All my writing takes place during the recording of the master tapes. I never do have songs when I start up an album. I actually write them while I record.
When I begin working on a production, I don't really think about my previous album or albums. I try to have a real creative process.
It's the actual recording of the vocal that is the most boring thing you'll ever do in your life.
New songs are why artists go on the road. That's why I go on the road. It's a three-prong play. Writing: You're intrigued. Recording: It brings it to life. And then you want to share it.
Every time you come out with an album or a song, you want to feel like you're growing a bit in what you are and giving people something that they can feel.
So I'll set a cycle in motion and pop it into record and I'll lay down a drum pattern, a bass line, a keyboard and guitar part, and once the groove is going I launch into the song and sing my song over the top.
The first set of lyrics for the first songs I ever wrote, which are the ones on 'Pretty Hate Machine,' came from private journal entries that I realized I was writing in lyric form.
So the Madonna thing, I wrote a song with Diplo, she liked it, tweaked it and then made it her own and it became 'Hold Tight.'
I was totally sober in college and really, really focused. I just took the time when other people might be partying and just made music and played at the party instead.
Once I come up with the concept, the rest of the song just comes.
As a producer, as a songwriter, I've spent a lot of time either in my bedroom or in studios, alone.
I played more of an advisory role with Public Enemy. I really trusted them to make the music that they wanted to make, and the way The Bomb Squad worked with the... they created their whole own world of music.
After 12 intense years of rock music, I was happy to get away from making a record and going out on a tour. When I did it, I wanted to feel inspired. After a while I finally had my fill working on other people's music, and I started coming up with music on my own and said, 'This could be for me.'
My only real hobby is playing music. I write a lot of music on guitar and keyboards and hope one day to make a record or maybe even write the score for a film.
Composing is sort of an intuitive act. You have to put yourself in the right frame of mind.
I play keyboards and sing. I've written a couple of songs too.
I've never really cared if I was famous for my music. It was just something I had to do.
When I was nine, ten, I was super young, but I installed a program on my computer so I could start producing music. I just started messing around. Then, after a couple of years, I got better. I actually learned some tricks, so I knew what I was doing instead of just messing.
I wanted to play drums and if I didn't play drums, I wouldn't make music and drums are the foundation for what I do.
I started DJ-ing in the '90s. DJ-ing is in every record I do. When I make records I make them for DJs.
When I was making the early stuff, I never expected it to be so big. I was in my own kind of bubble. I never wanted to tour; I just wanted to create music and make a diary I could put out into the world. And sometimes, I became the characters.
From the first album I'm playing bass on a lot of the tunes, and piano on a lot of 'em, and drums, and guitars. I did that on almost every album.
Dub has been a big influence in terms of production. It's inspired so many people and so much music - in terms of music where mixing desk was the instrument. Central to that is the echo chamber, and I think there's a little bit of a romantic thing there.
A lot of people have been sending me beats, I've just been getting it in.
When I am making music, I am growing at the same time, ain't I?
