balada que coéscribimos con Avril Lavigne, "I´m with you", como tambien su producion en el album See you on the other side de Korn.
"A ellos les gusta la tristeza en esa cancion y les emociona mucho", dijo de la cancion de Lavigne. "Les gustan los discos de Korn tambien, pero dicen, "No hariamos eso, pero es realmente bueno. Pero no guardaria la fidelidad hacia nosotros como banda", De hecho The Matrix han co-escrito todas las canciones
en las que han trabajado con ellos para el album, y en el presente momento han completado ya el trabajo de 6 de esas melodias.
El album saldra seguramente al final de la primavera, segun Christy: Un corresponsal de la discografica de TH no puede decir una fecha exacta. "Su confianza en saber exactamente quienes son y lo que estan haciendo, dado lo jovenes que son, es increible", dijo Spock. "Ellos definitivamente dan el lado oscuro al sonido de la cancion pop, no como un disco de Lamb of God sino con influencias de rock que llegaran a mucha gente joven... y tambien algunos adultos."
Ademas del album de TH, Christy dijo que The Matrix estan colaborando con el debut en solitario del cantante de Korn Jonathan Davis.
MTV.com
Traducción
Tokio Hotel Working On 'Dark' Anthems For Next Album
