The hot water sprayed down through the shower, washing away the muscle soreness and mental exhaustion, Lan Li couldn't help but close his eyes, raised his head, and let the water droplets fall on his face, and the whole person gradually relaxed.

The first day of album production was a high-intensity operation, and the level of hard work was even more difficult than filming.

On the issue of the selection of album tracks, George and Herbert both did not give an inch, George did not use the identity of the producer to go his own way, but Herbert showed an unmatched professionalism as a recording engineer.

Even though Lan Li mediated as an intermediary, the effect was still limited, and after screening over and over again, in the end, the waiting list could only be temporarily fixed on the number "sixteen".

Sixteen songs, which is still too much for an album. However, this is already the limit, and after the three-way wrestling, the result of a compromise. As a producer, George first put into the arrangement, recording, and post-production process, and after the complete repertoire came out, he selected the most complete and fitting works from the sixteen songs, and included the album "Don Quixote".

At this point, the preliminary preparations have finally come to an end temporarily.

However, today's work is not over. The discussion between the three of them continued until seven o'clock in the evening, and after dinner, Lan Li immediately entered the recording stage.

"Old Pine" became the first work to enter the recording studio, firstly, because the chords of this song are the simplest, and the arrangement is relatively simple, except for the missing horn folk guitar, only the tambourine, piano, snare drum, xylophone and other traditional folk instruments are needed, and the arrangement work only took less than 30 minutes to complete, basically maintaining the original flavor of Lan Li's original creation, which also makes the recording work relatively simple.

The second is because both George and Herbert have a soft spot for this song. "Old Pines" has the temperament of a traditional folk song, like a Scottish wanderer, and at the same time, it also has the majesty of traditional rock, and the lightness of walking through the tranquil atmosphere outlines the turbulence of the sea of clouds in a thrilling way.

Lan Li first spent more than two hours in the recording studio to complete the recording of the instrument. Of course, this was not done by Lan Li alone, George invited two professional studio musicians to take care of all the orchestration recordings, and then spent nearly two hours on the official recording of the singing part.

Recording is not easy.

This is not like a live performance, everything comes from the heart, allowing the existence of flaws, and paying more attention to the integration of emotion and atmosphere; standing in front of the recording microphone, all the singing will be placed under the microscope, divided into countless pieces, and the details are carved little by little, including intonation, rhythm, pronunciation, ventilation and other technical aspects of singing skills need to be slowly studied.

What's more, emotions can't be left behind.

When performing live, the whole performance is done in one go, and the emotions are like mercury pouring down, coherent and smooth, whether it is good or bad, depends on the performance on the spot. Even if it is not good, there is no turning back from the bow, and you can only make mistakes and push the boat with the current, and this relaxed mode gives the performers more freedom.

But when recording work, the emotion needs to be full and appropriate, if it is insufficient or too much, then it needs to be repeated, and a lyric is recorded dozens or hundreds of times over and over again, which is normal. However, this repeated way of studying has caused the whole song to become fragmented, and the injection of emotions has also become countless fragments, intermittent and unsustainable, making the expression of emotions more difficult, and then forming a vicious circle.

Live performance is a test of talent, and recording is a test of focus. Both jobs have their own difficulties, but neither can be treated lightly.

Before midnight came, Lan Li finally finished the recording of "Old Pine".

This isn't Lan Li's first time in the studio, as her previous experience in the City of Sound has left a deep impression, but this time it's not just two singles, recording an entire album has increased the workload and the difficulty of the work. Today is only the first day of album recording, and there is still a long journey ahead.

However, everything is difficult at the beginning, and after taking the first step, the situation will also open. Although today's work is extremely hard, it is very smooth, and the cooperation of the three people is gradually completed in the stumbling and stumbling. That's a good thing.

After turning off the shower head, I dried myself with a bath towel and left the hot bathroom. While wiping his hair, he walked in the direction of the kitchen, he was busy all day today, and he seemed to use his voice a little excessively, and he had been wanting to drink water when he took a shower just now, and his throat always felt a little dry.

Footsteps passed through the hall, and I saw a figure on the sofa in the corner of my eye, if it was someone else, there would be an extra person in the family for no reason, and he would definitely be scared away, but Lan Li had already been used to it, and he didn't stop his steps, so he said hello casually, "Haven't you rested yet?"

Matthew Dunlop, who was sitting on the couch, didn't look up, still flipping through the contract in his hand, "This George Sland ......"

What Matthew has in his hands is the record contract that George is going to sign with Lan Li. As Matthew expected, the recording work started today, and before the official recording, George and Lan Li had a simple exchange about the contract, both of them are art-first types, and they don't care about the details of the contract terms, and the conversation ended very smoothly.

After coming back, Lan Li directly stuffed the contract into Matthew's mailbox, and then went into the house to take a shower. Unexpectedly, Matthew actually came downstairs with the contract.

Entering the kitchen, Lan Li saw a large jug of lemonade on the stove, which was obviously prepared by Matthew in advance. He poured a glass of lemonade and walked towards the hall with the glass, "What's the matter, there are traps in the contract?" Although it was a questioning tone, the expression was a natural one.

Whether as an actor or as a singer, Lan Li is an authentic newcomer. When signing a contract, unfair traps are always everywhere, which is also the fundamental reason why agents and lawyers need to check the gates, otherwise, you will sell yourself and count the money with a smile.

"It's not. Matthew's expression was a little weird, but the contract hadn't been read yet, so he didn't rush to speak, and asked intently, "How is the work going today?"

"Not very satisfied. Lan Li took two pillows as backrests and lay directly on the sofa, letting his limbs relax, "The efficiency is really too low." Sure enough, I'm still fit for acting. ”

In Lan Li's opinion, he still lacks experience, whether it is acting experience or singing skills, he is very lacking. Compared with acting, the progress and efficiency of the recording work are not satisfactory. Even after completing the recording of "Old Pines", Lan Li still felt that the effect was not as good as when he performed on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. If he can, he'd like to re-record it.

If George and Herbert knew Lan Li's thoughts, they would probably be smoking. For a novice recording studio, Lan Li's performance can be described as astonishing.

Purely from the point of view of technique, Lan Li is undoubtedly jerky, just received basic pronunciation training, in terms of singing skills is a blank sheet of paper, rough and simple, in the singing process, Lan Li is completely based on the original/can interpretation, but it is precisely this primitive and simple, but the talent of Lan Li is vividly displayed.

The interpretation of emotions, the interpretation of emotions, the precipitation of thoughts, and the resonance of souls...... Especially the warm voice with a faint hoarseness, which is as velvet and smooth as a cello, hides the vicissitudes of folk songs, chic, wandering, casual, and free, and the easy singing is enough to make people cry.

It seems that under the skin of that twenty-one-year-old, there is the soul of a centenarian, who has seen the vicissitudes of life, walked through thousands of mountains and rivers, seen the clouds surging, tasted the ups and downs, the precipitation of the years and the power of time, all integrated into the voice, shocking.

This is what a singer is born to be. A song is recorded in two hours, and it has been analyzed and tested with microscope in the most advanced recording studio, even for the most professional top singers.

But...... Presumably, George and Herbert would be more than willing to give Lan Li a separate "basic lesson in recording."

Matthew also didn't know anything about the profession of the recording studio, so he couldn't tell the truth from Lan Li's words, but he pouted lightly, "However, judging from this contract, George doesn't agree with you. ”

Lan Li raised his eyebrows slightly, and asked puzzledly, "What do you mean?"

Matthew's gaze lifted from the contract, "I mean, not only does this contract have no pitfalls, but it also fully protects your rights and interests with absolute trust. Matthew adjusted his sitting position and flipped through the previous clause, "For example, your veto power over the album, that is, if you are not satisfied with the album after it has been recorded, you have the right to request that it be re-recorded, otherwise the album will not be allowed to be released." ”

Even if Lan Li was a layman, he knew how unbelievable it was. It's as if actors have veto power over movies, not even Tom Cruise.

"For example, you have the right to make decisions about all aspects of the album cover, fonts, pricing, distribution channels, promotional projects, etc. The issuing company cannot make decisions without your consent. Matthew continued to throw bombs outside, such a treatment was unheard of, "For example, no one has the right to change your creation without your consent, that is to say, as a creator and an artist, your original spiritual core is protected in all aspects." ”

Shock, real shock! Such a contract clause, one could even say the Overlord slave clause, but the problem is that Lan Li is the slave owner, and George and the potential issuing company are the slaves!